Business Commons^™

Implementing A Controlled Language Is Now Cheaper And Easier Than Ever, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

The controlled language (CL) model is not new: Caterpillar Fundamental English was rolled-out in 1972, and many other enterprise- and a few industry-level controlled languages followed since then. What is new is the fact that now complete commercial rule sets and powerful CL tools are available for free, making controlled language authoring attractive for even the smallest organizations.

Techscribe Ste Term Checker: Uwe Muegge Reviews A Free Vocabulary Checking Tool For Asd-Ste100, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

The Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group (STEMG) recently made its Simplified Technical English (STE) specification ASD-STE100 available to the technical communication community free of charge. While STE was originally developed for the European aerospace industry, the ASD-STE100 specification has become the most widely used controlled language on the planet. The STE Term Checker is a new tool that lets users of Simplified Technical English automatically check texts for compliance with the word lists and vocabulary rules of ASD-STE100.

On Your Terms: Terminology Management Defines The Success Of International Product Launches, Uwe Muegge, Zachary Overline

Uwe Muegge

Whether you’re dealing with products or services, effective terminology management makes the difference between the long-term success and failure of products released to overseas markets.

Controlled Language - Does My Company Need It?, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

A controlled language is a natural language, as opposed to an artificial or constructed language. Natural languages such as English or German are languages that are used by humans for general communication. A controlled language differs from the general language in two significant ways: 1. The grammar rules of a controlled language are typically more restrictive than those of the general language. 2. The vocabulary of a controlled language typically contains only a fraction of the words that are permissible in the general language.

Controlled Language - Does My Company Need It?, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

Dispelling The Myths Of Machine Translation, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

It is not surprising that myths, half-truths, and misunderstandings abound regarding machine translation: It seems as if the experience most players in the translation field have with this technology does not go beyond toying a little with one of the free online translation tools. Almost every week, I come across an article informing its readers either that machine translation is and always will be a complete waste of time or that machine translation, while being a waste of time today, might actually be useful some time in the distant future. In the hope of setting the record straight, here is …

Why Manage Terminology? Ten Quick Answers, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

Terminology management is a hot topic these days. At the tcworld conference 2006, terminology had its own forum with hundreds of participants. And a number of highly visible institutions like the LISA Terminology Special Interest Group (SIG) has been evangelizing the development and use of standardized terminology in the business world for many years.

Disciplining Words: What You Always Wanted To Know About Terminology Management, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

Terminology management enables organizations of any size to use the same terms consistently within and across the communication types that accompany a product or service. Typical communication types include specifications, drawings, GUI, software strings, help systems, technical documentation, marketing materials, regulatory submissions, etc. As multiple authors typically contribute to these communications, terminology management is the most efficient solution for ensuring that the organization speaks with one voice.

Controlled Language: The Next Big Thing In Translation?, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge

Many global organizations are beginning to see the productivity indicators for their translation and localization processes reach a plateau. That’s an inevitable fact even for those organizations that use what’s currently billed as the latest and greatest in translation technology, such as translation memory with automated workflow components or globalization management systems. Even with these tools in place, making content available in multiple languages remains a very expensive and time-consuming proposition. For those looking for ways to reduce the cost of translation to the point where almost all materials that should be translation actually can be translated, controlled language may …