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Subject:Re: DITA and Controlled languages From:Scott Abel <abelsp -at- netdirect -dot- net> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Wed, 20 Sep 2006 14:30:12 -0400
Actually, DITA and controlled vocabularies have everything to do with
one another.
For instance, you might choose a controlled language to help you reduce
unneeded translation expense (DITA can help you with that too - see
Content Management and the World Enterprise, November 27 in Boston -
Bernard Aschwanden presents on this topic - www.cmpros.org) or to help
minimize risk of lawsuits affiliated with translation mishaps and other
content usability and consistency issues (DITA totally helps with
this), or to control and prevent your authors from deviating from the
proscribed vocabulary you choose (industry, scientific discipline, or
corporate jargon).
A controlled vocabulary not only provides you with the ability to guide
authors in the right direction (selecting accurate and appropriate
words), they can also be used to prevent undesirable terminology usage
by "controlling" what words are not allowed to be used. DITA can be
used to do similar things -- guide authors, prevent deviation, and help
us manage our content production tasks.
These reasons may, as Eric pointed out, have something to do with the
audience or industry requirements, but controlled vocabularies also may
be used for "management" issues. Management, according to Webster's is
all about control. To say that one has absolutely nothing to do with
the other, is, terribly inaccurate and not my experience at all.
Your mileage may likely vary.
New Contact Information
The Content Wrangler, Inc.
Scott Abel, CEO
6178 Crittenden Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46220
Office: +1 (317) 466.1840 Skype: abelsp
abelsp -at- netdirect -dot- net www.thecontentwrangler.com
"A.H." <isaac840 -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote on 09/18/2006 03:43:29 PM:
If you use one, do you have to use the other? Do
they naturally compliment each other?
One has absolutely nothing to do with the other.
You chose Simplified or controlled language because of audience or
industry requirements, you chose DITA or another structured
architecture
fot production or management reasons.
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