Re: Punctuation outside US

["O Neill, Jennifer UTC CCS" <Jennifer -dot- ONeill -at- fs -dot- utc -dot- com>]

Microsoft have style guides for all their localized languages on their web site. A useful source of information.

https://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/StyleGuides.aspx

Regards,

jen

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2017 08:45:11 +0000
From: Thorsten Konersmann <tk -at- documentation -dot- engineering>
To: Jim <jameswitkin -at- gmail -dot- com>, techwr-l
	<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Re: Punctuation outside US
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	<CALkWhGNbEbcE8dxnkyVoww23=TSOYXzW+nKWsprCz5kPL9wmJQ -at- mail -dot- gmail -dot- com>
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Hi Jim,

I agree with Lois. If you are writing in English for a global or non-natively speaking audience, you simply pick one form of English and stick to it. The consistency also helps with translation.

For example, I am located in Germany. For a large, globally acting customer, we create documentation in US English, which also gets translated. But all English-speaking markets receive the version in US English.

Best,
Thorsten


On Wed 7. Jun 2017 at 03:51, Jim <jameswitkin -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

> I know there are different practices for placing the period or comma 
> inside or outside quotation marks. In the US, we place the period, 
> comma inside the "quotation mark," while in the UK, it is placed outside.
>
> I'm developing some documentation for the South American market. Does 
> anyone know what the practice is there for this type of punctuation?
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------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2017 13:33:50 +0000
From: "Wright, Lynne" <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- Kronos -dot- com>
To: Jim <jameswitkin -at- gmail -dot- com>, techwr-l
	<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: RE: Punctuation outside US
Message-ID:
	<BAD146C4BAEA60428CA4F7C691AF0DFB2B1F6B81 -at- MTL-MBX01 -dot- KRONOS -dot- com>
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The internet says its punctuation outside quotation marks for Spanish. Presuming we're talking about Spanish, and not Portuguese.

If you're writing in English and will have the text translated, I'd leave it to the translators to deal with that issue. They should know what the convention is for various regional audiences.

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Jim
Sent: Tuesday, June 6, 2017 6:32 PM
To: techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Punctuation outside US

I know there are different practices for placing the period or comma inside or outside quotation marks. In the US, we place the period, comma inside the "quotation mark," while in the UK, it is placed outside.

I'm developing some documentation for the South American market. Does anyone know what the practice is there for this type of punctuation?
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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2017 07:34:25 -0700
From: Jim <jameswitkin -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: "Wright, Lynne" <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- kronos -dot- com>
Cc: techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Re: Punctuation outside US
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Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm sorry I should have specified: I'm writing in English. The material I'm working with has a number of technical terms which are enclosed in quote marks, which is why this has become such an issue. I've decided to leave the punctuation outside the final quote mark for clarity. I agree the most important thing is to maintain a consistent approach.

On Wed, Jun 7, 2017 at 6:33 AM, Wright, Lynne <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- kronos -dot- com>
wrote:

> The internet says its punctuation outside quotation marks for Spanish.
> Presuming we're talking about Spanish, and not Portuguese.
>
> If you're writing in English and will have the text translated, I'd 
> leave it to the translators to deal with that issue. They should know 
> what the convention is for various regional audiences.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:
> techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf 
> techwr-l-bounces+Of
> Jim
> Sent: Tuesday, June 6, 2017 6:32 PM
> To: techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Subject: Punctuation outside US
>
> I know there are different practices for placing the period or comma 
> inside or outside quotation marks. In the US, we place the period, 
> comma inside the "quotation mark," while in the UK, it is placed outside.
>
> I'm developing some documentation for the South American market. Does 
> anyone know what the practice is there for this type of punctuation?
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Visit TechWhirl for the latest on content technology, content strategy 
> and content development | 
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__techwhirl.com&d=Dw
> ICAg&c=ilBQI1lupc9Y65XwNblLtw&r=kfBl3lzQX60mbom0zVDg7TnNHThMqcpQStE3HQ
> 3LJ5k&m=yP6Jb1pPMpkzZU0EEFb55Yq5TtmTSt5HGfPLCO37YU4&s=E6b1r1J9nEsf8Zgr
> yBFn4KiQcy50mxaTYo79xOj3IAM&e=
>
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------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2017 10:30:34 -0700
From: Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Re: Punctuation outside US
Message-ID:
	<CAN3Yy4BL3NFKZqdCpJ+Jd1zVUsiKXoxW2PCDuzi55pJNYOfkvQ -at- mail -dot- gmail -dot- com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

You should not use Spanish punctuation in English. Choose a major style guide and follow it. I use the Microsoft Manual of Style backed up by the Chicago Manual of Style for general questions the MS guide does not address.

That said, I always move punctuation outside the quotes when the quoted material is a command, error message, or anything else copied verbatim from a user interface or software output or to be entered into a field in the UI.

On Wed, Jun 7, 2017 at 7:34 AM, Jim <jameswitkin -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm sorry I should have specified: 
> I'm writing in English. The material I'm working with has a number of 
> technical terms which are enclosed in quote marks, which is why this 
> has become such an issue. I've decided to leave the punctuation 
> outside the final quote mark for clarity. I agree the most important 
> thing is to maintain a consistent approach.

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:
>> techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On 
>> techwr-l-bounces+Behalf Of
>> Jim
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 6, 2017 6:32 PM
>> To: techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
>> Subject: Punctuation outside US
>>
>> I know there are different practices for placing the period or comma 
>> inside or outside quotation marks. In the US, we place the period, 
>> comma inside the "quotation mark," while in the UK, it is placed outside.
>>
>> I'm developing some documentation for the South American market. Does 
>> anyone know what the practice is there for this type of punctuation?


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