DITA and Controlled languages

[Scott Abel]

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.net   www.thecontentwrangler.com


> "A.H." <isaac840 at yahoo.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.
>
> Eric L. Dunn
> Senior Technical Writer