Global Talk

TCeurope has published “Professional education and training of Technical Communicators in Europe.”

The publication includes sections on the state of the field and competencies of technical writers. The publication is available for download.

Technical writers in Israel have a thriving online community at http://www.elephant.org.il.

There is a weekly column called “Life as a Tech Writer” at that provides a humorous, but sadly true, look at technical writing. There is a column on “The Why of Style” and a proposed Code of Ethics for Tech Writers, along with articles on living in working in Israel in the face of recent hostilities.

In August and September, 2006, the UbuntuNet Alliance is sponsoring an Online Discussion Forum on “The Role of the Internet in Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology Development in Subsaharan Africa.” (more…)

English is more and more the universal language, especially the simple form used by non-native speakers. Jean-Paul Nerrière has proposed codifying this simple English as Globish, with a limited vocabulary of 1,500 words combined to express more complex ideas. You can read about it in the August 6, 2006 New York Times.

You are encouraged to use the resources of GALA, the Globalization and Localization Association. GALA’s Career Services Center offers an online CV database and job postings. The GALA Articles Database is a growing collection of new and previously published articles on globalization, internationalization, localization and translation. Search for articles by author or category on topics such as content development, outsourcing, quality, marketing and technology. You are invited to read and post in the GALA on Technology Blog.

CSU Chico, GALA and the Localization Institute are offering the next Localization Certification program June 12 to 14, 2007. For more information, please visit the program web page.

In a June, 2006 post on Council of Program in Technical and Scientific Communication list, Ian Gabriel (ian.gabriel at btinternet.com) reported he is coordinating updates to Guidelines for Writing English-Language Technical Documentation for an International Audience published by INTECOM in 2003. This document is available on the INTECOM website under Publications/Downloads.

Ian invited comments from users, regarding two main areas of update:

• Content: Should there be more or less detail? What other topics could be useful?
• Delivery options: Is a PDF file sufficient for online and offline use? Would an online help version, such as a CHM file, be useful?

On February 22 to 24, 2006 the Knowledge Management Research Team sponsored by the National Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Information Studies Programme, School of Sociology and Social Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg), presented Knowledge Management in Higher Education: a Gateway to Excellence and Innovation in Africa. (more…)

The Globalization and Localization Association is a membership organization of companies. You can subscribe to the online newsletter and view back issues. GALA encourages members and invites the public to participate in the GALA technology blog.

On November 16, 2005, the Development Gateway Foundation’s “Open Educational Resources” portal was launched to equalize access to education and help people in developing countries improve their chances for a better life. (more…)