How Do You Solve Documentation Problems? Simple.

How many words do you use on an everyday basis? On average, English speakers use 1,500 words every day. When it comes to technical communication, using that many words is difficult, especially for localization. Some English words don't have equivalents in other languages. To make technical communication easier, and to ensure that the intent and meaning of technical documents are preserved when they are translated, it's smart to use Simplified Technical English, or STE.

On May 11th, John Smart of Smart Communications, Inc. presented to the STC New England Chapter at the Waltham Public Library in Waltham, Massachusetts about STE, for the final monthly program of the 2015-2016 season. I filed this report, in which Smart explains technical communicators just need to use 889 words at most to clarify meaning and explain to non-English speakers what they need to do to solve their problems.