atw: SEC: UNCLASS RE: US/Aus English

Naomi asks:

> If you're writing a manual which must be in US English, do you 
> specifically use US spellings, or do you just write the manual, then
use 
> spellcheck to convert?

I probably shouldn't be answering this one, as this isn't something I've
ever
had experience of. But, having given that warning, I'll go ahead anyway
and leave you to decide how much weight to give to my opinion. 

My immediate response is to say that surely US English doesn't equal
Australian English (or any other kind of English) with a few spellings
changed? To do a really professional job, you'd need to be familiar with
American usage - phrases, syntax, how to write dates, etc - (I think
there's an Oxford Dictionary of American Usage), give examples that are
relevant to American readers and check that any references to things
like hardware brand names are appropriate to an American audience. 

Howard

   ----------------------------------
          Howard L. Silcock
            Technical Writer
    Common Services SOE Program
  Network Infrastructure Development
       Department of Defence
            109 Kent Street
           Deakin ACT 2600           
          (02) 626 58828  
   -----------------------------------





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