HyperSTE: An STE Plug-In For Word, Frame, Arbortext and XMetaL
A software checker is a tool designed assist technical communicators in validating that the content they created isin compliance with the rules of Simplified Technical English (STE). Tedopres International, a company that specializes in STE authoring and content management, offers HyperSTE, a flexible checker tool that is fully configurable for different document types. According to Tedo, HyperSTE is a necessary tool that allows users to create their own controlled vocabulary rules, turn rules on or off, and even develop and manage “their own ‘dialect’ of Simplified Technical English”. The good news is the tool works as a plug-in for your authoring tool of choice, as long as you use Microsoft Word, Arbortext Editor, Adobe FrameMaker, or XMetaL. It also can be used to check PDF files.
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Wow, that is great on two levels! I never knew about this STE, and to be able to force the user to write in this style is great.
OTOH it might zap your document of any life. I’m not saying that most technical docs should be an enjoyable read where the writer injects his or her personality into the prose, but I’ve read documentation (that never went through an editor), where the writer doesn’t really know how to connect with the audience, and it’s apparent in the style of writing.
Two (without actually using this), If a rigid style is set up, and automated, it really frees the writer from having to create repeated, original prose every time.