Sifting the gold

Here are some of the comments I found in recent posts that I think we
should grab and hold.   They are the suggestions I could find in the
discourse.  And suggestions is what we need to work from.

 

Anyone with concrete suggestions please post em.   We need them to gel
all the discussion into something we can put in WCAG 2

 

 


From Lisa


Please note that in asking people to use simpler words, -  this is only
when meaning is not affected

 

 


From Charles


 

I think Jason got the crucial point when he said that 

we need to ensure, in applying success criteria, the condition that the
meaning is not changed.

 

It is OK to change the words if the author agrees that the message is
the same.

On the other hand, if a particular change does change the meaning, then
it is not appropriate - that is a failure criteria.

 

And

 

One of the suggested success criteria from the meeting in Melbourne was
that the appropriate terms be used.

Most of the suggestions have been to do with ways of writing a sentence
or a paragraph. They are very similar to the suggestions we seem to
accept of ways to structure a page or a collection of pages

{GV NOTE:  I think he is saying that we should start collecting some of
the ADVICE items not as success criteria but as the list of things you
can do and should consider --- just as we did for structure etc.  Is
that right Charles? - or did I miss it.}

 

 


From  Lee


 

The level A requirement should require writers to write coherently so
that their colleagues would understand the information. 

 Simply because uninformed readers do not understand the concepts of how
DNA and RNA work does not mean that the scientist must write below their
field.  Even school books are written in the language appropriate to the
field of study.  School books are also written to an assumed reading and
cognitive capability, but are the primary resource for people to start
learning from.

 

The level AAA requirement should require writers to provide direct links
to information that will help the reader understand the concepts and
ideas being presented.  I prefer to reach supporting information through
a direct link versus digging through other resources to get what could
be linked to directly.  Bibliographies and references in books always
provide the title, author, page reference.  A link on the Internet would
have direct access to the information with a simple link.

 

 

 

-- ------------------------------ 
Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D. 
Professor - Human Factors 
Depts of Ind. Engr. & BioMed Engr.
Director - Trace R & D Center 
University of Wisconsin-Madison 
Gv@trace.wisc.edu <mailto:Gv@trace.wisc.edu>, <http://trace.wisc.edu/> 
FAX 608/262-8848  
For a list of our listserves send "lists" to listproc@trace.wisc.edu
<mailto:listproc@trace.wisc.edu>