https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/communication-convergence-tickets-12682213843
October 5 Vancouver Conference

Katherine McManus wrote to us:     
"In a world where web communication is the dominant form of communication for every office, every field, every person, what impact does that have on the "Degrees of Difference" Neil James [Slideshare here] highlighted:  

• contexts we operate in
  
• texts we work with
  
• extent of our intervention
  
• focus of our work
  
• methods we apply  

"I would like to see the coming symposium speakers explore their own fields and talk about how preparing all information for consumption on the web has changed their work."

There are many title used in professional communication work. A few are technical writing, information design, information architecture, content creation, and, of course, writing and editing.  Neil suggested a convergence of communication professions,and he offered some suggested steps to take to make that happen:

• Start dialogue between and within fields
  
• Do some research:  see just how similar we are - even as basic as what we earn, what texts we work on
  
• Put the pieces together - eg. consider federation or mergers, formalize the dialogue
  
• Engage stakeholders - from academia, for example, bring the research together from different fields
  
• Pick a common name

The upcoming Vancouver symposium begins the local dialogue between fields. Katherine's suggestion focuses our attention on the similarity in our work practices brought about through changes in the publishing of information. 

Registration Now Open for PLAIN2013

Yes, you can now register at the early-bird rate for this great international conference on plain language. This will be the 9th conference of Plain Language Association International and its 20th anniversary celebration. Current rates are
Early bird rate: $375—before April 15, 2013
PLAIN member: $350—until May 31

Visit the website first at http://www.plain2013.org/register.html 

The current plain language movement dates back more than 20 years, but the team players have changed. Today the movement is international and multilingual. And several nonprofit associations are pushing the agenda forward.

Here are a few:

• Plain Language Association InterNational (PLAIN) sponsors a bi-annual conference. Their the next one is in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in mid-October 2013. Their website is PlainLanguageNetwork.org.
• Plain Language Network serves a leadership role in the US government civil service. Their website is PlainLanguage.gov.
• The Center for Plain Language, based in Washington, DC, lobbied the US Congress until finally the Plain Language Writing Act was passed. Visit them atCenterforPlainLanguage.org for more about the law.
• The Plain Language Advocates Group on LinkedIn provides frequent news, identifies research developments, and discusses issues big and small. Join athttp://www.linkedin.com/groups/Plain-Language-Advocates-158634.
• Clarity is an association of lawyers and others who support plain language in the law. Clarity regularly publishes the journal, Clarity. Papers from a recent conference can be tracked via www.Clarity-International.net.
• International Plain Language Day is celebrated every October 13 by activists all over the globe. There will be a virtual program in 2013. Learn about this event at IPLDay.org.

The Center for Plain Language, Plain Language Association InterNational, and Clarity created the International Plain Language Working Group and has been investigating ways to work together to advance plain language work. You can read their initial recommendations as published in the journal, Clarity. This is their working definition of plain language:

“A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure and design are so clear that the intended readers can easily find, understand and use what they need.”

A new European-Union-funded program, IC Clear (International Consortium for Clear Communication), will develop and pilot the modules of a postgraduate course in clear communication. The course will be a mix of plain language, information design, and usability techniques. Simon Fraser University in Canada will design an online module.

IC Clear (ICClear.net) has adopted a working definition that says:
"In a clear document, whether online or in print, people for whom the information is intended can:

• quickly and easily find what they need
• understand what they find
• act appropriately on that understanding

Whether communication is ‘clear’ or not depends on the audience. What is clear for one person may not be clear for another."

Karen Schriver, consultant and academic, recently presented the summation of 20 years of research in support of plain language guidelines. Find it at http://www.clarity-international.net/conferencepapers2012.html.

Thomas Cooley Law School professor Joe Kimble has published his latest book, Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please. He provides a history and explains the cost-savings from using plain language. See the table of contents here: 
http://tinyurl.com/cy3l7g2

.

And I have published the first plain language manual intended for college-level courses, called Plain Language in Plain English. Learn more about it at PlainLanguageInPlainEnglish.com.

Show your support for International Plain Language Day October 13 - and all things plain language by making this logo your logo.
Put it up as your Twitter pic (#iplday). Make it your Facebook profile photo. Let your followers on Linked In know what you stand for!

And, if you are organizing, attending or supporting an IPLDay event, let us know. Comment here. Send us photos to kate@iplday.org.

From Cheryl Stephens and Kate Harrison Whiteside

We are advocates for plain language who have been active in building the plain language movement for nearly 25 years.

We have set October 13 as International Plain Language Day. This annual event celebrates the work that is being done around the globe to bring clear communications to everyone. We decided to launch this event after seeing the great success experienced in building the LinkedIn Group Plain Language Advocates.

2011 was the first IPLDay and it was enjoyed by many around the world. You can see what happened last year by visiting our page at Facebook.com/InternationalPlainLanguageDay.

This year we will add an online component, which we will organize, to the local events.

In 2012 we are going to use visual media – YouTube and SlideShare – to share ideas, tips, and activities so we can all learn and advance this important movement.

Cheryl Stephens

plainlanguage.com

email@cherylstephens

@CherylStephens

Facebook.com/PlainLanguageWizardry

Kate Harrison Whiteside

http://keyadvice.net

kate@keyadvice.net

@keykate