3-98 (November 1998) by Hans Springer

Dear colleagues:

Have you realised that TC-Forum is a 'Virtual Organisation'?

• We don't have an office, not even an official address.
• We don't work at the same place - on the contrary, we work internationally as you can see in the impressum, linked by e-mail using the Internet.
• Our authors are across nearly all continents and contribute their ideas, experience and questions from all parts of the world using e-mail.
• Our "product", the TC-Forum on paper (the Magazine) is distributed by 'snail-mail' and also available on the WWW worldwide.
• The only 'national' contribution since the first issue of TC-Forum is the sponsoring by Daimler Benz AG, Stuttgart (Germany) - later joined by transline Deutschland Dr.-Ing Sturz-GmbH, Reutlingen (Germany) hosting the WebSite, ITK Alexander von Obert, Nürnberg, Germany (programming the WebSite), and international sponsors covering the distribution-costs in their respective countries
  • Foss Electric, Denmark
  • IBM Watson, USA
  • ISTC, England
  • RGI International, Canada
  • Technical Writers of India (TWIN)

TC-Forum Needs Sponsoring if it is to continue to be Distributed Free of Charge.

Now - as we near the end of 1998 - the two-year start-up phase of TC-Forum can be seen as successfully finished. Thanks to the generous sponsoring by Daimler Benz AG, TC-Forum is well established, and has reached a lot of readers, has received very positive international acceptance by the existing organisations for Technical Communication worldwide. TC-Forum also has found a good number of subscribers who, encouraged because the paper version of TC-Forum, the 'Magazine' is distributed free of charge, are able to participate in the public discussion without a financial burden. This is particularly true for ‘isolated’ free-lance technical communicators.

One of our main aims is to keep distributing the TC-Forum Magazine free of charge beyond the year 1998. There are promising indications that we will receive further sponsoring to help cover the costs of producing distributing the Magazine.

Our Views for TC-Forum in 1999:

• We will continue to print and mail TC-Forum in its present size and quality, four issues per year (March, June, September, December), and free of charge.
• We have added the WebSite www.tc-forum.org as an addendum,
  • to reach a wider spectrum of readers (and maybe new subscribers to the magazine),
  • to find new contributors to the discussion forum, and
  • to lobby for the profession of Technical Communicators in countries where it is not yet appreciated.
• Other advantages of the WebSite will be introduced step by step:
  • As a preview of the contents of future issues, to initiate early comments.
  • As an archive for articles published in earlier issues (to be found by author, topic, issue, etc)
  • As mailing lists dealing with specific topics to open a faster discussion among the TC-Forum community
  • To provide faster information on international professional events (with links to the organisers).

For 1999, I wish us the steady growth and further development of TC-Forum. In particular

• authors who contribute interesting, stimulating but short articles,
• sponsors who grant the necessary funds for continuing with TC-Forum,
• volunteers for assisting our virtual organisation, and
• Continuation of the excellent co-operation among the National Contact Persons (NCPs) - and new NCPs from countries where there is no NCP yet.

Many thanks and best wishes for all who contribute to TC-Forum and read it.

Yours
Hans Springer  

"transline Deutschland - Übersetzungsdienst für technische Übersetzung"