How the Booby was found

Debora has this terminology story for us:

People thought the Tasman Booby was long extinct – instead he was only going incognito under a different name (*).

Here’s where we found it: http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/news/extinct-booby-found-living-in-tasmania.html
Tasman booby – a bird thought to have been long extinct – has been found living in Tasmania by scientists.

However, the story is not as straightforward as it seems, reports National Geographic. A ‘masked’ bird which conservationists thought was a different species for years has now been identified as the Tasman booby.

Fossil experts in past decades unwittingly compared the bones of the female Tasman booby to those of a male booby, which is masked. However, they did not take into account the significantly different statures of the birds and assumed they were two different species.

A comparison of their DNA confirmed that the booby is still very much alive.

Tammy Steeves of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand – the leader of the study which made the discovery – told the magazine: “Imagine my surprise when we found that they were identical. It’s a rare treat to uncover such a definitive result.”

The Tasman Booby (if you meet one, you can address him correctly now): http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/30245/masked-booby-223.jpg

(*) yes, names are important in terminology. Therefore, ISO 704 “Terminology work – Principles and methods” – a must-know standard for the language industry – will add a large section on names in its next revision.

Terminological Humor #2

…this one was sent by Debora Russi, who is a localization expert 🙂

Source: http://www.ahajokes.com/cartoon/dummy.gif

Terminological Humor

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(Cartoon will be online again soon)

Who says that terminology is not funny? Thanks to Sue Ellen for sharing this with us.

The terms they are a-changing

A piece of poetry for the frustrated terminologist. Inspired by Bob Dylan.

The Terms They Are A-Changin’

Come gather ’round people wherever that you roam
And admit that the concepts around you have grown
& accept it that soon the translators’ll moan that their time to them is worth savin’
Then you document terms or you’ll sink like a stone for con — cepts they are a-changin’

Come technical writers who compose with your pen
And keep your eyes wide the chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon for the text’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ now what it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win for the terms they are a-changin’

Come PMs, localizers, please head the call
Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be her that has stalled
The translation formin’ will soon shake your Windows
And rattle your walls
For the terms, they are a changin’

Come programmers & engineers throughout land & don’t criticize what you can’t understand
Your code & your programs are beyond your command your old road is rapidly agein’
So get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand for the terms they are a-changin’

The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast, the slow one now will later be fast
As the present now will later be past, your bandwidth is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last for the terms they are a-changin’.