Multicultural collaborative editing method, apparatus and program product

1. A method for multi-cultural collaborative editing, the method comprising:

entering into an information handling system, having a processor, memory and program code executing on the processor, an original document data file created by a first collaborative editor;

executing the program code by the processor to:

analyze linguistic patterns in textual data of the original document data file entered by the first editor and identify a cultural pattern indicative of a cultural background of the first editor;

identify a linguistic textual pattern in the original document data file entered by the first editor susceptible to cross-cultural ambiguity using a set of semantic rules, wherein the cross-cultural ambiguity indicates textual ambiquity in written languages of at least two different cultures;

present a series of questions formulated to elicit clarification of meaning of the identified linguistic pattern to the cultural background of the first editor; and

accept answers to the presented series of questions formulated and entered by the first editor;

responding to an access to the original document data file by a second editor for collaborative editing by accepting the access, the second editor having a cultural background differing from the cultural background of the first editor by executing the program code by the processor to:

identify a cultural pattern indicative of the cultural background of the second editor;

create a modified document data file linguistically compatible with the cultural background of the second editor with reduced textual cross-cultural ambiguity by using the textual data of the original document data file and the answers to the presented series of questions;

display the modified document data file to the second editor; and

store in the memory both the original document data file and the modified document data file.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis of the entered original document data file uses the set of semantic rules derived from shared linguistic patterns of an organization of which the editors are members.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least three collaborative editors access the original document data file and further wherein execution of the program code distinguishes among cultural patterns indicative of a respective cultural background of each of the three editors and creates a plurality of modified document data files, each being linguistically compatible with the respective cultural background of a corresponding one of the three editors and each being separately stored in the memory.

4. An apparatus for multi-cultural collaborative editing comprising:

an information handling system having a processor, memory and program code executing on the processor, wherein at least one of the processor and memory is implemented at least partially by hardware;

the program code, when executing on the information handling system:

accepting entrance by a first collaborative editor of an original document data file;

analyzing linguistic patterns in textual data of the original document data file entered by the first editor and identify a cultural pattern indicative of a cultural background of the first editor;

identifying a linguistic textual pattern in the original document data file entered by the first editor susceptible to cross-cultural ambiguity using a set of semantic rules, wherein the cross-cultural ambiguity indicates textual ambiguity in written languages of at least two different cultures;

presenting a series of question formulated to elicit clarification of meaning of the identified linguistic pattern to the cultural background of the first editor; and

accepting answer to the presented series of questions formulated and entered by the first editor;

responding to an access to the original document data file by a second editor for collaborative editing by accepting the access, the second editor having a cultural background differing from the cultural background of the first editor:

identifying a cultural pattern indicative of the cultural background of the second editor;

creating a modified document data file linguistically compatible with the cultural background of the second editor with reduced textual cross-cultural ambiguity by using the textual data of the original document data file and the answers to the presented series of questions;

displaying the modified document data file to the second editor; and

storing in the memory both the original document data files and the modifies document data file.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the program code, when analyzing the entered document data file, uses the set of semantic rules derived from shared linguistic patterns of an organization of which the editors are members.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the program code accommodates at least three collaborative editors accessing the original document data file and further wherein the program code distinguishes among cultural patterns indicative of a respective cultural background of each of the three editors and creates a plurality of modified document data files, each being linguistically compatible with the cultural background of a corresponding one of the three editors and each being separately stored in the memory.

7. An program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

program code stored on the computer readable storage medium which, when executing on an information handling system having a processor and memory:

accepts entrance by a first collaborative editor of an original document data file;

analyzes linguistic patterns in textual data of the original document data file entered by the first editor and identify a cultural pattern indicative of a cultural background of the first editor;

identifies a linguistic textual pattern in the original document data file entered by the first editor susceptible to cross-cultural ambiguity using a set of semantic rules, wherein the cross-cultural ambiguity indicates textual ambiguity in written languages of at least two different cultures;

presents a series of questions formulated to elicit clarification of meaning of the identified linguistic pattern to the cultural background of the first editor; and

accepts answer to the presented series of questions formulated and entered by the first editor;

responds to an access to the original document data file by a second editor for collaborative editing by accepting the access, the second editor having a cultural background differing from the cultural background of the first editor:

identifies a cultural pattern indicative of the cultural background of the second editor;

creates a modified document data file linguistically compatible with the cultural background of the second editor with reduced textual cross-cultural ambiguity by using the textual data of the original document data file and the answers to the presented series of questions;

displays the modified document data file to the second editor; and

stores in the memory both the original document file and the modified document data file.

8. The program product according to claim 7 , wherein the program code, when analyzing the entered document data file, uses the set of semantic rules derived from shared linguistic patterns of an organization of which the editors are members.

9. The program product according to claim 7 , wherein the program code accommodates at least three collaborative editors access the original document data file and further wherein execution of the program code distinguishes among cultural patterns indicative of a respective cultural background of each of the three editors and creates a plurality of modified document data files, each being linguistically compatible with the cultural background of a corresponding one of the three editors and each being separately stored in the memory.