Comments on: …no substitute for having a professional translator http://thoughtsontranslation.com/2008/02/15/no-substitute-for-having-a-professional-translator/ ...the translation industry and becoming a translator Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:30:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Corinne McKay http://thoughtsontranslation.com/2008/02/15/no-substitute-for-having-a-professional-translator/#comment-36 Corinne McKay Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:33:31 +0000 http://corinnemckay.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-36 Thanks very much for your comment, this is interesting information. I think it's also important to point out that volunteer translation is not in itself a bad idea at all. For example, Translate.org.za has produced some amazing translations and localizations into African languages, largely using volunteer translators. However, the projects are managed by professionals and the translators are trained. In addition, various Internet sources have estimated Facebook's net worth at US$15 billion (based on Microsoft's $240 million equity stake being referred to as a "1.6% stake"), an amount that would lead one to believe that they could afford professional translation/localization services... Glad you're enjoying the blog, thanks for your input! Thanks very much for your comment, this is interesting information. I think it’s also important to point out that volunteer translation is not in itself a bad idea at all. For example, Translate.org.za has produced some amazing translations and localizations into African languages, largely using volunteer translators. However, the projects are managed by professionals and the translators are trained. In addition, various Internet sources have estimated Facebook’s net worth at US$15 billion (based on Microsoft’s $240 million equity stake being referred to as a “1.6% stake”), an amount that would lead one to believe that they could afford professional translation/localization services… Glad you’re enjoying the blog, thanks for your input!

]]> By: Phillip http://thoughtsontranslation.com/2008/02/15/no-substitute-for-having-a-professional-translator/#comment-31 Phillip Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:12:03 +0000 http://corinnemckay.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-31 Too true, I was at a seminar last tuesday where the UK Commercial Director of Facebook was giving a speach on how great it was that they got the translation for free and that it was going to be rolled out this way in many more languages. It is actually worse than it seems as many translators will have worked on each small section and this is then voted on by other translators. So the same text may have been translated by. The technology used to manage the process is pretty cool - it just needs to reward the translator appropriately. Having said all this - I am pretty sure this is how Google went multilingual - By asking people to contribute translations. This idea is not so bad for community based projects but these are multi-billion dollar corporations. Keep up the good blog. Too true, I was at a seminar last tuesday where the UK Commercial Director of Facebook was giving a speach on how great it was that they got the translation for free and that it was going to be rolled out this way in many more languages.

It is actually worse than it seems as many translators will have worked on each small section and this is then voted on by other translators. So the same text may have been translated by.

The technology used to manage the process is pretty cool – it just needs to reward the translator appropriately.

Having said all this – I am pretty sure this is how Google went multilingual – By asking people to contribute translations. This idea is not so bad for community based projects but these are multi-billion dollar corporations.

Keep up the good blog.

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