[A12n-forum] Re: Software "Translate-a-thon" in Durban, S.A.

[Dwayne Bailey <dwayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

Its actually quite funny that I didn't send this info here but had Don
do all the work.

For those who'd like to try it look here:
http://translate.sourceforge.net/wiki/guide/translateathon

Comments?
It went well - more on the PR side then on the output.  We've been on TV
and Radio quite a number of times.

I would definitely recommend others host these events - but look at my
observations below so that you can align your expectations
appropriately.  We use out web-based translate tool
http://pootle.wordforge.org and run it locally so setup of the lab is
very easy.

Observations:

When I started this I thought it would be a great way to get
localisation done.  I've now readjusted a bit and have this to share.

If the group is small - say 5 people or at least 1-2 experts per 5
people.  And those 5 are dedicated.  Then you will get good results.
The teams are small so that there is a lot of focus.  The support for
them is good in that you have one person who can look over there
shoulder and check that they understand words.  We did a Xhosa one like
this and completed 8000 words over 2 days.  And I am happy that it was
very high quality

If the group is big - 40+ people or are very new then see this aas a
promotion tool.  It get the issue of localisation into the media it
exposes 40 people to the need and maybe out of that you get 1 good
translator.  In Durban we had 40 people produce 4000 words.  Much less
then the group of 5.  The quality is highly questionable.  However, the
translation department is looking at how they can integrate this into
the curriculum and make it a deliverable for students.  Then the quality
will probably go up.

In South Africa the language board wanted to raise the issue of
language, the only idea they could seem to come up with was have a
national language day.  Yawn.  Translate@thons I think help raise the
issue again and again at a grassroots level.

On Thu, 2005-06-02 at 03:33 -0500, Donald Z. Osborn wrote:
> The following item appeared in Balancing  Act's News Update 259 (29th May 
> 2005)
> and was just picked up in the SANTEC-Thutong Weekly Newsletter (June, No. 1). 
> 
> Dwayne, any more comments? Sounds like this interesting initiative begun last
> year is quite successful.
> 
> DZO
> 
> ----------------------------------------
> The Durban Institution of Technology (DIT) Translate-a-thon kicked off on
> Saturday, with the second annual mass event to translate up to 30,000 computer
> software words into Zulu. Forty people, including lecturers, students and the
> South African Translation Institution, committed to the development of
> indigenous languages in the English dominated field of IT, volunteered their
> time to take part. The Translator-a-thon is part of www.translate.org.za, a
> South African non-governmental software translation project that has 
> translated
> computer software packages into a number of South African languages, including
> Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Pedi and Venda.
> ----------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Dwayne Bailey <dwayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Translate.org.za
+27-12-460-1095 (w)
+27-83-443-7114 (cell)