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Translation Quality Feedback

By Amir on August 26, 2010

Good translation is great, but it’s not enough for us. If our translation less than excellent, we’d like to know about it and fix it.

Would you like to let your site’s visitors leave feedback about the translation? We can put this feedback to good use.

  • If they say that translation is excellent, we’re happy.
  • If they say that it’s OK, we’ll check if there’s anything to improve and improve it.
  • If something is plain broken, we’ll take it up with the translator.

In any case, we’ll make sure that your translation improves rapidly. We’ll work with the translators you’ve selected until you only get excellent translations. When we hear about inaccurate translation, we’ll fix it immediately.

As we see it, it’s an all-win situation. You will get the best translation possible, our translators get objective and honest feedback and your visitors see beautifully written contents.

How Translation Feedback will Work

When you use WPML (For WordPress) or Translation Management (for Drupal), you’ll see a new option to allow visitors to leave feedback about translation.

Your visitors will see something like:

Translated from German, leave feedback

When they click on the leave feedback link, a form opens asking about the quality of the translation.

We’ll make it easy to leave feedback. If it’s all good, no questions to ask. If there’s something wrong, we’ll ask what.

The feedback message can display always, limited by time or by number of feedbacks received. When you (and us) get enough feedback about the translation, there’s no point in displaying the feedback forms anymore.

* We’re planning to start with translation feedback for sites. Then, we’ll also add feedback for software localization.

What do You Think?

We’re proud of our translators and of their work. We’re asking for feedback so that we can go from good to great.

Translation is a creative process. Translators need feedback in order to deliver the best results and nobody can give better feedback than your actual visitors. They know what they like and they’ll be happy to tell it.

Would you enable translation feedback in your site?

Posted in | 17 Responses

West Africa Trade Hub Expanding

By Laura on August 17, 2010

The West Africa Trade Hub is a USAID-supported project that works with West African businesses and across the competitive environment, including transport, access to finance, ICT and business environment. This website was translated from English into French and Portuguese by ICanLocalize professional translators.

We interviewed Ben Coleman, a communication expert involved, who explained that they’re a development project working regionally in West Africa, so they have to cater to a mainly French and English audience, with some Portuguese speaking countries.

“I’ve been impressed with the responsiveness of the support staff”, he stated. “The translators have been quick and are reasonably accurate.” He likes the fact that clients always have the chance of changing translators in case some issue comes up.

He also expressed his satisfaction as regards Drupal aspects: “I really like the integration with Drupal. This is a big improvement on the last translation process we had – using Joomla 1.0 – and makes it easier to keep the website up to date in multiple languages.”

Since 2003, the West Africa Trade Hub has helped West African companies grow so that they can create the jobs that ultimately lead to real and sustainable reductions in poverty. Since 2007, ICanLocalize has helped small and big businesses go multilingual and has made websites and iPhone applications available into different languages, leading to an increasement in sales and visitors. It has also helped people communicate, among other achievements.

Ben Coleman concluded: “Overall, I’m very pleased with the service iCanLocalize has provided. So thanks very much!”

Ben Coleman

Communications Expert

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Rails Translation Made Easy

By Amir on August 16, 2010

From time to time, we’re getting requests to support translation for Ruby on Rails (RoR) application. We’re starting to work on this and are looking for brave beta testers.

Ruby on Rails includes great facilities for running multilingual websites. You can arrange the application’s texts in YAML files and the Rails i18n allows loading views in their right language.

But there’s a big gap. While it’s easy to build a multilingual Rails application, maintaining translations in several languages is a huge task.

Many Rails applications include hundreds of tiny YAML resource files and erb templates. You might be able to spend the time, once, and get all of them translated. However, as the application evolves, it’s close to impossible to keep translations in sync.

Rails Translation With ICanLocalize

ICanLocalize already includes the facilities to handle Ruby on Rails projects.

Our Software Localization projects support many resource file formats, including YAML. The Website Translation system handles HTML with preprocessor codes, including the Ruby meta-tags ( <% %> ).

What we’re missing is the project automation. Until now, our system is used to handling one file at a time. If you’re translating software, you normally have one resource file. Rails applications include hundreds of YAML and erb files, so we need to add the ability to batch upload everything.

One Click Translation

You will upload one ZIP file that includes the entire app directory. This ZIP can include whatever you choose and should normally contain all YAML and erb templates (we don’t need your .rb files).

Our system will go through this ZIP archive and get all files for translation from it. It will extract the texts for translation and allow the translators to work on them without having to edit your sources.

When translation is complete, you’ll download a ZIP file which includes both your originals and all translations. You can just unzip this archive onto your existing Rails directory and you’re good to go.

Auto-detect Changes

The most powerful feature about our upcoming Rails translation is, no doubt, the ability to detect what’s changed in the application and update the translations.

When you’re ready for a new release, repeat the steps you did when you sent the application for the first translation. Again, ZIP everything and upload. The system will go through everything again and check what’s new or updated.

The translators will only need to translate the new texts and we will bill you only for that.

When complete, you will download the updated ZIP file, containing everything again. It will include both existing and new translations.

Want to Join?

We’re planning to have this RoR translation ready in a few weeks. If you’re building a multilingual Rails applications and need help translation, leave a message here. We’ll be happy to let you try it out before the public release.

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Scalar Energy Company Goes Multilingual

By Laura on August 11, 2010

L’Energie Scalaire SPRL is one of the many companies which trusted us for the localization of their website. L’Energie Scalaire SPRL is a distributor of Fusion Excel International, a business company that sells different products that make use of scalar energy to maintain health and well-being.

L’Energie Scalaire SPRL, based in Belgium, has a brilliant MLM performance due to its social and humanitarian compassion which stimulates each and every one active FusionExcel International member. Such vision coupled with the promotion of excellent products is a trade mark of their organization and generates the enthusiasm and support from many sports, political and social personalities.

Our support manager interviewed Jacques Vandenschrik, one of the managers in L’Energie Scalaire SPRL. During the interview he said that ICanLocalize service was excellent in all. He sent his website for translation, selected the languages to translate from and to, and translators started to apply. They selected the professionals they liked best. “The translators were good, friendly and timely”, he said.

The aim of any business is to reach new markets and increase sales. What Jacques Vandenschrik highlighted is the fact that having their website translated made the status of their company higher. The image of their business improved considerably after having the company website translated into several languages. He told us that he is 100% satisfied and that he will definitely hire our service again for any future project.

L’Energie Scalaire SPRL

Jacques Vandenschrik

Belgium

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Crowdsourcing and Professional Translation Utopia

By Amir on August 11, 2010

Your users want to help and contribute translations, but how do you make sure that translations are of qualify?

As of today, you can run Software Localization projects and mix between volunteer translators and professional translators.

This way, all your translators will use the same translation tool, have access to the same glossary and work on the exact same source. Your private translators will work on the system for free. When you use our professional translators, you only pay for the translation work.

Adding Your Volunteer Translators

You can create accounts for your volunteer translators in ICanLocalize. These will be special translators who can only work on your projects. Unlike normal translators in ICanLocalize, your own translators don’t have any account setup. They don’t need to prove their translation qualifications and we are not responsible for their work.

  1. Click on My Account->Private translators->Add.
  2. Enter your translator’s name and email and send the invitation.
  3. Once your translator accepts the invitation, the translator needs to go to Projects and apply for the project.
  4. You will see this application just like you’re used to see applications by ICanLocalize’s professional translators. Accept it and you can begin.

We Can Review Your Translators’ Work

Very often, we see that volunteer translators are very passionate, but lack the qualifications to work as professional translators. You probably still want top-notch translation but want to reduce costs by using your volunteer translators.

To polish the translation, we recommend enabling review. Professional translators, from ICanLocalize, will review your volunteers’ translations. Your translators and the professional translators from ICanLocalize will work together to ensure that translation is grammatically correct, accurate and consistent. That’s what professional translators do every day, so you can be sure they can help with your crowdsourced translations too.

To do this, click on the Enable Review button for each translation language. Review costs 50% of the normal translation rate, so you’re still saving a lot of money when translating with your volunteer translators. You’re also getting perfect results when combining with professional review.

Tell Us How It’s Working for You

Combining private translators with professional translation is very new to our Software Localization. We’re eager to hear how it’s working for you. Like many other features, we added this due to user demand.

Keep making suggestions and we’ll keep improving ICanLocalize!

Posted in | 3 Responses

Wordflick IPhone/iPod Game Went Multilingual

By Laura on August 4, 2010

Wordflick, designed by Everyday Apps, is a fast-paced and challenging arcade-style word game. Now this game is available not only in English but also in Italian, French, Spanish and Dutch.

The goal of this game is to score points in the allowed time. Points are scored by spelling words from the letters provided. What sets this game apart is the ability to quickly drag and flick the letters into place. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible results.

ICanLocalize took an active role in widening the market of this application for iPhone and iPod Touch. Michael Thomason, the app developer, chose our ‘software localization’ service for the translation of his application into four languages. He told us, during an interview with our support manager, that ‘Translators did really great and always responded to questions’. He explained that our translators also told him about some improvements that could be made to the original text and this was really constructive.

It was so simple! ‘The iphone development platform generated the strings and I sent them for translation’, he said. After the localization of his application, Michael Thomason said that the sales definitely increased. What’s more, he got the positive comments from some native speakers who had access to the game, they told him the translations are simply great.

Different languages were promoted and the outcome was fabulous. We can read in WordFlick website that ‘Wordflick is the most fun you will have with an iPhone word game’ and ICanLocalize is the best choice you will make with a translation service system.

Michael Thomason

Wordflick Developer

Everyday Apps, LLC.

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Inviting Translators for WordPress and Drupal Translation

By Amir on August 3, 2010

Who likes account sign ups? I don’t. We all prefer to sign-up after we find what we’re looking for and not before.

Now, when you translate a WordPress or Drupal site with ICanLocalize, you can first look for translators and only then, decide if you want to sign-up or not.

When clients assign translators to their projects, they can choose their own in-house and professional translators from ICanLocalize. In a single click, clients can see a list of translators between different language pairs.

Finding and Hiring Translators

The CMS has a Translation Dashboard. From that page, clients control their site’s translation.

It includes choosing translators and sending jobs for translation. The Translation Dashboard includes links to view the translators in ICanLocalize. From there, clients can view translators’ profiles, interview them and choose the ones they like best.

The process goes like this:

1. Clients click on a link to view translators between language pairs

Links to getting translators

2. Interviewing translators

They get a list of translators in ICanLocalize. That list includes the photo, bio-note, rating and other essential information.

Top English to German translators in ICanLocalize

There’s an Invite button below each translator. Clients can invite the translators that they like best.

3. Translators apply

Interested translators, who were invited will apply and enter their rate. Translators and clients can chat and discuss the project requirements, fields of expertise and anything else they need.

Interviewing a translator

4. Clients choose translators

When clients are happy, they accept the translator’s’ application. From this point on, they can start translating.

Sending Documents to Translation

There are two ways to send documents to translation.

Each edit page in the CMS includes translation controls. These controls allow sending that particular page to translation. You choose which languages and click Send to translation. You can also leave a note for the translators with special instructions for this particular page.

You can also send batches of documents from the Translation Dashboard. This method has the advantage of being able to manage all translations from a central place.

Sending a Batch of Documents from the Translation Dashboard

Translations Return Directly to Your Site

Just like sending documents to translation is an automated process, so is getting completed translations.

When translators finish translating, everything appears back in your CMS. You can choose to have completed documents published or waiting for your review.

Installing on Your CMS

All this magic is currently available for WordPress and Drupal.

  • For WordPress, install WPML. It’s a plugin that we’ve written which makes WordPress multilingual and allows clients to get translations from us.
  • For Drupal, use our Translation Management module. It’s a powerful module which creates a systematic translation process for Drupal and includes the ICanLocalize interface.

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How to Update Existing Translations?

By Amir on July 21, 2010

We have a number of clients that want to use our system to manage translations on their existing translated websites. They want to use our system to translate new content and to also update existing translated content.

When the original content is changed the existing translation needs to be updated. We are trying to work out the best way to do this and what to charge for this type of work.

Translation Per Sentence

The core of the problem is that we need to match translations to sentences. Translation Assistant work by sentence. It wants to know how each sentence is translated. This way, when there are updates, we can detect exactly what’s changed, bill the client accurately and show the exact changes to the translator.

When we translate documents from scratch, we first break them up into sentences. Then, we ask the translator to translate each sentence. This way, we know exactly what text is the translation of which sentence.

The problem with updating translations that we didn’t start is that we don’t have this information. We get a complete original document and the complete translation. Now what?

Updating Existing Translations

If you are translating from scratch then you just need to translate every sentence. If you have to update an existing translation then the work is different. You need to go through both the original and the translated document and work out what is different and then update the translation so it is a true translation of the original.

Obviously, updating someone else’s translation can be more work than continuing your own. This work could involve deleting, moving, updating or adding sentences. Translation Assistant might not be able to point out exactly which part of the translation needs to update.

If you were presented with this type of work:

  1. How would work out what to charge?
  2. What tools would you use to assist you?
  3. What suggestions do you have for how we could include this in Translation Assistant?

We’re looking forward to your answers and will build the new version of TA with your needs in mind!

Posted in | 9 Responses

WordPress Training Schedule

By Amir on July 15, 2010

Update: dial-in number for audio is United States 712 432 2827 PIN 169563
WP logo

WordPress Training, session #1 on July 19 at 5 PM CET

I’m very happy to see that there’s such high interest in our WordPress training and it’s time to move forward.

The first session would be on Monday, July 19 at 5 PM Central European Time (GMT+2). We picked this time because it’s still day in Europe and already day in the US.

For your convenience:

  • Central Europe: 5 PM
  • UK: 4 PM
  • Argentina: 12 PM.
  • US East Coast: 11 AM
  • US West Coast: 8 AM

I’ll also record the entire training and make it available here.

In this session, we’ll cover the basics of creating a full website with WordPress. I’ll talk a bit about setting up WP on your own server (very briefly). Then, we’ll talk about the different elements making up a site, including pages, posts, tags and categories.

We’ll go through the basic configuration for WordPress as a CMS (not just a blog), show how to create content and how that content looks to visitors.

All this should fit in about 45 minutes, leaving 15 minutes to questions and answers.

How to Join the Session

Go to: http://www.yuuguu.com/share and enter our PIN 169563.

Due to technical reasons (which we’re not happy with) the session is limited to 30 participants. I suggest that you connect a few minutes before, to grab a seat.

Themes, Multilingual, SEO, Newsletters and Beyond

While this session will cover the basics, we’re going into more advanced (and essential) subjects in the next two sessions.

The one right after this would talk about choosing and customizing a theme (e.g., styling your site). Then, we’re going to talk about going multilingual and using a translation workflow.

I also want to talk about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and integrating a newsletter. We’ll see where these important topics fit in.

See you there!

Posted in | 8 Responses

Bump Localized into 16 Languages

By Laura on July 12, 2010

Bump Technologies builds mobile applications and APIs that allow two smart phones to identify one another and connect by simply being bumped together. Bump Technologies localized their application ‘Bump’ into 16 different languages, for that they hired the professional translators in ICanLocalize.

Bump is a quick and easy way to connect two phones by simply bumping them together. Exchange your phone number, photos, or compare friends with just a bump. This well-known application has been localized by our professionals into Danish, Russian, Greek, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Korean, German, Hebrew, Polish, French and Portuguese.

Our support manager interviewed Sadie Bascom, Bump Evangelist, who said that translators asked questions when they needed clarifications being highly communicative. She also stated that ‘the system is great’. ‘It’s great to have two eyes on a translation as it makes us feel more confident’, she declared as regards our proofreading feature. She knows that not everybody speaks English so our service made it possible to reach a wider market and Bump Technologies is addressing a wider audience now.

The application is always being added new features and they have the same translators and same reviewers working on Bump. This makes translations consistent throughout.

Our translators work in cooperation to make sure that the strings are short in length so they fit in the space provided in iPhone applications. They do their best at keeping translations shorter-than or equal-to the length of the English phrases, even in Spanish, for instance, which is by nature a language with longer sentences than English. Translator and reviewer for each language pair interact to find the best possible solution to long strings.

Bump Technologies was always very helpful offering our translators all the necessary context required and our professionals got immediate feedback from them.

Sadie Bascom

Bump Technologies Inc.

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