Phoenix Network Forums

It's just a suggestion: in my opinion translating some pages (like the FAQ page, the TOS page or the Signup-Tests pages) to common languages (like spanish or french) is a good idea because a lot of users (users with poor skills in english speaking) may have problems understanding the contents from that pages. Furthermore, the translations offered by software translators like babelfish or the google translator are very inaccurated.

If someone decides to translate the above-mentioned pages or any contents related to the Network I'll offer help translating them into spanish.

Regards.

Thank you for your suggestion. But this topic has already been discussed some time ago. And never really went for it. Yes, the admins did ask for translations, but no one really submitted them.

So this would be a good way to discuss the old topic where we left off. And ask the users for translations, if the whole staff agrees with this whole thing.

not to mention that wouldn't help much, because (English-only) user participation is required in order to keep the shell account active.

zogo wrote:not to mention that wouldn't help much, because (English-only) user participation is required in order to keep the shell account active.

I think the idea is that people who don't speak english well...or don't speak it at all can get an idea of what is required here.

Tim wrote :

I think the idea is that people who don't speak english well...or don't speak it at all can get an idea of what is required here

This is probably right. Giveing the people an idea about this site in variety of languages might help. Not to mention it would make the site sounds more popular as it has certain documents translated into many languages.
Multinational users base ?

Rommaster wrote:But this topic has already been discussed some time ago.

Sorry, i had no idea about that.

zogo wrote:not to mention that wouldn't help much, because (English-only) user participation is required in order to keep the shell account active.

I think there is a "little" difference between the "english skills" needed to understand a TOS document or to pass a Test, and the "english skills" needed to discuss about trivial topics ...

People with good "english skills" has the same rights that people who has problems understanding english, i think too.

Moreover, i think user participation don't imply it has to be in english. If I am a french guy and I have a french friend in this community, obviously ... I'll prefer to help him in french ... but, then ... if my help isn't in english ... doesn't it count like participation? (that will be unjust, i think ...)

therein lies the dilemma. There's no way for me to know whether you helped someone in french, or you told him to go fuck himself, or just pasted a random chunk of text.

I sort of agree with the difference between the english skills needed to understand the TOS and those needed to discuss on the board, but... the our TOS is quite standard, and I believe more 'english skills' are needed to participate in the discussions than to read the rules and TOS.

I'd love if we could think of something that'd allow people to discuss in more languages..

International moderators would do the trick..

How many english speaking frenchies you have on here?

zogo wrote:therein lies the dilemma. There's no way for me to know whether you helped someone in french, or you told him to go f*** himself, or just pasted a random chunk of text.

I think he meant translating the services, tos etc.. not speaking different languages on the forum.

Moreover, i think user participation don't imply it has to be in english. If I am a french guy and I have a french friend in this community, obviously ... I'll prefer to help him in french ... but, then ... if my help isn't in english ... doesn't it count like participation? (that will be unjust, i think ...)

Lets make this clear.

Participation is only counted if we understand what is said, this is an english speaking forum. You can speak whichever language you like in PM (or perhaps an international user forum if we bring back that idea) but the majority of discussion will occur in english.

I could move my heart to translate some important FAQ stuff, especially the requirement about the activity on an english board/channel .

We should have all the little language icons on the main page which just send you to a page which has "To use this service you must speak competent, fluent English" in the chosen language

Heh. That would be funny.

why not as a css/js however box when you just hover the language flag?

PS: I would not refer myself as being able to "fluently speak" english.