Feature request: multi-language versions of the same instructable
We miss out a multi-language feature in instructable. Some people creates copies of the same instructable in other language and other transalte each step of their instructables.
It will be great, once you have entered an instructable in English, to add the same text and notes in other language. So when other person visit your instructable, he will be able to choose the languages.
Also, someone that likes so much another author's instrutable could be able to translate it to other language...
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Nov 2, 2011. 10:26 AMsugarandfat
says:
Bump!!
I'm currently in the process of writing up a fairly serious instructable, with the intention of having it translated into about half a dozen languages by people I would arrange myself.
I was planning to just replicate the ible, but if there was something built in, it would be very helpful..
I'm currently in the process of writing up a fairly serious instructable, with the intention of having it translated into about half a dozen languages by people I would arrange myself.
I was planning to just replicate the ible, but if there was something built in, it would be very helpful..
I doubt such a massive coding effort would be undertaken when we have the services of Google Translate just a click away for free.
Nov 2, 2011. 11:12 AMsugarandfat
says:
Google translate often does a pretty shaky job, and I wouldn't trust it for technical things like this. Also it tends to malform a lot of pages.
All it would need to be is a dropdown list which loads various versions of the instructable. I'd take care of all the content, it'd just be nice for people to more easily access the various versions.
All it would need to be is a dropdown list which loads various versions of the instructable. I'd take care of all the content, it'd just be nice for people to more easily access the various versions.
Oh, in that case, you need to include a set of hyperlinks in the introduction to each version that will take you to all the other versions.
Or, you could combine all versions into one long instructable (if your project is four steps long, you'd have four steps of French, four of English, four of Spanish etc), with hyperlinks in the introduction to jump to the first step of each language, in a similar manner to step 2 of this instructable.
Or, you could combine all versions into one long instructable (if your project is four steps long, you'd have four steps of French, four of English, four of Spanish etc), with hyperlinks in the introduction to jump to the first step of each language, in a similar manner to step 2 of this instructable.
Nov 2, 2011. 12:27 PMsugarandfat
says:
That's more or less what I was planning, but then stumbled over this thread and got my hopes up.
No biggie either way.
No biggie either way.
Nov 2, 2011. 4:27 PMsugarandfat
says:
Just that solar tracker I've been working on a while now. Serious as it's in five separate mechanisms and one for putting it all together, animations, photos, at least five languages...
Srs bdnz.
Srs bdnz.
Nov 3, 2011. 4:03 AMsugarandfat
says:
Jan 22, 2009. 2:28 AMMidnightSon
says:
Hey guys, dunno if th topic is dead, but couldn't everyone do a little and help translating some instructables ? Maybe creation of a group of volunteer translators, who would be able to translate when asked by the authors. In exchange of being credited on his page, for example. Wouldn't that be possible ? Or simply by beginning suggesting our favorite authors to translate their stuff.
Jan 26, 2009. 10:02 AMBigev
says:
Yeah! Multi-cultural -ibles, to share the collaborative knowledge of the world. That way, if somone happens to speak little or no English, exclusively English, or any mish-mash of the two, they could submit their idea and be confident that they would be nderstood That would eliminate skewed meanings due to incorrect translation due to ineptness. A united world of people seeking to improve life by doing it their way.
See the below comments. This is indeed an excellent idea, but implementation will be hard. IMHO, we'll have to be a bit bigger before it can be done.
Jan 26, 2009. 1:30 PMBigev
says:
True dat. Another thought, what would qualify to be translated. There would have to be criteria implemented to select the superb ones, not the "here's a flashlight" ones *No offense to all the "Here's a flashlight" -ibles. I've seen some good ones.
Jan 26, 2009. 1:39 PMBigev
says:
On second thought, ignore above post. I'm not thinking straight. Nix completely.
While extremely useful in principle, your idea requires that the author of the Instructable be fluent in multiple languages. Given (a) the large number of Americans, and (b) the large number of teenagers, that seems to be extremely unlikely.
While I know that it is limited, at best, have you tried submitting your favorite I'bles to Google Translator?
While I know that it is limited, at best, have you tried submitting your favorite I'bles to Google Translator?
I understand that, but... have you consider the potential of international community creating and sharing instructables? Culture exchange, opening minds, learning about other lifestyles, and so on...
Even when an author are not fluent in another language, if an instructable is so good, someone could translate to English, Spanish or whatever.
Today, if Instructables doesn't open to other languages, another will do taking its place as the worldwide how-to site... at least I think so!
[Of course, I will help with Spanish ;)]
Even when an author are not fluent in another language, if an instructable is so good, someone could translate to English, Spanish or whatever.
Today, if Instructables doesn't open to other languages, another will do taking its place as the worldwide how-to site... at least I think so!
[Of course, I will help with Spanish ;)]
Someone from Brazil posted a similar idea (in the Authors forum), which he is actually trying to implement. It may be worthwhile for you to contact one another.
I realize that my note above sounded rather negative; I apologize. I do think this is a great idea, but it will require collaboration (or a "committee," as Skunkbait wrote below) among people fluent in each language.
I realize that my note above sounded rather negative; I apologize. I do think this is a great idea, but it will require collaboration (or a "committee," as Skunkbait wrote below) among people fluent in each language.
Don't worry about that! I know multi-language is not easy to implement and to work with. Also, there are lots of details to consider (character set, performance, disk and communication quotas, culture facts as formatting dates and so on)... And thank you for the link! now I'm writing in his topic to make contact
It is a great idea, but Kelsey brings up a good point. If the author isn't fluent in the given language, it stands to create a lot of problems. If we had a Spanish translation committee, a French committee, etc., it might work. But short of that, I don't see how.
Yes, of course, the committee idea is so good for quality control and continously improvement of instructables. But the idea is not to translate all instructables: this is lots of work! I think we just need: - To let the people enter the instructables in their own language (an extra dropdown when starting a new one). - To provide the functionality to have several versions of the same instructable in different languages (done by the same author or another member). Otherwise, people will continue creating duplicated instructables, or double steps for each language, or text in two languages in the same step... as we do now! What do you think about?
That sounds reasonable. Maybe each author could decide whether or not his instructable could be translated. Then it could be opened up to a reliable translator or committee. A few authors might not want their instructables to be translated, because they fear the translation might be wrong. But most authors would be happy to have their work reach a wider audience.
Dec 15, 2008. 8:18 AMKeith-Kid
says:
I've suggested this before, Spanish being my primary language, but it didn't seem to go anywhere....
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