[Digestion] Cross Language Linking (was RE: Biogas Groups)

[Alexander Eaton]

I have to deal in the multi-lingual arena often, and we have tried all of
the translators, and generally speaking it is more work for someone to
correct the automated translation than it is for them to just do their own
translation.  I am, of course, talking about technical discussions.  Google
does offer the option of "improve this translation" and supposedly "learns"
from those corrections, but that would be more of a long term solution.
Also, we do not all tend to focus on grammar, spelling, and syntax when we
are posting in these discussion rooms, making the task harder.  I will
conceed that someone could get the gist, but we all know that that could
lead to as many issues as solutions if something crucial was lost in
translation.

Regarding our specific project, we have some funding to start with, and
having someone who is multi-lingual do translation is a lot less expensive
then having an external translation firm do the work.  So, we are planning
on doing a hand full of months poaching contents from relevant archives,
seeking out relevant discussion (we are more focused on small scale
approaches), summarizing those threads, and posting them in Spanish.  Moving
forward, we would consider repeating that exercise on a monthly basis, not
trying to translate everything, but get the highlights, and pertinent
resources identified.  Often, it is the resources that are offered to those
with questions that are of value, not necessarily the banter back and
forth.  In short, we are looking for quality, not quantity.

With that said, our number one candidate for this position is already active
on this list (I will let him come forward if he chooses), and therefore he
would also be able to select the best questions raised on the Spanish side,
present them here, and then translate the best responses.  So there would be
a filter, but hopefully an objective one.  Also, there are plenty of posts
here that would just not be of that much interest in our context, and maybe
visa versa.  This may become a good model moving forward in how we integrate
other languages, here still thinking about what types of discussion they
many be having in the middle kingdom.  I continue to envision this list as a
central meeting point.

If our money runs out, then we will then be forced to see how to automate
the resource.  But hopefully this position will be one that has a lot of
value, and this task would be one among many.  I look forward to other
comments so that we are part of a larger movement to connect the islands of
thought and discussion surrounding AD, which is the main goal of REDBIOLAC.


SAludos,

A



On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 4:32 PM, David <david at h4c.org> wrote:

>
> Paul,
>
> On 11/30/2010 3:14 PM, Paul Harris wrote:
>
>  I guess one approach is for individuals to use website translators to
> look at the archives to get an idea of what is going on...
>
>
> Google provides a translation tool for web pages (here<http://translate.google.com/about/intl/en_ALL/tour.html#professional>),
> which I've embedded on my consulting site (here <http://vahidbiogas.com/>),
> in the sidebar to the right. It's the work of a few minutes (if you have
> access to the source HTML for any web page) to do the same.
>
>
>
>
> d.
> --
> David William House
>  "The Complete Biogas Handbook" www.completebiogas.com
> *Vahid Biogas*, an alternative energy consultancy www.vahidbiogas.com
>
>  "Make no search for water.       But find thirst,
> And water from the very ground will burst."
> (Rumi, a Persian mystic poet, quoted in *Delight of Hearts*, p. 77)
>
> http://bahai.us/
>
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> for more information about digestion, see
> Beginner's Guide to Biogas
> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/
> and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
>
>
>


-- 
Alexander Eaton
Sistema Biobolsa
IRRI-Mexico
RedBioLAC

Mex cel: (55) 11522786
US cel: 970 275 4505

alex at irrimexico.org
alex at sistemabiobolsa.com

sistemabiobolsa.com
www.irrimexico.org
www.redbiolac.org
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