HTML Translation:Project Overview - Revision history

Ajay at 10:04, 7 December 2007

2007-12-07T10:04:57Z

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	'''Vision'''		'''Vision'''

Dwayne: /* Pro's and Con's of the developed systems */

2007-10-28T18:07:52Z

Pro's and Con's of the developed systems

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	==Pro's and Con's of the developed systems==		==Pro's and Con's of the developed systems==

			The system allows someone to add the ability to translate onto their existing content without the hassle of creating a translation system or converting their content to a CMS or other repository. Being a true TMS is embodies all the features needed for good translation.

			The system developed worked very well for wiki content. It was not tested enough with pure static content but could be deployed safely by someone able to diagnose and work around problems.

			The biggest problem would be the level of skill needed to deploy a Pootle server, although any system administrator can do this task it would be beyond the skill level of the occasional website admin. As each site is unique the integration of the site to Pootle needs to be automated using custom scripting so some level of shell scripting is required. That said once the system is operational the system administrators task is relatively painless.

Dwayne: /* Intellectual Property */

2007-10-28T18:03:02Z

Intellectual Property

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	==Intellectual Property==		==Intellectual Property==

			All the tools created where already release under the GPL so all software created continues to be Open Source. The content produced was released under open content licenses.

	==Pro's and Con's of the developed systems==		==Pro's and Con's of the developed systems==

Dwayne: /* Technology Challengs */

2007-10-28T18:00:34Z

Technology Challengs

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	The hardest social challenge was to understand what motivates people to translate. And also to understand how to motivate people who do not usually translate to actually participate in translation.		The hardest social challenge was to understand what motivates people to translate. And also to understand how to motivate people who do not usually translate to actually participate in translation.

	==Technology ~~Challengs~~==		==Technology Challenges==

			The tools needed to operate smoothly so that users would regard this as an enabler and not as another process with complications.

			With the Creative Commons work this has proved difficult as they have used the Gettext format in a non-standard way. This is frustrating as this does affect how Pootle can be used, many failures occurred because of thie non-standard approach.

			The biggest hurdle, which was not fully overcome, was the difficulty of converting HTML to Gettext PO. This is caused by the fact that HTML is in many cases not correct. Modern browsers have spent years working around these problems to mask them from most users but in our tools we have not had the equivalent of time and usage to iron out all of those. The correct approach is most likely not to look at HTML but rather Wiki, XHMTL and integration with CMS technology.

	==Intellectual Property==		==Intellectual Property==

	==Pro's and Con's of the developed systems==		==Pro's and Con's of the developed systems==

Dwayne: /* Social Challenges */

2007-10-28T17:56:30Z

Social Challenges

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	==Social Challenges==		==Social Challenges==

			The hardest social challenge was to understand what motivates people to translate. And also to understand how to motivate people who do not usually translate to actually participate in translation.

	==Technology Challengs==		==Technology Challengs==

Dwayne: /* Technology explained */

2007-10-28T17:53:54Z

Technology explained

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 ==Technology explained==
 ===Websites===
 ===Translation Management Software===
 ===Translation Process===
 ==Social Challenges==

Dwayne: /* What problem is being address? */

2007-10-28T17:40:31Z

What problem is being address?

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	Thus now the content is available in another language.		Thus now the content is available in another language.

	~~==What problem is being address?==~~

	==Technology explained==		==Technology explained==

Dwayne: /* Proposed Solution */

2007-10-28T17:40:11Z

Proposed Solution

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	==Proposed Solution==		==Proposed Solution==

			The problem with most content management is that translation is brought in late in the party and squeezed to fit into the content creation workflow, ignoring all the needs of translators.

			A Translation Management System is a system that manages the flow of translatable content through the translation workflow. It is designed specifically for translation and includes features such as glossary management (ensuring that terms are used consistently throughout a translation) and translation memory (reusing old translations). It allows management of rights for translators, sign-off, delegation, etc. In this project we used Pootle a TMS that is developed primarily for Open Source Software localisaton.

			By allowing a content management system (CMS) or in fact static content to continue using the same processes and simply bringing a TMS alongside, we allow existing processes to continue and bring good translation processes alongside. Thus there is limited disruption on either side.

			In order to achieve this parallel operation it is important to allow for the hand-over of content to be translated from the CMS to the TMS. And once it is translated to see that process in reverse. In order to achieve this the project adapted a number of tools from the Translate Toolkit. Pootle makes use of standard translation formats and thus the Translate Toolkit needed to be enhanced to allow HTML and later Wiki syntax to be converted to these standard formats. With the converters built any Wiki or static content can be converted to a translation format that can be handled by Pootle.

			Thus the final solution works as follows:

			# Convert from static to Gettext PO (by integrating and automating the tools developed earlier)
			# Hand over to Pootle
			# Manage the translation of the content and translate it into another language
			# Take the translated content back from Pootle
			# Convert the translated content into the static form understood by the website.

			Thus now the content is available in another language.

	==What problem is being address?==		==What problem is being address?==

Dwayne: /* Partners */

2007-10-28T17:29:52Z

Partners

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	== Partners ==		== Partners ==

	Three boundary partners where identified each of ~~which~~ allowed a slightly different configuration around the translations. These different configurations were tried to firstly test the tools, and secondly to examine the level at which people would spontaneously translate content.		Three boundary partners where identified:

			# Creative Commons
			# Pootle User Community
			# FMFI project partners

			each of these allowed a slightly different configuration around the translations. These different configurations were tried to firstly test the tools, and secondly to examine the level at which people would spontaneously translate content.

	===Creative Commons===		===Creative Commons===

	Creative Commons ~~uses~~ its own web-based translation system to translate their licenses. However, its system ~~does~~ not actively help translators. This ~~boundary~~ partner was chosen as if the translation was successful it would result in a high profile success that would allow wider adoption of the concept of translation through good tools. It would be one in which Translate.org.za would manage the complete flow of data and allow us to limit outside issues.		Creative Commons is an organisation that focuses on creating and environment that fosters the creation of open content, to support this they created a number of content licenses, these are accessible through their website in a number of languages. Creative Commons used its own web-based translation system to translate their licenses. However, its system did not actively help translators.

			This partner was chosen as if the translation was successful it would result in a high profile success that would allow wider adoption of the concept of translation through good tools. It would be one in which Translate.org.za would manage the complete flow of data and allow us to limit outside issues.

			This was critically successful in that Creative Commons has adopted the Pootle Translation Management Software thus enabling more effective translation.

	===Pootle User~~'s Guide~~===		===Pootle User Community===

	Pootle is used as a Translation Management System (TMS) by a number of established localisation teams. ~~Thus~~ in this their would be an element of Translate.org.za being in control of the management of the ~~results but~~ no control over the translators. The translators are volunteers and they could simply be encouraged ~~and know that their work would be integrated into the product~~.		Pootle is used as a Translation Management System (TMS) developed by Translate.org.za and used by a number of established localisation teams. The task addressed was to translate the Pootle User's Guide which is stored in a Wiki. The content would be hosted in the TMS and reintegrated into the wiki. With this partner their would be an element of Translate.org.za being in control of the management of the translations by virtue of the fact that Translate.org.za manages the development of the software. But there would be no control possible over the translators as these are all volunteers. The translators are volunteers and they could simply be encouraged to translate.

	===FMFI ~~participants~~===		This engagement was also critically successful in that 6 new languages where translated. It also demonstrated that wiki content could be translated much more effectively them static HTML.

			===FMFI project partners===

	The last group was the highest risk. In this we were translating raw HTML content from the FMFI website. This made use of people who would not normally translate content. This in the long term would probably be the typical translation contributor. Being closely aligned to FMFI and also being a non-English group it was hoped that this group would rise to the challenge in that they could translate English content into other languages such as Portuguese.		The last group was the highest risk. In this we were translating raw HTML content from the FMFI website. This made use of people who would not normally translate content. This in the long term would probably be the typical translation contributor. Being closely aligned to FMFI and also being a non-English group it was hoped that this group would rise to the challenge in that they could translate English content into other languages such as Portuguese.

			This work was not successful and can be attributed to the lack of motivation to translate and the distance of the people from the concept of translation. In retrospect it is clear that non-translators need active motivation to move them from agreeing with the theory of multilingual content to actually actively participating in the creation of multilingual content.

	==Proposed Solution==		==Proposed Solution==

Dwayne: /* Partners */

2007-10-28T17:15:31Z

Partners

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	== Partners ==		== Partners ==

	Three boundary partners where identified each of which allowed a slightly different configuration around the translations:		Three boundary partners where identified each of which allowed a slightly different configuration around the translations. These different configurations were tried to firstly test the tools, and secondly to examine the level at which people would spontaneously translate content.

	===Creative Commons===		===Creative Commons===