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> Blogs > Posts > Top 10 Recent LinkedIn Topics (part 2)
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2/26/2010
The above are the top 5 localization discussions that have taken place in LinkedIn over the last 6 months...in the Groups with which I am familiar. If that isn't enough of a disclaimer already, my critieria for selecting the top topics was 'number of comments'. Of course, 'top' can have many meanings. Sometimes, people post important information and don't expect or want feedback. That doesn't mean those topics are not 'top'. However, because we are building a new community here, I was most interested to see which topics engendered the most participation from the community. What are the most controversial and engaging topics at the moment?
Below are some general observations followed by a brief summary of each topic.
Observations
- People tend to gravitate to what they want to talk about. Sometimes, there wasn't much information in the discussion starter to go on. Because people commenting are working virtually; i.e., not co-located, and also working asynchronously, they tend to fill in the blanks, make assumptions and speak to their understanding of the discussion.
Many discussions are placed in multiple Groups. That makes sense because some topics apply to multiple forums. The L10NCafe attempts to eliminate the need for this by providing a single place to add posts along with an ability to assign multiple categories so the same post can appear in other categories without needing to re-add them to each one.
Seven out of ten top topics were discussed in the Localization Professional Group. It has the most members and so it is easier to get seen by more people there.
Renato is good at stirring things up that need to be stirred up. He might be the 'Simon Cowell' of our industry.
Over half of the discussions start with a question or request. People like to give their opinion but it is sometimes easier to do so after someone else brings up a topic and solicits opinions.
The future, censorship, crowdsourcing and tools, especially MT tools, are popular topics. Ours industry is still figuring out how to integrate tools and humans in the best way.
Most discussions last about one month. Does that represent the attention span of our industry?
Someone outside our industry accused us of being 'wordy'. Is this true? Perhaps because our profession revolves around words we have become so enamored with them that we cannot help but use as many of them as we can...as in the case of this very sentence.
Summary of each Topic/Discussion
- Who uses Twitter in this group? Brenda Gelston. Great resource for those of us who use Twitter along with a previous discussion started by Adam Wooten. Many of the responders are now part of the Twitter feed on the home page of the cafe. This discussion illustrates three good strategies for engaging others:
- Get the message in front of people. This discussion, like others in the list, was included in multiple Groups.
- Ask for input. People generally like to share their knowledge and an invitation to do so usually produces results. In this case, commenting also helps bring attention to the commenter who might obtain new Twitter followers. Win-win for everyone.
- Ask for something quick and easy. Either you use Twitter or you don't. Doesn't take long to respond to this.
Some Ideas for Associations to Generate Revenue. Renato Beninatto. Renato suggests alternate ways for Associations to obtain money besides sponsoring events. The 80 comments that ensued had nothing to do with this topic but with censorship which is juicily controversial. Renato apparently wrote things in his original post that caused the group's moderator to remove them as they seemed to disparage GALA. Most commenters oppose this type of censorship though the moderator said he received support for his censoring offline. This discussion was particularly interesting to me as moderator of the L10NCafe. We've thought a lot about what should or shouldn't be censored. Basically, we will moderate illegal and lewd comments. Debate and negative comments are welcome. People who make a habit of posting baseless, negative comments will hurt their own reputation.
SDL Trados. Is it worth the money? David Grunwald. David's remarks and blog post hit a nerve with the translation community. There are many opinions regarding the best tools and best billing methods. Different tools do a better job at different things. There is also the notion that clients often dictate, and sometimes provide, tools. Many commenters believe SDL Trados has a monopoly, is too expensive, has not improved quickly enough and has poor support. The community seems to be waiting for a better Web 2.0 solution while current efforts underway seem disjointed and insufficiently radical.
Two discussions tied for this spot:
- Predictions for 2010. What do you see as the main issues and trends our industry will see in 2010? James Keddie. This discussion was posted to at least 5 Groups and asks people for their opinion. Both are excellent ways to engage others. Many predicted increased crowdsourcing, MT implementation, consolidation via M&A activity, more translation scope, cheaper translation tools, technology improvements, etc. Some of the comments read more like hopes than predictions. Along these lines, I like this quote from Ayfer Bektas, "Maybe we should also have a discussion on what we want for 2010 and the following years. In the past couple of years, I have seen little convergence between what the industry needed and what was offered." We hope the L10NCafe can help to consolidate and focus input to give vendors a clear picture of what is needed and wanted...and what will sell.
- Do you think translators should adjust their rates based on inflation? Marcela Jenney. Healthy, heated discussion about translation rates. Translators represent the majority of our industry and so it's not surprising that a topic about their pay received a lot of comments. I like the comment from Vahur Lokk which summarizes what several others said, "Translator who does not adjust rates upwards from time to time will be a hungry translator sooner or later. Translator who does adjust rates and explains to clients that this is because of inflation, will be a hungry translator sooner rather than later."
Two discussions tied for this spot as well:
- What do you think about sample or test translations requests? Wouldn't examples vs. samples make more sense? Kathleen Bostick. Great discussion that is an example of people coming to a consensus of sorts after hashing things out. One person compared translators to lawyers from whom we do not request samples. Ayfer Bektas and Rick Woyde replied that lawyers, surgeons, etc. have specific education and certification standards that give them license to practice. However, anyone who speaks two languages can call themselves a translator because there are no required, standard qualifications or certifications. Therefore, like auditioning famous actors for a specific part to see if they fit, seeking samples from translators to determine fit for a specific project is a good idea...that must be managed carefully in order to yield useful information.
- Urgently need a Translation Management System for Haiti Disaster Relief translation efforts. Jeff Allen. Awesome outpouring of help and offers for help. The need to prepare for future disasters was discussed. TWB (Translators without Borders) provides free translations and is building a community to improve throughput and efficiency. It's good to be part of an industry that can contribute in this way.
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