Perspectives on translating, localising

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Perspectives on translating, localising
technically updating an existing web service
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Renewing the Service

• Risks and other issues

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Levels of development
Visual outlook
Interface
Content
Interface
Process(e.g. centralised to distributed
maintenance)
Interface
Content management system(e.g. html to database
based)
Interface
Technical platform(e.g. PHPMySQL to JavaOracle)
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Risks Technical platform

• Lack of architechtural understanding
• Lack of technological competence
• Security issues (secured connections, back-up
  systems, dedicated servers, firewalls etc.)
• Instability of technology ? use well known
  technologies
• Maturity has the platform been in use for long?

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Risks Content management system (CMS)

• Incompatibility between systems/modules ? examine
  before buy, consult experts and other users
  (Internet!)
• Scalablity and flexibility ? Requirement
  analysis, examination before buy, interview the
  users
• Supplier risk ? check references, choose stabile
  partners
• Maintenance ? contract (support, upgrades),
  documentation, document management, content
  production organisation

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Risks Process

• Resistance to change ? sharing information,
  promoting commitment
• Undeveloped processes and (change) management ?
  good planning, benchmark
• Novelty People two significant sources of
  risk
• USUALLY THE LEAST MANAGEABLE TYPE OF RISK!!

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Risks Content development

• Low quality ? describe your needs carefully, set
  standards for people who write/translate train,
  content producers
• Service not used ? promotion, user involvement in
  planning (? interesting content)
• Too much information ? start with less and expand
  if needed, categorize
• Expired/outdated information ? life-cycle
  analysis, content management system, content
  production organisation

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Localising content

• What information should be imported? ?
  Requirement analysis
• What information should be classified national or
  regional? ? Localisation
• Does the imported content support the goals and
  strategies of the host organisation/local
  authorities? ? Editing
• What information should be available in more than
  one language? ? Translations

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Levels of content localisation
Translation
Translation modifying the content to fit the
local culture
Exploiting the structure of the
material(Producing the content locally)
Exploiting the idea (Producing and structuring
the content locally)
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Localising visual outlook

• Visual outlook (layout) is very culturally
  sensitive ? it is useful to consult a small
  testing group before importing graphics
• The best result is obtained through groupworking
  invite a local graphical (web) designer, a
  usability specialist and end-users to work
  together to produce/refine graphical layout for
  the website

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User involvement
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Levels of user involvement
Spontaneous web communities
User-centered design
User surveys before production
Beta testing
User feedback link
No user involvement
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User involvement in different phases of the
project

• Module selection
• Module customisation
• Beta testing
• User feedback link (service running)
• Further development

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Pros and cons of user involvement

• Helps defining the content and structure
• Adds user-value ? clients get what they want
• Generates new ideas
• User feedback
• Takes time and consumes resources
• Makes things more complicated
• Process is not as predictable as in expert-driven
  planning
• The quality and representativenes of received
  material