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Ever watch "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
Remember the three lifelines contestants used to improve their odds of getting an answer right? Each participant was given three choices: 50/50, phone-a-friend, and poll the audience. So what does this have to do with translation services?
Big companies like Facebook and Wikipedia employ a practice called "crowdsourcing" to get the pages of their websites translated into different languages. Essentially, the company polls an audience, asking them to offer any kind of translation for their content in return for their name on the credits and/or small compensation such as a cruise or gift certificates.
When you use a cheap alternative for a professional translation services job, negative results manifest themselves in simple mistakes that can lead to big problems.
Wikipedia is a good example.
It's well known that anyone can contribute to Wikipedia's content without any kind of background check, expertise, or filter; and while much of the content offered at their site can be helpful, some of it can be damaging if used in a report for school, or as a research tool for a presentation. Imagine you have a client in China you are contracted to provide defibrillators for. Even the slightest mix-up or confusion of wording in the instruction manual can yield devastating results.
When it comes to translation, polling the audience can be a cheap, but risky way to go about communicating with customers and clients. That's why using professional translation services, especially those certified by a recognized body like the ISO (International organization for standardization)--whose standards set forth a consensus on what standardization means for company's worldwide--should be an integral part of your business plan.
If you feel that professional, accurate communication is a crucial part of your businesses growth and development, polling an audience is a costly decision. Don't let the effectiveness of the message you're trying to deliver get lost in translation.
January 01 2010
Crowdsourcing: Asking the Audience - Global View January 2010
Ever watch "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
Remember the three lifelines contestants used to improve their odds of getting an answer right? Each participant was given three choices: 50/50, phone-a-friend, and poll the audience. So what does this have to do with translation services?
Big companies like Facebook and Wikipedia employ a practice called "crowdsourcing" to get the pages of their websites translated into different languages. Essentially, the company polls an audience, asking them to offer any kind of translation for their content in return for their name on the credits and/or small compensation such as a cruise or gift certificates.
When you use a cheap alternative for a professional translation services job, negative results manifest themselves in simple mistakes that can lead to big problems.
Wikipedia is a good example.
It's well known that anyone can contribute to Wikipedia's content without any kind of background check, expertise, or filter; and while much of the content offered at their site can be helpful, some of it can be damaging if used in a report for school, or as a research tool for a presentation. Imagine you have a client in China you are contracted to provide defibrillators for. Even the slightest mix-up or confusion of wording in the instruction manual can yield devastating results.
When it comes to translation, polling the audience can be a cheap, but risky way to go about communicating with customers and clients. That's why using professional translation services, especially those certified by a recognized body like the ISO (International organization for standardization)--whose standards set forth a consensus on what standardization means for company's worldwide--should be an integral part of your business plan.
If you feel that professional, accurate communication is a crucial part of your businesses growth and development, polling an audience is a costly decision. Don't let the effectiveness of the message you're trying to deliver get lost in translation.
