[glotpress-updates] [GlotPress] #193: Option to automatically approve submitted translations by default

[GlotPress]

#193: Option to automatically approve submitted translations by default
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 Reporter:  sooskriszta               |      Owner:  nacin
     Type:  enhancement               |     Status:  new
 Priority:  blocker                   |  Milestone:  1.0
Component:  general                   |    Version:  0.1
 Keywords:  dev-feedback ux-feedback  |
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 This ticket follows discussion at
 http://wppolyglots.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/how-exactly-does-http-
 translate-wordpress-org-work/

 The way the system works at the moment is this:

 1. The fields are put up on the web (say at
 http://translate.wordpress.org/projects/bbpress/plugin/it/default ). These
 are all marked "untranslated".

 2. Translators contribute their translations. The fields translated are
 marked "waiting"

 3. Validators go through the fields one-by-one, and approve or remove
 them. The approved fields are marked "translated".

 4. At various points other translators find that in the context, there are
 some better options for particular strings. So they go to step 2 above.

 In theory, this is a sound system. The problem is that validators are a
 bottleneck. Nothing against the people who are working as validators. I'm
 sure they are fantastic people and are doing their best. But from a
 systems perspective, they are a bottleneck - if a validator is efficient,
 being a bottleneck is less of an issue, but (s)he is still a bottleneck -
 simply by virtue of being a "gatekeeper"...nothing goes through to
 "translated" without active, manual intervention by a validator.

 This creates a certain set of challenges.

 First of all, the validators are inundated, nay swamped, with loads of
 "waiting" strings. They are able to deal with this workload based on their
 time commitments, resources and priorities.

 Secondly, in many cases there is a frustrating and demotivating wait for
 the translators, who have put in the hard work and submitted loads of
 translations, and have to wait for (what seems to them) a bureaucrat to
 sign off.

 Thirdly, non-English users and multilingual users have to wait for long
 durations in order to get access to the software in their desired
 languages.

 e.g. At http://translate.wordpress.org/projects/bbpress/plugin there are
 plenty of items listed as “Waiting”. e.g. Polish, Romanian, French and
 Czech have 0% translation completed, but almost 100% strings in “waiting”.

 Similarly, at http://translate.wordpress.org/projects/buddypress/dev
 Danish, Romanian, and Czech have almost 0% translation completed, but
 almost 100% strings in “waiting”.

 One possible solution is this http://wppolyglots.wordpress.com/2012/04/22
 /how-exactly-does-http-translate-wordpress-org-work/#comment-12883 :

 Any translation submitted for "untranslated" strings are automatically
 approved and moved to "translated". If alternative translations are
 suggested for "translated" strings, then these alternatives are the ones
 marked "waiting", and thus are the ones that the validators deal with.

 Somewhat like this:

 1. The fields are put up on the web (say at
 http://translate.wordpress.org/projects/bbpress/plugin/it/default ). These
 are all marked "untranslated".

 2. Translators contribute their translations. The fields translated are
 marked "translated", and are available immediately.

 3. At various points other translators find that in the context, there are
 some better options for particular strings. So they make suggestions.
 These are marked "waiting".

 4. Validators go through the fields one-by-one, and approve or remove
 them. The approved fields are marked "translated".

 This will have the following effect:

 - The workload on validators would be reduced
 - The translators will be motivated to contribute more, as they can see
 the fruits of their labor sooner.
 - Non-English-speaking and polyglot users will get the software in their
 desired language sooner
 - Usage of software among Non-English-speaking and polyglot users will
 increase

 Perhaps, this solution is not for everyone, and perhaps it should be
 activated on a project-by-project basis. The "low priority" projects such
 as bbPress and Buddypress that are being waylaid by the current process
 may choose this option while the "high priority" ones might want to stick
 on to the current system for a while till the new system proves its chops.

 So I would recommend that GlotPress create an option to enable "automatic
 approval of translations" on a project-by-project basis.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://glotpress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/193>
GlotPress <http://trac.glotpress.org>
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