LocalizationProcess

Latest revision as of 14:24, 11 May 2010

This is a draft for a series of process/ideas on how to properly handle our translation teams. The objective is not to add a bureaucracy layer but to make sure we can ensure that we set our contributors up for success and a happy experience while translating Meego. The following is a very plain draft and should be taken with a grain of salt. It is also an open invitation for anyone who can constructively help us derive a roadmap for the localization team.

Roles

I currently can identify the following users:

• i18n Steering member: these individuals are very intimate with the schedules for code freeze and release from Meego and can point team coordinators to what the priorities are and what direction to go to. They can also serve as mentors for newer coordinators and handle situations where conflicts arise between members of a team.
• Team Coordinator: These individuals have a few years of collaborating in a translation project under their belt and understand how the whole localization process works. They're capable of seeing the bigger picture and delegating/coordinating translation efforts that best fit the priorities for the project. They are most importantly mentors for new contributors and can hold someone by the hands if necessary in order to bring them up to speed and become a happy contributor. You should love interacting with people and be goal oriented if you want to be a coordinator.
• Translators: These are individuals who can speak more than their native tongue and are comfortable translating technical terms in a prose-like style. We don't want Google Translate work here but someone who can see the entire software stack and make sure your mom or grandma can understand what the system is telling them. You should be very passionate about the quality of work you deliver and should have a go-getter mentality. In other words, you are very proactive and don't sit there waiting for someone to spoon feed you.

Process for joining an existing team:

• Would be translators start off by requesting to join an existing translation team. This is done via the Transifex web interface and an email is sent to the existing team coordinator(s).
• The user should also introduce himself to the other users via the Localization mailing list, providing a brief biography and explaining his interest in joining the team as well as his/her experience in the area.
• The corresponding Team Coordinator then approves this request and follows up in the mailing list with a welcome message as well as instructions for where to go to read about the team's current activities, goals and priorities. This assumes that eventually individual teams will get their own web page in the Meego web site and/or "localized" mailing lists.
• The Translator then is offered a simple translation task by the Team Coordinator, usually a low hanging fruit, to get him/her started and to provide some immediate insight into the Translators skills.
• The Translator will then submit his work using the Review feature.
• The Team Coordinator as well as current existing Translators from the team will review the translation and provide useful and constructive feedback so that the translation conforms to the standards already established.

Process for starting a team: [TO BE WRITTEN]

Process for becoming a Team Coordinator: [TO BE WRITTEN]

Conflict Resolution: [TO BE WRITTEN]

Tasks:

• Team Coordinator: [TO BE WRITTEN]
  • Establish vocabulary and grammar standards as needed
  • Report any and all errors (grammar, typos, etc) found during translations back to the specific project maintainer
• Translator: [TO BE WRITTEN]