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Scipio · 2nd July 2002, 00:54

Do you need help starting a new translation project?

Here are some translation guidelines:
If you want your project to become official (that is: linked on Doom9.org), you should follow these suggestions - especially the site design is crucial.

- First of all: One person should take control of the project so that co-workers know where to send their translated guides and questions. This person is supposed to be the webmaster of the translation project site.

1) Download Doom9's site using Offline Explorer (www.metaproducts.com) or some other good site-download tool. By doing that you get to know Doom9's site design and link/name system.
You do not need the software archive (Soft21/ folder and everything in it) so the size of your download should be somewhat smaller than 15MB and contain 334 files (situation on April 12th 2003). This download is your source for all your work. Do not modify the structure or design of what you downloaded.

2) Tell your visitors how to participate. (e.g. Mail/Forum)

3) Create your own doc-overview.htm just like the English one and mark the translated guides with a flag. Guides that are currently in the works also get marked with a flag so that no guide is assigned twice. (have a look at the German site or the Spanish one). Outdated flags get a faded flag (greyscale coulors, look at the German page).
My suggestion:
On German Doom9, I've created a second Document Overview in German. Each time I get a new guide, I add it to this page. That way, people can see which guides are already available without being irritated by flags. Example in German. I've also added a Sitemap for my visitors.
Make sure you always update this document in order not to loose track of the progress.

4) Downloads: You don't need to maintain your own Download Section. Just link to the software.htm of doom9.org. If your project is hosted on doom9.org like spanish.doom9.org you can use all downloads of the English site directly! And for own domains like doom9.de this can also be arranged with Doom9. (See below for more info on linking to the software2.htm in particular guides.)

5) Your site design must be identical to Doom9's.

6) Where do I put translated documents? You will need a small (15-20MB is enough) advertising free webspace to put your site. Vhost capabilities (if you don't know what a virtual host read this: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/vhosts/) will allow you to eventually get your own http://language.doom9.org URL (otherwise when people type that url they will just be forwarded to http://yourhost.company.com/somwehere/ which isn't so pretty). In the beginning it may be possible for us to provide hosting, but in the long run you're required to find your own hosting.

7) Ask Doom9 for a copy of the mirror operator manual.

And finally: Keep your page updated, at least the doc-overview.htm. Daily news certainly attract some additional visitors. Having done all this, you could kindly ask Doom9 for a domain like german.doom9.org. You can also register your own domain like doom9.de, doom9.it etc.

What is required to get my flag listed on www.doom9.org?
1) Create your own volunteer page based on this: http://www.doom9.org/looking_for_staff.htm
2) Make your document overview page available via the top frame
3) Translate the document overview pages (marked as such in the document overview) allowing access to already translated documents.
4) You must be comfortable to reach a daily audience. Thus, you should be actively translating news and having a few key guides translated (gknot, dvd2svcd) is a good thing ensuring a smooth start.
5) You have provided an email address where mirror logs indicating what documents have been changed whenever the main site gets updated.

What is required to get my own @doom9.org email address
Points 1 & 2 of the above.

Some suggestions:

- What you should translate last (if at all): Doom9 has an "Old Documents" page where outdated guides are listed. Update: That page doesn't exist anymore.

- From what I have seen/experienced, some helping people assign too many guides or don't translate them at all, so it's a good idea to keep a note when they actually assigned them and to set a deadline (keep the mail exchange - and/or do it with "image-tips" like on the German overview (move your mouse over a "half-flag", then you'll see the name of the assigned translator).

These guidelines worked pretty well for the German and the Spanish project. Don't hesitate to realize your own ideas in organizing your project and ask for help if needed.

2nd July 2002, 00:54	#1 \| Link
Scipio translation mod Join Date: May 2002 Location: http://german.doom9.org/ Posts: 284	Translation Guidelines Do you need help starting a new translation project? Here are some translation guidelines: If you want your project to become official (that is: linked on Doom9.org), you should follow these suggestions - especially the site design is crucial. - First of all: One person should take control of the project so that co-workers know where to send their translated guides and questions. This person is supposed to be the webmaster of the translation project site. 1) Download Doom9's site using Offline Explorer (www.metaproducts.com) or some other good site-download tool. By doing that you get to know Doom9's site design and link/name system. You do not need the software archive (Soft21/ folder and everything in it) so the size of your download should be somewhat smaller than 15MB and contain 334 files (situation on April 12th 2003). This download is your source for all your work. Do not modify the structure or design of what you downloaded. 2) Tell your visitors how to participate. (e.g. Mail/Forum) 3) Create your own doc-overview.htm just like the English one and mark the translated guides with a flag. Guides that are currently in the works also get marked with a flag so that no guide is assigned twice. (have a look at the German site or the Spanish one). Outdated flags get a faded flag (greyscale coulors, look at the German page). My suggestion: On German Doom9, I've created a second Document Overview in German. Each time I get a new guide, I add it to this page. That way, people can see which guides are already available without being irritated by flags. Example in German. I've also added a Sitemap for my visitors. Make sure you always update this document in order not to loose track of the progress. 4) Downloads: You don't need to maintain your own Download Section. Just link to the software.htm of doom9.org. If your project is hosted on doom9.org like spanish.doom9.org you can use all downloads of the English site directly! And for own domains like doom9.de this can also be arranged with Doom9. (See below for more info on linking to the software2.htm in particular guides.) 5) Your site design must be identical to Doom9's. 6) Where do I put translated documents? You will need a small (15-20MB is enough) advertising free webspace to put your site. Vhost capabilities (if you don't know what a virtual host read this: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/vhosts/) will allow you to eventually get your own http://language.doom9.org URL (otherwise when people type that url they will just be forwarded to http://yourhost.company.com/somwehere/ which isn't so pretty). In the beginning it may be possible for us to provide hosting, but in the long run you're required to find your own hosting. 7) Ask Doom9 for a copy of the mirror operator manual. And finally: Keep your page updated, at least the doc-overview.htm. Daily news certainly attract some additional visitors. Having done all this, you could kindly ask Doom9 for a domain like german.doom9.org. You can also register your own domain like doom9.de, doom9.it etc. What is required to get my flag listed on www.doom9.org? 1) Create your own volunteer page based on this: http://www.doom9.org/looking_for_staff.htm 2) Make your document overview page available via the top frame 3) Translate the document overview pages (marked as such in the document overview) allowing access to already translated documents. 4) You must be comfortable to reach a daily audience. Thus, you should be actively translating news and having a few key guides translated (gknot, dvd2svcd) is a good thing ensuring a smooth start. 5) You have provided an email address where mirror logs indicating what documents have been changed whenever the main site gets updated. What is required to get my own @doom9.org email address Points 1 & 2 of the above. Some suggestions: - What you should translate last (if at all): Doom9 has an "Old Documents" page where outdated guides are listed. Update: That page doesn't exist anymore. - From what I have seen/experienced, some helping people assign too many guides or don't translate them at all, so it's a good idea to keep a note when they actually assigned them and to set a deadline (keep the mail exchange - and/or do it with "image-tips" like on the German overview (move your mouse over a "half-flag", then you'll see the name of the assigned translator). These guidelines worked pretty well for the German and the Spanish project. Don't hesitate to realize your own ideas in organizing your project and ask for help if needed. __________________ [Translation Guidelines] - [Overview of Doom9 translation mirrors] - - - [German Doom9] When arguing with an idiot, make sure he isn't doing the same. Last edited by Scipio; 9th January 2006 at 11:11.