I previously drew attention to WikiTree's language problem here, and summarized potential solutions here.
To briefly recap, WikiTree does not have a multilingual user interface, and this presents a significant barrier to ~80% of potential global WikiTree users. The value of fostering a diverse community cannot be overstated. If we really are building One Global Tree, this problem will need to be dealt with at some point. The sooner this problem is addressed, the faster this site will grow.
The current software WikiTree is built on does not support multiple languages, and rewriting the software from scratch to add this functionality is a project which would be beyond the scope of the current software development team.
However, third-party translation tools have shown significant improvement in recent years, and are now built into many modern internet browsers (e.g. Google Chrome). These tools can dynamically translate web pages such that all buttons in the user interface remain functional.
Proposal: A feasible solution to WikiTree's language problem is to add brief instructions for using these tools to the existing WikiTree Language Portals. Links to translation tool help pages could also be added in the corresponding languages (French, Spanish, Japanese, etc.).
Example:
Welcome to WikiTree!
With the exception of a few pages (such as this one), the majority of the WikiTree website is available only in English. However, tools to dynamically translate the English pages into [French] exist in a few popular browsers.
The current best tool is the "translate webpages" feature in the Google Chrome browser. Google Chrome can be obtained here, and instructions for using the "translate webpages" feature can be found here.
As a unilingual WikiTreer, I must confess that I have little to personally contribute to this project. I am putting the call out in the hopes that multilingual WikiTreers might offer their translation skills.
Questions:
- Are there any multilingual WikiTreers who would be willing to add these instructions to existing Language Portal pages?
- Is there a way these instructions could be featured prominently during the sign-up process for new users, perhaps on the Welcome New Guest page?
To maximize initial utility, I think it would be best to focus on the most common languages after English. It looks like the top five are Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, French, and Arabic, which seem like a reasonably broad and diverse starting point. For reasons related to my personal tree, I would also love for Japanese to be prioritized, but I understand if there is less interest given the lower number of speakers.
Of the top five, it seems that only French currently has a Language Portal.
Questions:
- Are there any multilingual WikiTreers who would be willing to create new Language Portal pages?
- Who approves the creation of new Language Portals, and how does one contact them?
Additional questions:
- Do browsers like Safari and Firefox have suitable translation tools with help pages in multiple languages? There were concerns in another thread regarding Safari translating the input fields, which is undesirable.
- Are there any other browsers or translation tools that should be more widely known?
- Are there any browsers that are relatively unknown to the English-speaking world, but popular elsewhere? Do they have any built-in translation tools?
Thank you for reading this post, and thanks to all who contributed ideas in previous discussions! Please don't hesitate to reach out if this project is of interest to you! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I hope this can be the first step towards fostering a larger and more diverse multilingual WikiTree community!
Edit: Added example instruction template.