Those really annoying captchas and translating the web

[BigonaBianchi]

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/luis_von_ahn_massive_scale_online_collaboration.html

I had a listen to this 'talk'...i found it very interesting...good speaker and a couple of cool ideas. Next time I'm swearing at a captcha at leas ti know I am doing something positive with my time

 

[vernon]

Intéressant.

 

[Theseus]

Very interesting, prompted me to sign up to the duolingo beta for Spanish. A language I want to learn.

 

[Doseone]

Thanks, really enjoyed watching that. An interesting project. Also love the idea that whenever you type a captcha you are helping to digitize a book.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I jus think it's amazing how the guy thinks...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

So translating for free is a fair business model?

 

[Theseus]

So translating for free is a fair business model?

I don't think you got the point. You can get free language lessons. In exchange stuff gets translated for free. A win / win situation. If duolingo makes a nominal charge to each website that wants to get translated, then it is a 3 way win.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I don't think you got the point. You can get free language lessons. In exchange stuff gets translated for free. A win / win situation. If duolingo makes a nominal charge to each website that wants to get translated, then it is a 3 way win.

Maybe I'm just being frumpish with my diploma in translation and the web's long history of de-skilling translation and downrating translators' rates. The Duolingo website talks about translation being a valuable service. Yet valuable to who? The translation is only valuable to Duolingo, who sell the end text. Because the translator is working for free - admittedly learning a new language on the way. If translation is valuable, then this should translate into a quantified value. Traditionally this meant paying translators for their work.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Maybe I'm just being frumpish with my diploma in translation and the web's long history of de-skilling translation and downrating translators' rates. The Duolingo website talks about translation being a valuable service. Yet valuable to who? The translation is only valuable to Duolingo, who sell the end text. Because the translator is working for free - admittedly learning a new language on the way. If translation is valuable, then this should translate into a quantified value. Traditionally this meant paying translators for their work.

I have some empathy with this view...I would compare it to th emusic industry where a generation has grown up believing it is thier god given right to access free music recordings on line making it almos timpossible to make a living as a new up and coming recording artist (unsigned).

However I have a friend who runs a translation agency and publishes translation glossaries etc and that seems to be paying very well still.