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Internationalize the StaffInternationalize the StaffPosted Aug 6, 2002 18:33 UTC (Tue) by hgesser (guest, #3132)In reply to: Internationalize the Staff by George2 Parent article: Is it really The End?
This seems no good idea to me. International cooperation works very fine with such things as generating code - that has been proven. It doesn't work as well with the generation of editorial content. Sure you could have low-paid people somewhere writing your articles (if they have all the contacts or information sources that your current crew has - this may be possible), but you'd end up with articles that are far from what people are used to, as to language. A simple "going over the text" by a remaining native English speaker doesn't fix these problems, in many cases you'll have to do complete rewrites of longer passages (I know what I'm talking about :) ). The translation idea might sound good, but you'd find out that translating a text sometimes takes longer than writing it, and again you have the quality of language problem. So in addition to a team of writers you'd basically need a team of editors (native English ones) that is as big as the current team. I don't see how to save money under that condition. Plus, it is an open question if a translated version (say, German) would generate more readers and possibly higher income - I think most of the intended audience of LWN understands English well enough to read it the way it is - I would stay with the English version even if a German one would be offered - unless the translation was really really good... Then of course, with removing most of the current team and getting new people elsewhere, LWN wouldn't be the same anymore. Not everyone is replacible (replacable? sorry, I'm no native speaker, either ;) ).
Good luck,
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