SoR International pages?

[Admin]

I am thinking of making some international pages for SoR.

They will include things such as:
websites/store info that sell to that country
   - (its hard for some people to find parts shipped to their country)
translations of a few of the tutorials
   - Ive been collecting translations of SoR that I've never posted

I'll link it like:
romania.societyofrobots.com
thailand.societyofrobots.com

etc.

Anyone like this idea, or have additional ideas? Anyone willing to spend about 15 minutes translating it to their country/language or offer website lists?

[Mega]

Excellent idea.
I don't mind doing some dutch translations for the Netherlands.

[vidam]

hmmm... japan.societyofrobots.com ?

[HDL_CinC_Dragon]

germany.societyofrobots.com(deutschlande.societyofrobots.com?)
unfortunately my german is not very good at all lol otherwise I would more than love to help with that however, I can translate it to English! I are good at English!

[vidam]

germany.societyofrobots.com(deutschlande.societyofrobots.com?)
unfortunately my german is not very good at all lol otherwise I would more than love to help with that Undecided however, I can translate it to English! I are good at English!"

Take a look at Babel Fish Translation: http://babelfish.altavista.com/

[HDL_CinC_Dragon]

OMG Vidam I love you


I just told BabelFish to translate SoR.com and it even translates it as you surf the entire site. thats amazing. That is an awesome tool! Im gunna go test it out on some German pages and translate them to English with it


I just translated some German Wikipedia pages and could actually understand for the most part what it was all trying to say =D
Cant believe I never found that translator before lol Thanks Vidam

[Admin]

babelfish is like a decade old now

Anyway, I personally think the babelfish translations are really bad, just bordering on comprehendable. Although I use it for chinese/japanese often . . .

Anyway, I got good translations of a few pages. I don't have the capacity to translate all ~100 tutorials on SoR to 30+ languages, nor is that my goal for the international pages. I mostly just want country specific useful information - links to clubs, universities that have robotics, places to get parts, etc.


Anyway, anyone have experience using SSI files shared among multiple domain names? Can't seem to get it to work . . . This is what I have at the top of my shtml file:

Code: [Select]

<!--#include virtual="/var/www/vhosts/societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->but all I get is:

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

when running a page . . .

[dunk]

Anyway, anyone have experience using SSI files shared among multiple domain names? Can't seem to get it to work . . . This is what I have at the top of my shtml file:
Code:
<!--#include virtual="/var/www/vhosts/societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->

ew. ASP. not my strong point .
i think ASP does something weird here. i think it will be trying to find "/var/www/vhosts/societyofrobots.com/var/www/vhosts/societyofrobots.com/header.html"

try this instead:

Code: [Select]

<!--#include virtual="http://www.societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->or is it

Code: [Select]

<!--#include file="http://www.societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->
alternatively try:

Code: [Select]

<!--#include virtual="/header.html" -->or is it

Code: [Select]

<!--#include file="/header.html" -->
one of those should work.

dunk.

[Admin]

I just tried:

Code: [Select]

<!--#include virtual="/var/www/vhosts/societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->
<!--#include virtual="http://www.societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->
<!--#include file="http://www.societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->
<!--#include virtual="/var/www/vhosts/societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->
<!--#include file="/var/www/vhosts/societyofrobots.com/header.html" -->
<!--#include virtual="/header.html" -->
<!--#include file="/header.html" -->
and none of them worked . . .

[ed1380]

sounds like a great idea. i'd be happy to help w/ translation into russian

[Admin]

So here is my plan for the pages (example below). Let me know if you guys want to add on ideas. I want to have both the local language and english on each page - useful for people who live in the country but don't speak the local language. After I finalize it, I'll ask you guys to do the list in your language (and suggest links).

SoR International - Thailand SoR ของโลก - ประเทศไทย

ชมรมหุ่นยนต์ในประเทศไทย/Local Robotics Clubs
[club links here]

ร้านขายอุปกรณ์หุ่นยนต์/Robotics Stores
[local store links here]

ร้านค้าออนไลน์/Online Retailers
[online retailer links that sell to this country]

มหาวิทยาลัยที่สอนการสร้างหุ่นยนต์/Universities that teach Robotics
[links to robot groups at the local universities]

บทแปลการสอนสาธิตเกี่ยวกับการสร้างหุ่นยนต์/Translated Robot Tutorials
[one or two translated tutorials here]

ล่ามอาสาสมัคร/Volunteer Translator
[translators name, or forum user name]

[fr4ncium]

I can help with Spanish translation.  If my Japanese was better, I'd volunteer to help with it, but it is awful   
I'd have to say that Japanese <-> English is probably the worst translation you'll get on babelfish on account of the fact that he/she is barely present in the Japanese language at all.  As a result, Babelfish screws up anything written in third person (it can't distinguish between an object and a pronoun).  Not to mention all the formality conjugations that can't be expressed in written English.

[Ro-Bot-X]

I'll be happy to help with Romanian translations. Let me know what pages you want to translate and I'll do it. I will also look into retailers here in Romania, but there are almost no stores robotics specific. But there are universities, even a national contest selection for Eurobot.

[Fredrik Andersson]

I would gladly translate some articles to Swedish.

[TrickyNekro]

I'll do the greek translations if there is any interest...
But anything assign to me will be done after the summertime...
First there are exams to pass   :'(but I need also to rest a little...

[Mega]

ชมรมหุ่นยนต์ในประเทศไทย/Local Robotics Clubs
[club links here]

ร้านขายอุปกรณ์หุ่นยนต์/Robotics Stores
[local store links here]

ร้านค้าออนไลน์/Online Retailers
[online retailer links that sell to this country]

มหาวิทยาลัยที่สอนการสร้างหุ่นยนต์/Universities that teach Robotics
[links to robot groups at the local universities]

บทแปลการสอนสาธิตเกี่ยวกับการสร้างหุ่นยนต์/Translated Robot Tutorials
[one or two translated tutorials here]

ล่ามอาสาสมัคร/Volunteer Translator
[translators name, or forum user name]

Good proposal. I've got a few remarks:
1. I would not mix english and the native language on one page, this could lead to a cluttered/difficult to follow page. Instead I would make two pages: one english and one translated into the native language. The user can swith between these two pages/languages by e.g. clicking the native or english flag.
2. I would remove the online retailers section. Since this page is aimed at giving information about local robotics I would not add a list of (online) foreign robotics shops, these can be found in the main SoR site (or in the other country pages).
3. I would add an 'Other robotics sites' item to list local robotics sites about e.g. specific robots, local robotics new, etc.

[Ro-Bot-X]

Good proposal. I've got a few remarks:
1. I would not mix english and the native language on one page, this could lead to a cluttered/difficult to follow page. Instead I would make two pages: one english and one translated into the native language. The user can swith between these two pages/languages by e.g. clicking the native or english flag.
2. I would remove the online retailers section. Since this page is aimed at giving information about local robotics I would not add a list of (online) foreign robotics shops, these can be found in the main SoR site (or in the other country pages).
3. I would add an 'Other robotics sites' item to list local robotics sites about e.g. specific robots, local robotics new, etc.

Verry good for number one.
Not so good on number two. I think it is good for local people to know which of the international retailers are selling to this particular country, eventually add shipping rates and specification if import taxes will be imposed. If there are local retailers, then yes, this is not required.
Verry good for number three.

[Mega]

Not so good on number two. I think it is good for local people to know which of the international retailers are selling to this particular country

Ok, I see your point. This depends on the country. I don't think there will be many international retailers that do not sell to the Netherlands.
 

[Admin]

1. I would not mix english and the native language on one page, this could lead to a cluttered/difficult to follow page. Instead I would make two pages: one english and one translated into the native language. The user can swith between these two pages/languages by e.g. clicking the native or english flag.

The issue I have with this is that it doubles my work, to update twice as many pages. I don't think its that cluttered - in fact, if you count, there will only be 18 english words on an entire page.

I would remove the online retailers section. Since this page is aimed at giving information about local robotics I would not add a list of (online) foreign robotics shops, these can be found in the main SoR site (or in the other country pages).

There are some things you can't get locally and have to ship. There are quite a few posts of people saying 'no one ships to my country but I need X part!! help!' . . . so to have a list of a few distributors that do ship to them would be important. Perhaps not for a western country, but if you lived in say I dunno . . . Burma? Would be hard to get a servo there locally, or find someone willing to ship there cheap . . .

I would add an 'Other robotics sites' item to list local robotics sites about e.g. specific robots, local robotics new, etc.

Okie will do. Perhaps call it a Misc section? Competitions, robot news in local language, etc?

[Mega]

The issue I have with this is that it doubles my work, to update twice as many pages. I don't think its that cluttered - in fact, if you count, there will only be 18 english words on an entire page.

Hmm, I think the power of the local pages is that people can get robotics info in their own language and not be bothered with the english translations. It is quite common to have a translation option on a web page/site to switch between multiple languages.
I can't judge the amount of extra work, but I would expect that this can be batched/automated?

There are some things you can't get locally and have to ship. There are quite a few posts of people saying 'no one ships to my country but I need X part!! help!' . . . so to have a list of a few distributors that do ship to them would be important. Perhaps not for a western country, but if you lived in say I dunno . . . Burma? Would be hard to get a servo there locally, or find someone willing to ship there cheap . . .

I get your point.

Okie will do. Perhaps call it a Misc section? Competitions, robot news in local language, etc?

Perfect, a Misc section sounds good.

[Admin]

Hmm, I think the power of the local pages is that people can get robotics info in their own language and not be bothered with the english translations. It is quite common to have a translation option on a web page/site to switch between multiple languages.

What if you moved to say Mongolia and wanted to still build robots . . . you would be hopeless if the Mongolia page wasn't in english . . . This is my motivation to keep english on it too, for traveling engineers. I plan to do a lot of traveling throughout asia in ~6 months, so its my motivation to get my multi-country resources available . . .

[Rebelgium]

I don't want to be the negative nagger, but this is just my two cents: 

It's the internet here...and the internet just is 95% english.
Just learn english! it's the easiest language I know of... If you're willing to learn about the electronics/programming/mechaniscs of robots , you might as well learn english to.
In this world, you'll have to learn it some time.

On the shops however, I fully agree. Having a page with a bunch of countries ordered by alphabet, with a few links of robotics shops for every country would be very usefull for many members. Including me 


I just don't think it's -by far- worth all the translating, pages making,... -work.
( the robot photo gallery for example would be a far more usefull project I think)


Again, just my two cents

[airman00]

i totally agree with rebelgium

[Admin]

I agree with Rebelgium too . . . and it's one of the many reasons I don't want to translate the tutorials.

But the reality is there are still many engineers that don't speak english (I've met many). Consider this bait to overcome the language barrier . . . google will map SoR for those languages, too.


Would it be better if I just make a single page called something like 'International_Robotics.shtml', and just put all the country listings on one single page? This would be the easiest for me to do . . . and I could always grow it out later . . .

[Rebelgium]

Would it be better if I just make a single page called something like 'International_Robotics.shtml', and just put all the country listings on one single page? This would be the easiest for me to do . . . and I could always grow it out later . . .

What do you mean exactly by "listings"?

[Admin]

this:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=2780.msg19431#msg19431

Basically cram it all on one page. Now that I think about it . . . it doesn't sound like that good of an idea . . .

[ed1380]

it'll still be good. just put links at teh top that take you to teh specified language part (scrolls down for you)

[Rebelgium]

Putting all info of all countries on one page would be a bit crowded I think. Atleast after a while...
But on the other hand, If you don't translate tutorials and just stick to the links, I think it is a good idea to have all countries on one 'International_Robotics.shtml' page.

I think the clubs, stores, and online retailers links for each country are enough.
That would be very usefull.

it'll still be good. just put links at teh top that take you to teh specified language part (scrolls down for you)

exactly. Just order the laguages in alphabetic order.

[Admin]

ok I'll do the cram idea for now, just to flesh things out.

It can always be upgraded later if it gets crowded and we get more ideas to improve it.

[Rebelgium]

It can always be upgraded later if it gets crowded and we get more ideas to improve it.

Indeed. And this way it's just a lot less work to.