Language question - CycleBlaze

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Language question

Halûk Okur

Hi all,

I have recently discovered this place and moved all my old tour notes here. Unfortunately they are all in Turkish and I couldn't decide whether or not to translate them.

As they are simple and ordinary trips I don't think they would be found interesting by most people. My lazyness may have contributed here as well.

On the other hand, as I surf thru the journals, I saw that they are all in English.

Now my question is, is it etiquette or an unwritten law here to post in English?

Another question would be, can a journal be made bilingual?

Thanks for any comments.

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2 years ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Halûk Okur

Hi Halûk

I think the journals on this site are in English because most members are native English speakers.  There may well be other similar sites in French or German or Japanese for all I know...  I can sort of read French due to being exposed to it in Canada (but I've lived almost all of my life in BC, where French is very much a minority language).  Now you've made me curious to see if there is such a site, but perhaps Léo Woodland will know.

I suspect that making a journal bilingual would just mean adding/repeating text in a different language.

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2 years ago
Edward HitchcockTo Halûk Okur

Hello Haluk.

I think posts are in English because posters and readers are often mono-lingual English speakers.  There are some non-English journals on this site.   I like reading those in French to help me with my French.

I think it would be great if you were to translate one or two of your journals into English - add the English text to the same page, and note in the journal title that journal is in English and Turkish.  If you get a good response, consider translating more.

Continue enjoying the bike..

Ed

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2 years ago
Gregory GarceauTo Halûk Okur

Hi Haluk,

I've been looking at some of your journals, and a message box comes up on every page that reads "Translate from Turkish."  I click on that, and it quickly comes up with a translated version.  I have no idea how good the translation is, but it's there and it's a good read.  Maybe it's just a Microsoft Edge feature?  I also have Chrome, so I'll check that out and report back.

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2 years ago
Gregory GarceauTo Gregory Garceau

Yup, Chrome has the translation option too via a "Google Translate" pop-up.  Most people should be able to read your journals without you having to do anything else.

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2 years ago
Rich FrasierTo Halûk Okur

Hi Halûk -

There are some journals on CycleBlaze in French, so I don’t think there are any informal rules about English.  Like Gregory, I used Chrome’s automatic translation feature to read your journals.  The translations were sometimes a little strange but I understood pretty well what you had done.

Translating all those journals would be a huge job!  I think you should only do it if you want to for your own reasons.  Maybe you could put a note in English at the start of each journal suggesting the Chrome solution to readers who can’t read Turkish?

I think it’s great that your journals are on this site in a language other than English.   It’s not just anglophones who go on bicycle tours, and having content in different languages helps us reach more interested people.  

Just my opinion…

Rich

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2 years ago
Mike AylingTo Halûk Okur

G'day Haluk

The translate function as  outlined by others works well for me too.

Just continue riding when covid and natural disasters permit and journal in your own language.

Mike

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2 years ago
Halûk OkurTo Halûk Okur

Hi  Jacquie, Edward, Gregory, Rich and Mike,

Thank you for all your comments.

My first concern was whether or not I was breaking some rules here and would get a warning, even banned from the site. As this is not the case and there is this automatic translation functionality, I think there is little point in bothering with translation.

If I can do further tours however, I think I'll do the writing both in Turkish and English.

Thanks again and tailwinds.

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2 years ago
Keith KleinTo Halûk Okur

Greetings Haluk and Welcome!

Ever since I was a small boy poring over the old atlas in my grandmother’s house I’ve wanted to go to Constantinople and Trebizond, and yes I know their current names are Istanbul and Trabzond. My grandmother was born in 1888. Now I find myself on the far side of seventy years old and not in the best of health, I’ve done a lot of « traveling «  through these pages so your appearance has been truly a delight for me. Translate functions work well, and as Turkish is a language I don’t speak, necessary for me. If I have questions I know that I can ask you in English and for me that’s all I could possibly ask. Perhaps one day we can meet, either here in France or in your wonderful country. Keep on riding, and keep on posting.

Cheers,

Keith 

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2 years ago
Halûk OkurTo Keith Klein

Hi Keith,

Thanks for your kind words.

At first I was a little hesitant to move over here, I thought I would probably be ignored by the members, especially because all my notes are in Turkish language.

Now I'm feeling welcomed thanks to great replies to my posts, yours being one of the outstanding ones. I certainly hope that you can visit Turkey and the birthplace of your grandmother. And I certainly hope to meet you sometime, somewhere.

Please feel free to write me about anything you like, anytime you like. I always love to make friends from all over the world.

Best regards

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2 years ago