ToS translations

[ziitch]

Just wondering, why haven't we translated the ToS into as many languages possible? I mean, I know we still have to write in English, but we can put in a disclaimer in the translated versions notifying the user about this and that the translation is done for their own benefit. We're an international community anyways, might as well acknowledge that with the required reading translated in multiple languages...

[wrinklyninja]

Just wondering, why haven't we translated the ToS into as many languages possible? I mean, I know we still have to write in English, but we can put in a disclaimer in the translated versions notifying the user about this and that the translation is done for their own benefit. We're an international community anyways, might as well acknowledge that with the required reading translated in multiple languages...

Maybe because it's hard enough to get legalese right in the language you know? Also issues with who does the translation: Dark0ne has to be able to trust that the ToS are the same in the translation, so he'd have to take it to professionals to get good piece of mind, which is an extra expense.

 

At the risk of sounding a stereotypical monoglot, English is still the most widely spoken language in the world (Chinese has a greater number of speakers, but they are geographically concentrated in and near China), so there's not much point. You reach the widest range of people with only one language if you use English, and English happens to be the primary language spoken on the Nexus and the primary language of all its staff, AFAIK.

[bben46]

Having to read English translations of technical material from other languages has taught me that no matter how fluent the original author is in English, IF it is not his native language, parts of the translation will just not be clear. And may just not make any sense. We don't want to be arguing semantics in languages we don't speak.