When the world of your community is full of cliques and people who monopolize projects, it can feel very stifling, as if you don’t have air to breathe. I understand your frustration, which has been expressed by many people here From what I’ve been hearing and reading over the years, this is true for many - probably all? - language communities.
See, Viki is no different than the outside world. And, although it’s volunteer-based, the dynamics and the way people behave is the same as they behave in most other workplaces. The lazy ones and the hard-working ones, the ones who will take all the credit while someone else does the hard work (university professors and people in the science field do that a lot!), the ones who suck up and attach themselves to the leaders and become their “court”, the behind-the-scenes and under-the-table collaboration deals and “one hand washes another” (Italian saying) which routinely happen in business environments but not only - what in China is called “guanshi” (relationship).
If those things happen in the outside world, why wouldn’t they happen on Viki? It’s disappointing, I know, upsetting and sometimes heart-breaking. But it’s not surprising, that’s what I’m saying.
Point n.1, users with multiple accounts is difficult to tackle. It’s the Internet, and unless Viki starts asking for proof of identity such as your personal ID, there is no way of knowing who a person is. I might tell everybody I’m a middle-aged Italian-Greek lady, but how do you know I’m not a Thai 13-year old just pretending? The Internet is a wonderful thing but it also allows for a lot of role-playing and using it for dishonest things.
I did abandon a series because I was seriously sick for months. But before leaving, I suggested one of my best subbers as moderator in my place, and the Chief editor also did my general English editor duties instead of me. I also notified another project I was on so they could find someone. But even if it had been a situation where I couldn’t communicate to tell them I’ll be gone for a while, these people would still have filled in my position.
So yes, personal emergencies do happen, they can happen to any of us, but they cannot be used as an excuse: the place has to be filled (temporarily or not) by someone else. Viki has the structure to do so: the CM can appoint another mod or editor etc and if it is the CM who goes missing in action, the moderators can write to Viki to appoint someone else in that place.
Moderators who don’t prepare their spreadsheets properly and don’t update them are the ones who typically have too many projects. Now the limit is five projects, but they might have many others in other roles (editors, subbers, maybe even CM). Obviously they cannot keep track of all of them. They leave them unedited for months and sometimes they don’t even watch them.
And many lack the knowledge of how to tell whether the characters are using formal language or not towards one another (it’s simple, really, I have detailed the trick to it - for Korean - in a post here in Discussions).
The number of projects should be monitored more closely, but there are so many parameters that it’s difficult to make a rule that will cover everything. Even the 5-drama rule is not perfect.
Because it puts on the same level a 12-episode drama with a 30-episode or more drama.
Because sometimes you have a drama but you cannot work on it because the English team proceeds very slowly, or it has even stalled because the Translation Editor has left and a new one cannot be found. This happens very often, unfortunately. I am in such a situation with a drama I have. It’s taking up one slot, I want to work on it but I cannot.
Also, currently, a film takes a slot exactly in the same way that a drama does. Of course that slot can be very quickly vacated. But what if the film taking up your last slot hasn’t been uploaded yet, and in these days you want to compete for the moderator position of a drama you desire very much? This film could mean that the CM won’t be able to add you - and you cannot tell them to wait because the drama starts in a couple of days and you perhaps don’t know when the film will be uploaded and the spot will be emptied.
These variables make it difficult to effectively sort the hoarding problem, although a step in the right direction has been made.
So, how to deal with the feeling of helplessness and upset over unfair dealings? I really don’t have any advice, except to take a bit of distance, see things from a wider perspective and not obsess over Viki too much.
Yes, it is painful to let go, especially for those of us who have given time and energy and passion to this.
However, there are surely many other areas in your life where you can feel valued, where you can flourish and show the world your unique talents and achievements.
Think that those people who act in this despicable way probably have nothing else to show in their outside life, they feel so powerless that they have to at least derive satisfaction from power games in a volunteer subtiting community. Pathetic, isn’t it? They are to be pitied, not worth of your anger.
A key part of the root of the problem.
