As most of us already know, since last August, Viki, based on a misconception and misunderstanding, separated Other Language editor roles into two, the General Editor (who is basically a proofreader) and the Translation Editor, who takes care of cultural notes, idioms, slang and general fluency. This is clearly stated here.
Why am I talking of a misunderstanding? It’s here.
You helped validate the level of effort involved in editing, and specifically, the responsibility of a Translation Editor to understand the whole drama – the entire plot, all the dialogue, and the cultural references in order to ensure consistency across names, terms, and subbing conventions.
Ehm, no! The Translation editor of the English team (and only the English team) is valuable because s/he knows the source language and the cultural references. But ensuring consistency is also (if not mostly) the GE’s responsibility. And knowing the “whole” drama, plot etc. is for all three English editors.
It is with this confirmation that the team has decided to adjust the current rewards system to reward Translation Editors for the level of effort involved. Starting next Wednesday, August 14th PDT, the reward for translation editing will be increasing by one contribution point. A specific Editor role for Translation Editors is being created and will be released on the same day. Once that role is ready, anyone assigned to a Translation Editor (TE) role will earn two (2) points instead of one (1) for every one subtitle that they edit (e.g. translation/cultural reference checked and additional cultural reference added, when needed).
The two contribution points were not because TE is more valuable than anyone else, but probably to lure them back to Viki because there are few of them. But again, the ones who are few are only the English TEs.
We also asked you if combining the Translation Editor (TE) and General Editor (GE) roles was a good idea. Many of you shared that the TE and GE roles have different responsibilities and that keeping them separate helps ensure quality subtitles and contributes to team efficiency. Based on this feedback, we will be keeping the TE and GE as separate roles.
Of course, we had told them not to combine the English TE and GE roles. (And it couldn’t mean anything else but that because at the time there was no OL TE role). Yes, TEs are indispensable in the English team because one of them knows the source language very well but English not so well, and the other two (GE and CE) know English well but not necessarily the source language.
Actually, I don’t think that they were even thinking of Other Languages when they took that decision, they remembered it only after the discussion started, and then they said “Oh, but of course, we also meant Other Language Editors, so we will create the TE role for them as well!”
In Other Languages, there are no different editing roles
However, in Other Languages, the distinction between editors that is stated on the help page does not exist. Only one editor does both the proofreading and the actual editing. (Or, if there are two, as may happen in a minority of teams, they do exactly the same thing, only it’s a second pair of eyes, which is always useful because, well, we’re human, and something might have slipped the net).
In English teams, the TE is our link to the source language. But in OL teams, the source language is English. All editors of Other Language teams know both English and their destination language, and all can assess and edit the translation: grammar and formatting but also meaning, idioms and slang and whether the sentences flow well. There are not two separate people for those jobs! The description on the Help page is WRONG.
The double point for editors system
As for more contribution points for one of the two editor types, I seriously doubt that any of us ever said that TEs should get more contribution points. That was wholly Viki’s idea.
And not a good idea at all. With the new system, some members of the team are treated like VIP members and others as less important. Which goes contrary to what is really happening in the Viki translation teams. Each one of the team members is a necessary link in the chain, and the team cannot function if even one of the links is not present and efficiently does the job. We are all equally necessary, we are all equally valuable. Making such distinctions is divisive, harbours misunderstandings and strife, thus not conducive to harmony, not to mention the risk of some using the system to cheat for gaining more contribution points.
The situation is stagnating. Let’s vote!
We talked and talked about all this, at the time. Many of us have asked to bring back the old system to one contribution for each role. And eliminate the two different editor roles for Other Languages.
But nothing came of it. Three months later, nothing has changed, the unfair contribution reward system is still there.
Maybe Viki thought that the majority of us were happily on board with the new situation and only a few people were nagging?
Now let’s speak with our vote. Please choose one option that represents you better.
- Keep things as are now (since August 2024). Two different editor roles for Other Languages, double contribution points for all TEs (English and OL)
- Eliminate the TE role for Other Languages, but keep double contribution points for English TEs
- Eliminate the TE role for Other Languages and the double contribution points for all editors (English and OL) but keep double points for segmenters
- Eliminate the TE role for Other Languages and the double points for everyone, including segmenters who do two jobs on one segment. Come back to 1 contribution, 1 point for every volunteer.
I just made it clear.