There are some Channel Managers who know Korean/Chinese/Japanese and who choose the English subber team themselves, instead of entrusting the task to the English Chief Editor, as is usually done. Sometimes the English Chief Editor might have trouble finding subbers and asks the CM to give a helping hand. So, just in case, they made the test sample videos viewable to the CM’s too. No harm in that, it may be useful sometimes.
3 Likes
I am somewhat torn about whether I like this or not. As Irene noted, will the segments they need to translate be difficult enough to test their abilities, or will they be random and simple enough to translate with GT? I need to know that they know Spanish and that their level of English is good enough that they understand what’s happening.I believe that in order to understand and translate something, you also need to grasp what is being stated; yet, this is just my perspective, and others may feel otherwise. Again, simple lines can be translated quickly and easily; however, what happens when the same person is tasked with translating a more intense drama?
Also, I share the same concern as Irene about what dramas they will use. Will it be dramas that are already subbed or?
6 Likes
Yes, they use old dramas.
I’m conflicted, too. Of course, I’m pleasantly surprised to see Viki try to care for quality instead of speed/quantity for once, but I’m not sure yet if this is the way.
First of all, the moderator/CM doesn’t get to see the video part of the subtitle editor the new subber worked in so they can’t see the oh so important context. I get that this is probably to keep others from making changes to the samples, but it makes them less helpful.
Second, I think the samples are indeed rather randomly chosen. I also wonder if everyone gets the same samples.
Third, I could think of many ways to cheat with this method. An unexpected, carefully chosen test by a CM/moderator/editor that the new subber couldn’t prepare for months in advance might be more effective.
And then there’s the fact that it’s currently only available in two languages. I’m sure there are reasons for that, but it also takes away the voice of the other languages. Before this is applied to all languages, the Spanish and Portuguese community will already have had the chance to either embrace or dismiss this new feature and staff decisions about future use of it will be based solely on their experiences.
6 Likes
If you want the answers to all this questions you have here; just do the exercise yourself, and you will see or in my opinion, have an overall answer to all your questions. I suggest and HOPE that those doing the exercise don’t post ANY information here about them (but basic stuff).
*There are two levels of these exercise: ONE is EASY, and the other level is DIFICULT/HARDER… I can assure you at least one was HARD (at least for me the Chinese one was). The Korean one should have a more difficult/harder level in it, just because I didn’t feel/see the difficulty in it. They should have added a drama with medical terms or a judicial system scenes were you can really see/feel the difficulty since the translation combined with timing gives you a sense of how much the person translating/subber really knows.
I am assuming they know if a person is going back and forth to the GT bc of the timing. I suggest you take it (do the exercise) since you know both language, and you will have an idea of what/how much your subbers in your team will know as you add them in your team. They have the moderator exercise, but I didn’t took that one because I won’t be able to moderate any projects since I have health issues.
I HOPE they don’t use the same scenes and change the episodes at all time to ensure people don’t go around informing others about it, and the site RakutenViki be running the risk for an abuser to work its way to working as a volunteer (in a language) they are not PROFICIENT enough, like it happened in the past. Let’s hope we can end the circle of abusers we may still have now/had here in the past, so we have better quality work in the dramas/movies/shows in each and every episode viewers watch.
thaly1209 Again, simple lines can be translated quickly and easily; however, what happens when the same person is tasked with translating a more intense drama?
I wasn’t too sure what answer you wanted from this question, but as I went over and over it again. I understood this from it, and I hope was right.
Taking this exercise will serve as proof to the recruiters/moderators/CM of a team to really know HOW MUCH this person/subbers know in the language they allege that they know (in this case so far Spanish/Portuguese). The exercise sample will be visible (as far as what I understood) to Moderators/CM ONLY. Is not for everyone to see in our page, and I hope it stays that way for EVER. IT’S a well known fact; that ABUSERS have a way to play tricks with the information they have/ know, and we MUST prevent that from happening here, so they can’t work themselves to working in here ever again (unless of course they learn and become proficient enough). I can’t wait to see/having these exercise available here in the many other language. It will be a win win situation in the QUALITY Department.*
PS… After looking into what I wrote in here, I hope they do offer a way to test new rookie- want to be CM-Moderators, and somehow be able to determine the capability of taking any of those task )CM-Moderator-positions in dramas-movies etc.
1 Like
I agree with you. On one hand, I feel that Viki is paying a bit more attention to quality, yet I am not sure if this method will work or be effective. Will this sample video be mandatory, or is it optional? If it’s optional then we can’t really force someone to take it.Time will tell, I guess.
So far I’ve only seen one account, but I have a feeling that it might be the same video for everyone.
I think they started with Spanish and Portuguese because they are bigger communities and they have a larger sample pool. But it would have been more helpful if more languages were included.
2 Likes
I don’t think I have access to try the videos since it’s only for contributors with less than 1000 subs. So I appreciate that you gave a little insight into how it worked.
There’s a timer?
I have a feeling they are using the same videos for everyone, or at least a few people are bound to have the same sample vidoes.
My question was related to the type of videos they use. Easy segments can be translated, and it might show that the person has a good understanding. But if there is a harder drama with legal, medical, or more complex dialogues, how will the person do? This question was actually answered by your earlier description that there are two levels
3 Likes
thaly1209 I have a feeling they are using the same videos for everyone, or at least a few people are bound to have the same sample vidoes.
Well, it’s understandable they might use the same episode, but if that’s the case, I feel they need to find a way to change the episode so others don’t warned others about what they will be practicing on.
thaly1209 There’s a timer?
In the [activities] section (which not everyone has access to, but some can see CM/Moderators/Person subbing), how fast the subber worked in the drama. A long time ago I was able to see the weakness and the strength of my subber. In other words, I could tell if they were proficient enough in English or their work was solely based in the use of the GT/Bing/ etc. It shows seconds/minute it took the subber how long they took to write their next sentence/subtitle. It might not be a Timer but I call it a TIMER. lol
thaly1209 I don’t think I have access to try the videos since it’s only for contributors with less than 1000 subs
But you can take the moderator sample video because you are the Spanish Moderator of dramas. I didn’t took that one because I won’t be working as a moderator. That one should not have a limit of less than 1,000 subs since it would make no sense to me. Although, I do see many moderators writing subtitles in dramas, and that’s really not the main ‘‘job’’/ ‘‘role’’ of a moderator (unless things have changed now). Moderators roles/job (imo), is not to be writing subtitles, but to manage their subbers in the team; in whatever specific language they are moderating for: Spanish/Portuguese/French/German etc.
PS. I would love to see another way of rewarding volunteers that doesn’t require a ‘‘tally’’ /amount of CONTRIBUTION COUNT (that causes too much unhealthy competition). Some of us are not concerned in how much we do, but how much QUALITY what we do really has. A contribution count through the times has given a false outlook of quality and quantity given by the volunteer.
I remember the BILLION WORDS PROJECT done back in 2013??? I can’t recall the year. I was in TEARS when I saw thousands of these Spanish subtitles to be pure garbage. I was so furious that they did this to my Spanish language, and it hurt me deeply because it wasn’t the native spanish speakers/readers/writers who did this, and that only made me angrier (I even insulted a few). I don’t cover the sky with my hand. I am not a SAINT. I am a person proud of my heritage and my language and when I see my language stepped all over like that, it devastates me, heart and soul. I hope we can work on stopping that to EVER happen again.
1 Like
I am also sure they will get to your language at some point, and they might even be able to use you since you are good in your native Language and English, too.
I don’t know if you saw my article about the owners/investors/ experts working on solving the quality issues that has been arising for RAKUTEN company (which we also know that for years they own our beloved viki).
Let’s give them a chance to work out on this two language (that I’m assuming are their biggest paying subscribers/customers). For many reasons involved (we all know which ones they are) so I see no need in becoming a broken record.
mirjam_465
I could think of many ways to cheat with this method. An unexpected, carefully chosen test by a CM/moderator/editor that the new subber couldn’t prepare for months in advance might be more effective.
I reserve my opinion on this because I would have to give more information anyone out there needs to know (I’m talking about abusers). Since I believe you are not physically able to see this sample video process, I would kindly ask you to not be judging based on
your own assumptions since is not fair to all the people involved in this, that have worked so hard to get this far, and don’t forget… that the real experts are also involved in all this going on in here.
1 Like
I can see them on the profiles of new subbers and I can recognize the shows they used for it. I am “judging” based on what I see, and on my experience, though I wouldn’t call it “judging.” We were supposed to say how we felt about this, weren’t we? I just said I was still having my doubts and why.
Now you are the one judging based on assumptions. How can you be so sure that someone is using GT solely based on the time they spend subbing? There could be tons of reasons for that.
They use old shows that are already translated.
With this part, I totally agree, and not just for my own language. Kids nowadays don’t read books anymore and grow up with bad subtitles. No wonder their language proficiency is not that great anymore, even for their mothertongue.
2 Likes
mirjam_465
Now you are the one judging based on assumptions. How can you be so sure that someone is using GT solely based on the time they spend subbing? There could be tons of reasons for that.
Then, I gave you more credit than I should have. If someone is translating in your language, and is proficient enough in English, they will move along quite fast as they sub segment after segment each part in the episode. If the timing in the activity shows a large gap, it will show [that] they were looking from some source of information. That is what I call; common sense to know.
Now, I had a few subbers that would copy and paste each translation they had to do From English to Spanish, and they came back after many hours as they did all their translation with the google translation tool. That was an easy one. No one can give terrible translation (back then) like GT did. I have to admit that they have improved a lot.
Since like I’m guessing maybe you refuse to believe me, we have links the Department of Education in the USA gives to us who work in the school system, that helps us to be able to check if the work our students handed to us; if they were translated by the use of any translation tools, plagiarized any work we assigned to them, and many other stuff, I won’t/can’t mention here. There’s no way we can survive as educators looking for all these information on our own w/o having a helping hand. I even almost made the mistake of providing here a link (to be used here in the USA by teachers only) that can help us find within seconds plagiarized work done by the (cheating) students. lol
If you want to say I judged too, let’s add [that] I did it for the good of a worthy reason, and that was; a good Quality subtitle in the drama I was working as a Moderator.
I am so glad you agree with me about some (kids) not being that proficient, even in their own native language just because they don’t have the pride some of us old timers have for our native language (at least on my end: I’m proud of my lengua latina, orgullo del taino nacido en la isla del encanto, Puerto Rico).
1 Like
I disagree with this part. I am proficient in both languages, and I take my time with the segments. I don’t like rushing. Sometimes I get side tracked or I am chatting with the team in our group chats while translating. Other times, I go back and forth between the part and the Google Sheet document. That applies to when I’m editing in English too. I like to take things slowly while knowing I am carefully translating/editing everything to the best of my abilities.
So how fast you go doesn’t really say how good you are. You can be using GT and go fast very easily.
Couldn’t agree more.
3 Likes
I don’t think that’s an option (?) The “I am a manager/moderator” only tells you how to access the videos. Plus it very explicitly says that the people who can take these tests are “Contributors who have less than 1000 lifetime contributions.” Yes, a moderator’s role is to manage the team, but many moderators also take side projects as editors and subbers. I also recently started working with my team and translating because that’s how you improve. Plus, I love it when my editing team gives me feedback. We are not perfect and, as humans, we all make mistakes. We can always improve ourselves, and in this case, we can always find ways to improve the quality.
I really couldn’t agree more with this. Quantity does not equal Quality. I’ve seen so many CMs chose people who are clearly abusers because “they have more experience” aka contribution count.
I was recently watching a show and the subs made me want to cry with how bad and different they are from the English translations.
3 Likes
Basically, it features 4 videos separated into Korean and Chinese and Easy and Intermediate (the dramas are Andante, Chong Ming Wei, Crime Puzzle and Mysterious Love…)
However, Mysterious Love is broken, and you can’t access the video. Anyway, I think they just used the beginning of each show, if I’m not wrong.
You can share them and the person who clicks on it (it’s visible in your profile then) can see the subs in the editor made by that person where you’re reminded to report people who use a translator… 
I don’t see the point to limit it to Spanish and Portuguese, though. I mean, it’s not like Viki has to check anything.
3 Likes
How were you able to access these videos since you have more than 1000 subs these won’t appear in your dashboard and it doesn’t in mine…
3 Likes
You can’t. 
3 Likes
You are so right on this because I should known better not to generalized individuals. I should have written here as the first person which is [I]: ''Since I (imo), was proficient enough in the English language, I was able to work faster translating segment after segment.
But back then, I only used these method of knowing the speed of my girl’s in the team; to use it to my advantage by giving those that could hurry along faster, the first parts in the episode, and the slower ones, (less proficient subbers or GT users), I would assign them the last parts of the episode. I did this in hope that if the viewers that were watching the drama, they wouldn’t get anxious waiting for missing subtitles because a subber wasn’t ‘‘catching up to their part.’’
These is something I did on my own because now they use the 24 hour to finish the/your part method (at least in the ones I’m working now). In others, (a while back) projects I worked before; it was only 2 to 3 hours. As a moderator, is good to get to know the skills of those working with you in the team, and making the most of that to provide Quantity (speed) and quality at the same time, when possible to so. In a perfect world everything works out, but in this imperfect world we live in, we need to improvise. Work we what we have.
thaly1209
I don’t think that’s an option (?) The “I am a manager/moderator” only tells you how to access the videos.
I really misunderstood that part I should have gone and see what that was about instead of assuming they were testing the Spanish moderators too. Sorry about the misunderstanding.
thaly1209
I was recently watching a show and the subs made me want to cry with how bad and different they are from the English translations.
I wonder if is the same show I was warning them about how bad their Spanish translated subs were, and the fact that when I looked into it, I believe they were using subtitles from other sites. I also warned them about the consequences of plagiarism that jeopardize RakutenViki so much because they can lose this site for someone’s ignorance to be using subtitles from other sites. I explained the copyright issues and all that, and left the show for good since I want nothing to do with that. I didn’t reported it in hopes that they would change their ways, and look for ways to their work in a legal manner.
Those Spanish subtitles not only were garbage, it was a crime because anyone plagiarizing subtitles, is committing a crime, and I hope this is stopped soon enough, and fixed before it harms the integrity of this site. I’m glad you mention it here too because I always felt bad for not making a report, and make sure it didn’t continue going on.
xylune
I don’t see the point to limit it to Spanish and Portuguese, though. I mean, it’s not like Viki has to check anything.
There’s a lot of things we don’t know on how this feature works, but I’m sure that they will learn from whatever mistake there may be.
I mean, it’s not like Viki has to check anything.
It’s RAKUTEN VIKI, not Viki like is one of our best friends we are talking about. This a multi million company that is working towards providing QUANTITY and QUALITY at the same time. Let’s give them the respect they deserve by addressing them properly, and above all, let’s give them a chance to prove themselves that Good changes are in the making, and they need time like everything in life because even to die we have to wait until is our time.
simi11How were you able to access these videos since you have more than 1000 subs these won’t appear in your dashboard and it doesn’t in mine…
xylune10h
You can’t
I don’t see why the interest or need for any other language German, Dutch, Italian, etc. to want to have any access to these sample/practice videos in Spanish or Portuguese. Wait your turn when it comes in your language because it will. I don’t know when or how soon, but common sense dictates that every language at one point will go through these new features.
1 Like
Ehmm, I was referring to the screenshot… 
1 Like
Again, just because someone is slow does not mean they are less proficient or using GT. You can be fast and use GT. Matter of fact, I would say that using a translation app makes subbing faster since you don’t have to think about how to translate something or what’s the best choice of word. Yes Rakuten Viki is correct, but so is Viki.
Actually, it is Viki. Go to the app store and you will see it as Viki. Try searching for it and you will see Viki (https://www.viki.com/).Most of us know it as Viki. No one here is disrespecting Viki by not addressing them correctly, because as a matter of fact, we are addressing them properly.
5 Likes
It a pity you haven’t understood yet, what I was trying to say in what I wrote before, but to clear this a little bit more; I am talking about something that happened back in 2013. It was a method I used, and it worked for me back then. The situation is like night and day today here at RakutenViki in the year 2022.
My issue when someone is addressing here only as ‘‘viki,’’ [that] they are forgetting who really owns viki.com site, and who is really running this show here. In the end, it doesn’t matter how much we try to reason with one another because soon enough we will all see who the real boss is in here.
1 Like
I think that you’re the one who does not understand my point. Whether back then or now, it does not make a difference. Speed does not equal quality. That’s the point I’m trying to make.
No one is forgetting who owns Viki, matter of fact, I am not interested in who owns Viki. That’s not the issue here. The grand majority of people address Viki as Viki. No one, except maybe you, takes their time to type out the whole Rakuten Viki or correct someone with an attitude because they said Viki. And that whole “it doesn’t matter how much we try to reason with one another because soon enough we will all see who the real boss is in here” I don’t know what you meant with that phrase. But not very threatening, nor does it have much effect. You and I clearly have many differing opinions, and that’s fine. But let’s take a step back and chill out because you’re coming off a little bit too strong on a topic that does not require people to pop a vein.
5 Likes