Thank you for taking the time to talk with us volunteers and gather our opinions and feedback! I truly appreciate the transparency you’ve shown in your decision-making process, and it’s reassuring to know that this community is here to stay.
I’m genuinely excited about the upcoming start of NSSA and the opportunity to collaborate with all the incredible volunteers we have here.
Good evening,
and so you deny the work of language editors? Because you only talk about CEs and TEs, but simple editors who adapt comprehension to their language are worth nothing to you?
So we have to keep letting “My foot” become “Mon pied”?
Just like we have to stupidly obey the CE/TE and let them make their mistakes?
your decisions are incomprehensible… devoid of common sense!
Here’s my opinion, and I know it might not be widely shared.
To me, a system like this, based on volunteering (even when done responsibly and with dedication), remains just that—volunteering. Here, if we start distributing ‘rewards’ favoring some over others, resentment and bitterness are inevitable. The only ‘hierarchy’ (difference) that should exist here, in my opinion, is strictly limited to the translation workflow, with the sole purpose of defining roles within a team to achieve a common goal—the translation itself. Therefore, to me, this doesn’t make sense at all.
If we venture down the path of determining who deserves more, we inevitably risk being unfair to someone.
Let me give you an example: Who says an OL subber shouldn’t be rewarded as much as a TE? Don’t they also know at least two languages, just like TEs, and perform a delicate task, translating into their language what they can skillfully read in another?
More: Senseis may not be better or worse than other volunteers. Should they receive special rewards as well? Does a simple subber not dedicate just as much, if not more, time on this platform as many others? Some do, right?
Another example: Who says CMs shouldn’t be rewarded as much as others? After all, they’re in charge of the entire translation team, right? Isn’t that also a responsibility worth being ‘rewarded’?
You can see how this could go on indefinitely.
We are sometimes too focused on a number (subtitles) that ultimately means nothing—neither competence nor skill nor knowledge (if it’s just copy-paste work).
It’s nice to feel appreciated for our volunteering, and Viki should find a way to do that without creating envy or hostility. Let’s not fall into the trap of turning against each other. Let’s not play that game.
For me… I don’t see this “volunteering” anymore. As we all read on this topic, started by VIKI itself, openly, PT translators for example, are not needed anymore. I’m considering to stop my activities and just watch here, or just don’t come by anymore and watch dramas somewhere else. Funny that competition can overcome dedication and passion. (Should we pick a side then?)
And… a role that can gain 2 points over others that is also important? 
Well done, VIKI.
I sincerely try to give good compliments to @viki.com, but day after day I see and have to face a decline of the platform that I used to enjoy helping.
I’ll be giving a try once again, against my true desire, but if things get worse… I’m afraid that we all will disappear without a trace.
That’s my interpretation and fear.
I would like to say thank you too. Great news for the TE community. They are doing so much as well for us, as volunteers, and for the people who watch viki too. I think this is the first step to slowly but steadily getting what we want. Everything takes time, and we also need to see how things work out. I personally am happy for this, and hopig this will be a huge motivation for our Te’s and give more episodes, OST’s, and filled segments. But in the meantime, this voluntier “job” from their part too, and everyone does their best already to keep up with family, a real job, and life. Be nice to each other.
I agree. As much as the role of English team is important for all the subsequent languages, I’m not sure an English TE consistently spends more time on their task than the subber/editor/mod of another language.
[ Remembers the times when finding one plant name took 10-15 minutes. ]
They are now specifically spending their time creating a separate TE role for the sole purpose of preventing other (English) editors from getting those extra points. What does that tell you?
Whats tell me? As I wrote… Everything takes time. Everything. So now take it as a first step. But as any English editor sour or not happy about this, tell me a lot. This is for everybody a hobby, right? Then why try to put others in bad situations and feel bad as they “revarded” with one more point? I see as they want to keep the English team. As I see so many of the TEs gone and teams stugling to find somebody or keep up the dramas in a good timely manner. So this might help in the future. Take it as a first step. And as an English editor, she does her hobby and “job” on viki, just to get more “points,” which is more likely a sad ending. But I hope and I believe this is not the case for most of us who are here and enjoying the “work” on Viki. And Happy any improvements, and take it as positive feedback for us when something like this new came out. Think about the whole and not for one person’s needs. As we are all together as a team, we can make it work better. The whole English team and as segmenters, CS, TE, GE, CE, or whatewer. All ad to the whole, and we can do anything and everything together. But for that, we need to work together and not be jealous just as that one got “one more point” or so…
I am not putting anyone in a bad situation.
What will they do if all the GEs and CEs run off because of this? We now have a lack of TEs, but that hasn’t always been the case. Any volunteer, no matter the role, might run off if Viki doesn’t treat them well.
And how exactly is this going to help us get more TEs or make the existing TEs work harder? The ones with a passion for the job already do what they can.
I am.
I am not jealous. And I’m not blaming the TEs either. Frankly, outside of subathons or the moments I need to renew my QC status, I don’t worry too much about contributions. I’m already a Gold QC. What more is there to gain? If that was my main goal, I wouldn’t have focused mostly on segmenting the last few years (when there was not much to gain there). I’m just doing my best to deliver good work.
My point here is just that Viki is not treating people fairly. It doesn’t matter if that is me or anyone else. Aside from the “reward,” Viki is basically saying that TEs are more worthy than other editors, that they need special treatment. I don’t agree with that. If we are a team like you said, then we all need to be treated equally.
Guys…
Let’s take a step back. First, no one is forcing you to stay in this volunteer community. Viki is a company first and foremost that is managed by real employees.
Since I have join this community 4 years ago, I have heard some complaints but not much movement.
But holy cow, in the last year, our community has so many improvements.
1 - CM process clarification
2 - Segmenters work on A&C and point system
3 - subathon badges… took our suggestion on we all should get every badge count so we don’t have to stop at a certain level to get certain badges
4 - quick response to our mailbox 429 error
Now…
5 - now the English Editor Academy
6 - a TE role on team and point system
With every change, there are going to be the good and the bad that comes with it.
In every company, it takes time for change and there are processes to follow. But I am sure more changes will be coming and for the good of this community.
The English community has taken a hit with all shows coming with pre-sub, we lost a lot of volunteers. This is to appreciate them because without the English team every other language team will need to be proficient in at least languages to translate to one’s main language. Now if you disagree with the English translations, reach out and I am sure the English team will work with you.
Let’s be positive and uplift each other instead of putting each other down by taking about each other behind close doors or spread hate. We are a team, CM, CS, CE, GE, TE, and Other Language Teams.
Let’s work together to improve our community and enjoy this hobby together.
And with “team,” you mean the TEs?
No I mean CE, GE and TE.
TE is the first to review the subtitles to ensure accuracy.
GE reviews grammar, spelling, and viki formatting.
CE does final review of subtitles for grammar, spelling, viki formatting, and rephrasing not to take away from its original meaning.
If you have a question, it’s best to contact the English editors. We are all human and make mistakes. But if we have open communication and work as a team, this makes our hobby funnier and quality subtitles for all of us to enjoy.
I think the bigger languages also have different editors, one to check accuracy of translations, one to check the grammar, and maybe a final one. I think it would be nice if the TE role could also be used for OL editors considering most have to check the translations from the English to the OL language because sometimes subbers just get it wrong.
However, I think it’s great that Viki is trying to listen to us and improve things even if it step by step.
I think all contributors should be getting exactly the same. Now that segmenters also get points for correcting segments, let’s have a level field, as it has always been. One point each, period (including segmenters, one point for each job).
I don’t get this preferential treatment for some categories just because there are few of them and Viki wants to “lure” them. If they get lured with contribution points, we are already in a bad mess. What are we, pre-school children?
I don’t think it’s great. I think it’s a MIRACLE! 
I mean, I don’t want to whine, but I just want to say that this volunteering community went from being ignored for years, being hushed and on rare occasions even being antagonised by Viki’s decisions, diametrically opposite to our wishes and opinions… to today actually having an influence on this website and on our favorite hobby. I don’t know about you, but I still can’t believe my eyes sometimes.
Yes, I might not agree with the decisions about TEs getting double credit. But I also know that this decision was mostly made by the volunteering community, while Viki itself was mainly just the means and the authority to execute this decision. And as such, this decision should be respected 
Well, I haven’t seen anyone here suggesting that only TEs should be rewarded with two points. So, I suppose it’s my prerogative to doubt that this was “a decision that was mostly made by volunteers”, and as such “to be respected”, and I think it’s also fair for me to believe, until proven otherwise, that this decision might be the result of a partial interpretation of the feedback received. It’s all speculation at this point, right?
Allow me to say one more thing and then I’ll stay quiet.
For many volunteers, it’s not easy to be encouraged to ‘embrace this change’ with positivity. It’s much easier to look to the future with optimism and confidence if the system has so far rewarded you generously (whether deserved or not, I’m not here to judge). These volunteers may have found the recognition or ‘reward’ they were seeking on this platform, or maybe they were lucky, but they are certainly less frustrated and more inclined to ‘justify’ what they call ‘a good start’ for a few (TEs here). And maybe they are just more ‘hopeful’ overall.
However, alongside these volunteers, there are many others still seeking space, recognition, and reward they haven’t yet received (seggers were in this position not too long ago).
Indeed, if it’s true that Rome wasn’t built in a day, it wasn’t built by just a few people either. There’s a good number of volunteers who pour their blood, sweat, and tears into this Rome, only to remain a step behind when decisions like these are made. For these volunteers, who may feel disheartened and a bit frustrated, it might be hard to hear that ‘the future will be brighter for everyone’ and that they should ‘embrace this change in the hope of a better tomorrow’.
And if the ‘cheering’ comes from volunteers who are not in their painful shoes right now, well, I understand why it might even be irritating. But very human. After all, we’re not artificial intelligence… yet.
Who do you think at this point is the under-rewarded group of volunteers?
I’m speaking from my perspective as an “old-timer” who has worked as a segmenter, subtitler and editor for many years and accrued over 1 million contribution “points”. I never did any contribution for the points or the badges (over 100 accrued over time). Viki is a hobby and I have received tons of satisfaction from seeing something I wrote in English translated to over thirty other languages. I have made friends from around the world whom I would never have met if we didn’t share a common interest. It is true that good translation editors have become scarce but I don’t think their contributions are worth more than that of subber who subs from English to another language. And I don’t think the incentive of getting two points for every edit is going to entice former translation editors to come out of their retirement from viki or motivate anyone to become a translation editor. After all, are the points a commodity that we can exchange for anything else? Sure, we get viki pass and it’s renewed but one million contributions equates to 1000 years of renewal at 500 contributions per six month renewal!
Meanwhile, although the thought of rewarding translation editing to lure editors is nice, it has led to invidious comparisons and as shown by some of the comments here, resentment.
I totally agreed. Why there’s need of “extra reward”? I don’t understand at all. As Crimac says, we are volunteers, so everything we do is for the public who will see the drama. I have the sensation that we are continuing on the path of create hierarchy and division. C’mon guys, what’s, a market offer? Buy one and obtain one as gift? OMG. 
P.S.
I really don’t care about reward, but if we start with “this deserves a reward”, obviously other people who gives their job will be frustrated. Why we must rewarded only people who does more, for exemple. Why don’t reward the quality? We already have subhaton about making a lot of subbing, why continue to the path of done more and more and not focus on how the sub are made? Just saying.
If we are talking about quality, Editors and Moderators of any language are there to ensure it. But, unfortunately, quality is very difficult to assess and to measure objectively. Unless you have a fresh perspective on it perhaps?
I was thinking about something…
What if the TEs got double contribution points only up to the point where they earn their QC status (3000 contributions)?
I would actually suggest this for new segmenters, as well.
The idea is that they not only get stimulated to stay and work on Viki, but also to get faster access to projects locked behind the QC wall.
