[Viki Community Team] April 2024 Updates

[vikicommunity]

Happy (almost) Black Day!

Fun fact: Did you know that April 14th is known as Black Day in Korea, and is the unofficial holiday for singles? On this day, anyone who is single or unattached to someone romantically celebrates this day by eating jajangmyeon!

Spring-a-thon Wrap-up

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the 2024 Spring-a-thon! You exceeded expectations by conquering all 3 levels and reaching the 2M contributions goal 4 days before the deadline. Incredible!

Because of your amazing efforts, it seemed only fitting that we award an extra set of badges once Spring-a-thon ended. We hope it was a fun surprise!

Here are some of your accomplishments!

• There were 2,781,496 total contributions made during Spring-a-thon!
• German was the top subtitled language, followed by Spanish.
• There were 1,599 Contributors who earned a new Spring Blobby badge! Congrats to all!

Summer Subathon Badge

Spring isn’t over yet, but we’re already gearing up for the summer! In preparation for our 2024 Summer Subathon, please let us know what animal you’d like featured on the next Subathon badge! The top 10 suggestions will be revealed for a final vote at a later date. The poll will close on Sunday, May 5th @ 11:59 PM PDT. Don’t forget!

Go to Poll

Channel Manager Help Articles

We have added 4 new articles to the “Roles and Responsibilities” section of the Contributor Help Center to clarify how Channel Managers are selected and help standardize the process as a whole.

These articles introduce the progression path and outline the requirements and skills necessary for becoming a Channel Manager. The path is designed to give Contributors a better chance at being selected, once they have gained the experience necessary for the channel they are applying for.

The new requirements and progression path will take effect starting May 1st, 2024.

For anyone who is already in a Channel Manager position and managing a live or an ongoing channel, please don’t worry! Nothing will change for you. You will remain managing your channel until it has been successfully completed.

Note: You may see some discrepancies here and there as we update the relevant touch points around the site to reflect the changes listed out in the new help articles.

Original SoundTrack (OST) Lyrics update

Have you ever been in a situation where segments are created for song lyrics, but the translated lyrics aren’t ready? To help make the subtitle completion percentage be as close to 100% as possible, we recommend placing two musical notes “♫ ♫” in the empty segment(s).

For more details, reference the “How to Subtitle Music on Viki” Help Center article.

NSSA Graduates

Please congratulate the first quarterly batch of 2024 NSSA grads!

Segmenting Academy Graduates!

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[nazsaria]

Congrats to the Segging Academin graduates!

Also, I want to give my complete idea for Summer subathon badges because I couldn’t give my full idea in the poll:
A turtle, starting with the egg in the sand, the egg cracking process to born, the baby turtle moving in the sand, the baby turtle arriving to the sea, and finally a adult turtle swimming in the ocean.
I think can be cute

[irmar]

Is it only about completing the English?

I read carefully the CM selection requirements. Most of them seem reasonable. But my eye fell on this one:

Demonstrated successful completion of channels as a CM (e.g. timely release of all episodes to other languages (OL)

and again here:

Attaining Level 2 and Level 3 status requires sign-off from the Viki team. Please follow these instructions to receive that approval.
Send a DM to fsl_viki when you have successfully managed your channel to subtitle completion – e.g. releasing all episodes to other languages (OL) teams.

I think “successful completion of channels” is much more than timely release of all episodes. I know they said “e.g.” (for example), which implies that it’s not the only thing. But this being the only example they mention (repeated in all instances) may give to some people reading it the impression that it is the most important duty of a CM, and once they do that, their role is over.
No, the CM’s role doesn’t end when all episodes are released in English!
(There’s more to that, of course. There’s a whole bunch of stuff to say about how a good CM should strive to be open-eyed and just in selecting moderators, but Viki cannot be expected to tell you those kind of things, so I’ll leave that part aside for now)

The two other duties of a CM that are not mentioned in the guidelines
It’s very important to note at least two other things, and I would like to see them added in the article:

• Ensure that the project is subbed in as many languages as possible. This means, don’t just reply to those OL mods who have written to you, but actively seek others. The goal being at least 16-20 languages.
• Ensure that all or most languages complete their translation.
  – Differentiate the deadlines you give according to how big or small that language’s community is, making a clear deal/promise in your initial communication with each moderator so that they know your expectations and they can discuss them if necessary before getting the position.
  – During the course of Engish subbing, keep track of the progress of Other Languages on a sheet or in any way you prefer, updating it often. Even after the end, periodically visit the drama to see how it’s going. Some rarer languages are going to complete the job more slowly, especially solo subbers.
  – If you see a language has stopped progressing, intervene, write messages to find out what’s happening. Of course someone may be absent because of a health issue or other serious matter. Enquire, look at their profile etc. But when you see that they are active in other, newer projects, while having abandoned yours, you know they are not sick or dead, so they have no excuse! Try reminding, prodding, pushing, coaxing, even threatening - whatever it takes.
  – If the person lags far behind what they promised without giving a valid reason, doesn’t respond and/or disappears, then, after a warning, don’t hesitate to substitute another person in this role.

Why those two things are not mentioned in the guidelines?
But this is typical. Viki has stopped caring that much about so-called “minor” languages, and this is reflected on everything they do and write.
It is really sad, because having all those other languages is actually Viki’s advantage and strength compared to other platforms. And this strength comes for free. But still they don’t appreciate it and give it proper attention. Viki, those users from all over the world bring money too, you know!

And something which is unclear
On this page about the Channel Manager progression path, it says that the requirements to do something is to already have done this.
For example: to manage an on-air series, you must have already managed an on-air series.

Position: CM of Short on-air series (less than 20 episodes )
Requirement: Has managed at least one (1) short on-air series channel within the last 3 years

How is it possible to achieve this? How do you get your first one, if experience in that same thing is a prerequisite?

[maria_lavendula_77]

Congratulations to the segging students!!
And let’s get a badger badge.

[teufelchen_netty_266]

Demonstrated successful completion of channels as a CM (e.g. timely release of all episodes to other languages (OL)

That got me also. So when my language doesn’t finish the release within 24 H I am not worth of be7ng or becoming a CM?

[bozoli]

As I read this (and understand), this refers to English language only and CM only. As in, the CM’s duty is to release episodes as fast as possible to other languages. It has nothing to do with you as a Mod of German language, fe.

[bozoli]

@irmar

Intervene, write messages. Try prodding, pushing, coaxing, threatening, whatever it takes.

Generally speaking, who would want to have that type of person as a project leader (CM)?

How about: “Write message of support, suggest helping with recruitment, negotiate, cheer on”?

Replacement of Mods is completely normal. Just that the communication before it should not be negative, but cool-headed and supportive.

[alanjeff]

Step 1: Find an experienced Channel Manager - e.g. a Level 4 or 5 CM who has managed at least three on-air drama channels.

Step 2: Send a DM to the experienced CM and ask if they will take you on as a co-CM in their channel.

Unclear steps. How do I find an experienced CM as an introvert (lol, just kidding), if I know no one or better, if I know no one at the levels required, so Level 4 or 5? And would they accept a random person they don’t know (as in never worked with them) as a Co-CM? Since, as I said, that inexperienced person knows no one?

Also, how do you know which CM has been CM for 3 on-air projects?

[maria_lavendula_77]

Are you sure that you would want to take on a project as a CM or a CS if you are totally new and hasn’t worked as a subtitler or segger on more than a few projects? I can only speak for myself but I know many CS and CMs as I have been active a while but it has taken me this long to realise that I can be a CS and is training to become one (read is a co-CS on two shows).

I think working on different shows and getting to understand the system is great before trying to be more than that, most CMs and CS are fantastic and in my mind they would want to help out if they can and have time for it.

[someofliz]

How does it work for experienced CMs? Do we also need to write to @fsl_viki and ask on what level we are? Do we still need to confirm our current projects? What is the differenc between level 4 and 5?

[alanjeff]

I totally get your point. But as Viki says, you have to meet some requirements, so I don’t think that would be the case. Someone that has been contributing in very few projects, I don’t they could meet the criteria, unless they have been used by some moderators to translate by themselves alone a 50ep drama, so they’d have only a project but still be a Gold QC . But I don’t think that’s the case.

[alanjeff]

@someofliz

What is the differenc between level 4 and 5?

Basically none. It’s just dedicated to Cdramas and Kdramas. They would just prefer appointing CMs that have been already working on either on-air cdramas or kdramas for Level 4 and 5 previously.

[kakashiandme]

@someofliz

How does it work for experienced CMs? Do we also need to write to @fsl_viki and ask on what level we are?

I’m thinking the same. Most of us are already at Stage 4-5, so I’m leaning that this progression chart is ONLY for the newer generation. What’s bothersome is that there are some Vikians who are Gold QC, and have managed channels several times on Viki but because of this favoritism, they haven’t had channels in years. So, do they have to start over on this so-called “progression chart”…

Why do I feel like we are now being treated as “toddlers”?

[teufelchen_netty_266]

Why even start a survey, when everything is just already set… Is also my though…

And this with the levels is… Weird?

[irmar]

@bozoli

How about: “Write message of support, suggest helping with recruitment, negotiate, cheer on”?
Replacement of Mods is completely normal. Just that the communication before it should not be negative, but cool-headed and supportive.

Yes, that’s what you start with. I do have “coaxing” which is in the category of of the positive encouragement. But if you see that it is unproductive you can say “I am not happy with your lack of progress and your unwillingness to cooperate. If you don’t respond within X days, I will be regretfully obliged to search for someone else to do the job”. This might be perceived as “negative” and a threat, but in reality I’m just stating facts. How I feel about the situation and what I am planning to do about it.

But … I’m curious:
How could I help the Vietnamese/ Chinese/ Croatian/ Ukranian etc. moderator search and recruit subbers in their language? Because even if I were willing to spend many hours searching the teams of all recent dramas one by one to see whether they have this language, then gleaning names, click on each to make sure that they have not left Viki etc. (and why on earth would I want to do that job which is not my job but the moderator’s job?), I would still have no idea whether they are any good.
If I am not capable of doing something, why suggest it? It’s like mockery.

[bozoli]

Any manager needs to be resourceful, know where to look, how to get the information and do it it the shortest amount of time. We should probably expect from an average CM to have more skills and experience in finding anything and anybody than an average OL Mod. I don’t think CMs should do the recruitment instead of Mods, but I do think they should offer advice and thereby support the Mods. I’m sure you already do that.

And yes, some cases are difficult due to low number of volunteers per
specific language. But I think that the job of a CM is to never give up on any language.

[bozoli]

Okay, after some (very reasonable) criticism, now for some positive feedback.

I really like the fact that Viki’s staff have listened to us and have been working on a system for CM qualifications. At least now there are some rules. Or I should say at least now we are aware of them. It makes a world of difference to those aspiring to become one for the very first time.

I also like that mentorship (co-CMing) has now become a norm for first time CMs. I had an unofficial mentor on my first project and she made all the difference.

[mirjam_465]

@bozoli

I also like that mentorship (co-CMing) has now become a norm for first time CMs. I had an unofficial mentor on my first project and she made all the difference.

I don’t think that’s a good thing for everyone. I had an English editor as “mentor” on my first projects and I was one myself on several shows where I was CE and the CM was completely inexperienced. There was no need for the “mentor” to be a CM. The only thing an AL mod can’t do for the CM is cut parts, but they can still explain how it works. And that’s the point of mentoring, isn’t it? The new CM needs to learn how things work.
Now that the co-CM is obligated, newbies with the right connections will make far more chance than those without.

[xialongne]

Wow, a lot of new NSSA graduates!
There are so many of you there. Well done.
For the summer, I want to go with the turtle as well; I really like these cute creatures.
And for me, summer and the sea. Goes together.
So might the beginning of June be the summer one? Or the end?

[trangstar888]

@xialongne

Wow, a lot of new NSSA graduates!

It’s quite impressive!! Congrats to NSSA graduates! You’re on your way to a new journey as a viki contributor!!!

@xialongne

For the summer, I want to go with the turtle as well; I really like these cute creatures.
And for me, summer and the sea. Goes together.

I want a dolphin or a starfish or maybe lotus flower… Looking forward to the summer subathon and enjoy some great shows!