Thanks for raising your voice in regards to the import of French machine translations on multiple titles on Sept. 19. The Viki Community Team has heard your feedback and has shared it internally.
For now, we would like to address the following points:
The tool that implements the machine translations does not overwrite existing subtitles, but only fills in where subtitles are missing for the shows it is turned on for.
The intent for importing the French machine translations was not to run an experiment on the tool; rather, this was part of a larger effort to alleviate viewer demand for subtitles.
This tool is not built for the intent to replace volunteers. It cannot replace the high quality translations and nuances, cultural notes, and more that the community creates.
We understand that there were issues in implementation and communications, which we are further investigating and discussing internally.
Additional messaging and steps to follow. Thank you for your patience.
Sorry, but itâs not the first time! When I was on the âMy IDâ team (Portuguese ) Viki did the same! And doesnât apologized to us until now! Iâm on strike until Viki APOLOGIZES AND RESOLVES the problem! Indeed Iâm so upset! Iâll stand the French Team! #Strike
=Itâs not true that viki is responding to concerns expressed by users by filling in blanks. For example on Angel Eyes, all the subs were completed YEARS ago for both the episodes and the three teasers which were broadcast before the first episode. Only post production clips seem not to have been subbed into French. https://www.viki.com/videos/1039881v-soo-wan-becomes-dong-joos-girl
What sane viewer would demand subtitles for clips when they can watch the whole drama fully subbed in French? However, I received that notice yesterday for Angel Eyes.
If unsubbed teasers, trailers, behind the scenes and âspecialsâ not being subbed into other languages is a basis for using machine translation, then I have to plead culpability. On K drama for which I am chief editor in English, once broadcasting of episodes begin, I rarely sub or edit English subs on any of the other fluff. There are some super popular K dramas in which the âspecialâ has not been completely subbed in English and I am not going to waste time on old rice! I never âreleaseâ or notify the other languages to sub that stuff. For example, see My Love from the Star which in terms of âfollowersâ is in the top five for all drama at viki: https://www.viki.com/videos/1095904v-min-joon-song-yis-counteroffensive-kiss â see only 66% In English? So without looking I can safely assume French is not completed. Why would anyone complain about that not being fully subbed? If I received a complaint you can imagine what I would say to the complainer.
ì ì ì ìŽë? ì§ìŠë!
I also got the message about automated translation of Whisper which so far as I can see was completely subbed in French in 2017. I can not figure out why it need more subs in French unless there is some other series I was on with the Whisper in the team name.
VIKI never think before acting. Canât there be a reason for subtitles to not be completed. Should tranlastion be improper for the sake of being here? Would you appreciate being qualified as a company that make subtitles with absolutely no sense. Will people pay for it? Come on. One donât have to have a degree to get that.
First of all, french is not the most highly requested language. Secundly, why does viki never asks our opinion. Itâs always acting before anything. Have we asked for your help? Why use a bot when everyone know itâs not reliableâŠ
Always the same issues on communication and implementation⊠for years it has been the same. Shouldnât it be different now?
Thatâs Iâm saying! Thatâs why I donât believe in VikiâŠ
Iâm so tired. We are so disrespected! And Viki NEVER APOLOGIZES. Are we a joke to Viki?
A tool is supposed to help and not be a burden, useless or anything else. The vikibot has NOTHING positive.
It is useless to lie, we know very well that you use our subtitles to do your translation program. I guess that if it succeeds, it will sell very well!
We will not sit and watch, this time. For today, and for all the next days to come. This time, you have exceeded the limits. We are tired of your lies, your insincerity and your way of being with us (ALL CONTRIBUTORS). Remember that we are the reason why viki exists today as it is.
This message of yours will not pacify things so easily. We are ready to FIGHT in any way we can.
I invite you, staff members, to read all the messages of contributors carefully, you know, those that are the reason why viki exists.
Read them, yes. But think about it too. As we say, itâs time to go into seclusion. But I think, viki need years (maybe eternity) for being âsageâ.
This is the old message by you, when we first raised the question, back in October 2017. I donât think the promises made back then about communication and so on have been kept.
Hello Viki Community,
Thank you for all your comments and suggestions in regards to vikibot.
We want to emphasize that vikibot is not here to replace you, and is only intended to smoothen the viewer experience. Rather, this is a part of a greater effort to alleviate volunteersâ workload. This is a collaboration project with Rakuten Institute of Technology (RIT) that weâre excited to bring to you, since we also worked with them to implement Learn Mode .
Since this was our first trial run for vikibot, we welcome all feedback and suggestions to improve the experience for everyone in the community. We understand that there were issues in disclosing more information about it, thus weâll be working on improving the workflow for vikibot and how we communicate to the Community about it. Weâd also like to assure you that vikibot will not be applied to current on-air titles.
A FAQ will be available soon, which we hope can help to answer some of your questions.
If you are a Channel Manager who received the announcement about vikibot and would like to know which of your channels it has been applied to, please feel free to contact one of the Community Team members (kris_o , camiille , jimmy_l ).
We welcome you to write in to us for any additional feedback and suggestions.
No, I donât believe in you. I donât believe in Viki anymore. You lied to us about Vikibot. You lie to us about âissues in communicationâ. You lied to us all these years. Definitely Viki thinks weâre a joke.
Nobody will believe in you. Thatâs all. ë .
@irmar I wanted to read the link aobut the vikibot translations announcement, but apparently I donât have access? Itâs the first time I see this on Viki.
I donât know why you donât have access, but anyway I copy-pasted the announcement just above the link. Thereâs nothing more to it (our comments only)
Just a little tidbit. I hear it all the time that itâs much easier to sub an EMPTY segment than fix one with crap in it. So, using these machine translations, is actually making a mountain out of a mole hill. Also, most translators will skip to an empty segment to translate over ones that are filled. Not all languages have editors and many want to contribute on a clean slate.
You are making more work for a fun volunteer job that we donât even get paid for.
Instead of implementing this farceâŠ
Warn the Channel Manager of the team in question that you have been receiving complaints that there has been no movement.
Make sure itâs not the English team that is slowing the work down. Iâve made many complaints to Viki about certain individuals who fail to show up and leave the English teams hanging.
Give a time frame stating that if there is no progress after so many days, that the Vikibot will go into effect. (Which there was no warning, and no rhyme nor reason)
Sending all those messages out right and left put us all into a tailspin, not just French but all languages because now we are uncertain if you will do the same to us all. And why French? There are so many other languages that are worse off than French, but yet they werenât affected.
Hello! Iâm a brazilian volunteer and Iâm on strike, I support the french team and french fans. Donât misunderstand some comment⊠Weâre here for ALL TEAMS AND FANS. Please, keeping supporting us. We just want a better Viki , with more transparency and more quality to volunteers and viewers too. Thank you!
Iâll stand the French Team! 
