Hello
I just wanna hear your opinions about a question I have to broaden my horizons in this vast community.
Thank you in advance
Hereâs the story :
I was talking with my friend today about people who just joined a translation team and then disappeared without sorry nor goodbye nor sign if they are still alive. My friend is busy with her current work so she has less time, less holidays than I to sub, thatâs normal with her work. She told me about her disappointment because she couldnât participate as much as she had done in our past projects together. So, she thought that she was almost like people who just ask to join a team just for âfameâ or for âX reasonsâ and then didnât take part as much as we thought they would at the beginning.
I told her that it wasnât the same because she cares about her subbing, her absence, her help in our team, her teammates. When we talk to her, we can feel her concern. I told her that when she initially joined, she didnât do it for âfameâ, she just genuinely wanted to help and now, itâs still the same. Thatâs the main point for me. But life is unpredictable, you canât say without doubt that you would still be available for this period of time, so thatâs why sometimes you canât go on Viki, I am sure if you have more time or if you were on holidays you will help us without doubt (she told me before that sheâs expecting her holidays so she can rest and sub on Viki because she likes it). She doesnât have to exert herself to sub on Viki if after her work, sheâs already tired, all in good time.
For me she is a good subber because sheâs dedicated in what sheâs doing and she likes it at the same time.
So my question now after this discussion with her is in the title : Whatâs a âgoodâ volunteer for you ?
Hereâs my point of view on this matter :
1) For me, for all positions, itâs a person who can communicate with her/his team : Why ?
Because we meet sometimes little problems, like CM, moderator, editor, subber, segmenter absent on some dramas although they are present in other dramas. Whatâs the consequence ? Well, just a whole team who is waiting for the absent people just to let them know that they canât concentrate on this project because they are busy with life or with other dramas. Thatâs just common courtesy that we learn since our childhood, does being on Viki erase this basic courtesy, just because you canât see people behind your screen, are you allowed to forget to respect people behind their screen ? Moreover, a little tiny notification of your absence can help the team to think of a plan B.
Itâs a collaborative work not an individual work so we obviously need communication.
Since Iâm not in the Enligsh team, the most problematic case in my opinion is when the CM, moderator, English editors, English subbers, segmenters are not here because without CM, moderator who will manage the whole team ? Without them, who can decide ? A subber canât open locked episodes, canât recrute, who can sub in other idioms without English editors and English subbers ? Who can sub without segment ?
Not everyone can do their work and finding an alternate needs time and trust. At least, when you know their important role and that they have at least some responsability, shouldnât they send a message to tell about their absence + propose a solution ?
For example when a moderator is not here, why doesnât he fix comoderation (an alternate among the team or outside) so when heâs absent, the other one can take care of the project.
I donât know but just communicate with your team, because you are not alone in this long journey.
For instance, is it normal to wait 1 or 2 months before having news when you ask for them 3 ?
Is it normal that my team has been harassed by viewers because it took 2 months to have 1 episode, was it our fault ? No, we were waiting for English edition. So in this example, we had to say sorry to the viewers, to take all the blows, being thought of lazy people with no motivation at all, although it was not our fault, without badmouthing anyone. Why ? Because moderator and CM didnât say anything to us for 2 months, silence.
Is it normal ? Where is all the respect ? How could we do something with a silence ? How can we make decisions ? We juste have to wait for an answer from the people who has the capability to decide. But then do we have to wait for the viewers to be more aggressive to have an answer ?
And now what ? We just have to roll up our sleeves and try to make good sentences with strange English sentences without edition, do you know our suffering ? None of it. Do you know how much time I waste to edit myself in English in my head ? None of it.
Itâs just examples to show how far it can get without communication in the big chain, I am not making up stories. I absolutely donât want to accuse, people can deal themselves with their conscience. I just want to prove that with communication, it could have been better for all. Thinking of other solutions would have been a better management : they could have been looking for an alternate or pass the project to someone else or recrut. The job is not that you keep your position while not doing your task correctly, itâs having the project done smoothly.
People can find time to text their friends, comment on facebook, can they not find time to write a message on Viki for 3 min ? Itâs the same time you take to brush your teeth come on !
We donât have a prime minister agenda, we are not President of some country, so just 3 min to write a message to notify.
What have I decided ? Not to work with people who has caused me problems. I just canât wait forever an answer of 3 min to write it. How can I trust them after the blow I have received ? How can they be reliable in my head ? So not only the drama is affected, people who had faced bad experiences may not want to work with people who canât communicate on their next dramas. Conclusion : thatâs a pity.
2) Willing to improve (from a subber and editor point of view) : Why ?
Because who will watch a drama with many mistakes or many strange sentences ? Not I. At least, some people wonât. So is motivation enough to be a good volunteer ? No. What I mean is that you can be motivated and sub, sub, sub as much as you want. But why are you doing that ? To share this drama with max people, but if people who see your translations canât watch it, whatâs the point of subbing it ? Whatâs the point of having a big part of your sentences or even whole sentences, your efforts erased by the editor ? Whatâs left of your contribution ? Whatâs the point of making more work for the editor ? Whatâs the point of wasting your time and someone else ? Why ?
And for the poor editors, donât you think they could translate it with less mistakes spending the same amount of time ?
To have all people interested watch it, make correct sentences. Itâs just respecting the viewers and the editors. In my view, a good volunteer is someone who is willing to try, who is willing to improve. Itâs not asking the moon to watch the correction and review lessons. Itâs just asking to do your task, and not doing it badly. If itâs bad, who will want to watch an incomplete work ?
Itâs good to be motivated but itâs not enough. Otherwise, letâs just all be lazy and lenient, what will happen of Viki if we all adopt this attitude ? No one is gonna watch it, itâs gonna be empty of people. If ones can do an effort in their volunteering, why not others ?
3) Humble, not looking for fame in the 1st place : Why ?
Because most viewers donât care about who has subbed it. At least viewers who donât know the Viki process. They are thankful to whoever has subbed it because they donât know you, you are just one name among many other names, they will forget 1 week later. Personnally, I have other things to remember than remembering Oh itâs âXâ who has subbed it, wow⊠No change in my life.
The most important for me is to do it for sharing, for fun, for learning. And not for personnal vanity. Itâs to share and not to boast about ourselves.
Iâm sure there are others things to add but here are my thoughts right now of what possibly could be a good volunteer for me.
Thanks for reading