Help Translate Facebook. Into English
Published by Ciaran October 3rd, 2008 in Social Media.
I just saw an interesting message on Facebook asking me if I wanted to help translate it so that people around the world can understand it better. The language they wanted help with? English (UK).
I can’t say that I’ve noticed that many instances of Facebook using annoying American spellings for things (and to my American friends, sorry, but they are annoying - we gave you our most prized possession, our language, and look what you did to it). Facebook obviously thinks that there is a need to improve things.
It seems like the translation programme is run as a Facebook app, and is actually already complete (see the screenshot below). It’s gone 6 on a Friday afternoon so I haven’t really played around with it yet but will let you know what is involved in helping them translate new phrases.
What I will say is that I think that asking the great British public to help set the language for the site is very brave - we aren’t best known for taking things too seriously and I’d officially like to start a campaign to get the word bumfluff added to Facebook as a translation for something else. If anyone else is helping out with this project and would like to join my noble quest, please let me know.
Much as I loathe Facebook, count me in on that idea. Anything to take the piss a little!
How trusting of them. It’s a good thing Britain doesn’t have any funny slang terms that Americans don’t immediately recognise or understand that you could slip in there, isn’t it? Imagine what could happen.
/adds Translate application/
please translate my face book account back to english. because i did not understand the language i am in now. i can do any thing. please.