Moderator Profile: Helle

What I like best about being part of the Moderator program is the sense that we make a difference. Localization is really not just about translating Twitter into your local language, it is about making a local version of Twitter happen. Being a Moderator allows me to contribute with more than translations and I find that more satisfying than I had ever envisaged.

Most Danish-speaking people understand and speak English. This actually makes localization in languages such as Danish quite difficult at times - everyone has an opinion on what any Danish translation should be, or whether it needs to exist at all. I like the challenge of trying to make a Danish version of Twitter that is good enough for people to stop thinking the original English one is better. We are not there quite yet with Twitter in Danish, but we are getting closer all the time.

I don’t remember the first piece of content I translated on the Translation Center, but I do remember being unable to stop for hours after I had started. “I’ll just do this one more page, and then I will go to bed,” I’d tell myself, but I was very unstructured at first and just translated a little bit everywhere. My tip for new and existing translators would be to first of all look at the glossary and familiarize themselves with the approved translations of common terms and also go through (some of) the lessons. Also, when I translate, I find it best to concentrate on one tag at a time.

When I’m not translating or working on a case management platform designed for law firms, I go for long walks while listening to all kinds of music, do tai chi, watch Formula 1 on TV, hang out with friends and family, and generally just do my best to enjoy life.

To everyone who is considering taking part in the localization and to everyone who has comments and improvements to the current translations and choices, I can only recommend that you sign up to be a translator and maybe later a moderator. We are having so much fun - and making huge progress at the same time, and you can be a part of it!