Spanish Forum?

[CMelodyMan]

Why do they have a French but not a Spanish forum on SOTW?

[Pete]

"Why do we"

* Because neither I nor any of our other Admins/Mods speak Spanish.
* Because no one's volunteered to be a Mod for a Spanish-speaking forum.

As said when we started up the French forum (see http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=15893 and use the Search engine), we have no problem starting a forum for folks that speak another language, but:

* We need to have someone moderate said forum that is a native speaker of the language or has demonstrated high ability speaking the language -- and can speak English well enough to converse with the other mods/admins. In other words, we don't want someone who was just really good at high school Spanish. Kim's from Montreal Quebec. They speak both French and English there.
* The person that volunteers to moderate said forum must be a current SOTW member in good standing and be acceptable to all our current mods/admins -- and Harri has the final word. Kim's been with us for a long while, is a good member and is an excellent admin.
* There needs to be demonstrated desire for the forum. In other words, you want to poll it and see if there are a good deal of hits. There were for the French area. Even if not, we were getting some e-mails/posts from French-speaking luminaries (like Selmer (Paris) reps, SML reps, etc.).

Finally, the moderator of $language has to translate some of our English writings into $language -- and if there's a question in $language that can't be answered OR if there's some really interesting stuff written in $language that should be shared with everyone, that moderator needs to translate it into English and share it with the rest of us.

=========

A little long winded, but that's why :).

[CMelodyMan]

Thanks saxpics. Demasiado malo no hay foro español porque nadie sabe español bastante bien (too bad there's no Spanish forum because no one here knows Spanish well enough!
Gracias,
Dave

[saxcurious]

¿Cuál es la necesidad de tener un fórum en español?
La mayoría de la gente inscrita en este fórum habla inglés, y los que hablan el español tienden a escribirlo como si estuviesen hablando inglés resultando en errores gramaticales y produciendo una sensación general de ambigüedad-artificialidad en ocasiones varias.
En mi opinión es preferible tener versiones claras en inglés; después de todo es la "lingua franca" del momento.

[Pete]

¿Cuál es la necesidad de tener un fórum en español?
La mayoría de la gente inscrita en este fórum habla inglés, y los que hablan el español tienden a escribirlo como si estuviesen hablando inglés resultando en errores gramaticales y produciendo una sensación general de ambigüedad-artificialidad en ocasiones varias.
En mi opinión es preferible tener versiones claras en inglés; después de todo es la "lingua franca" del momento.
Something like, "Why would it be necessary for a Spanish-language forum? Most of the folks that post to this forum understand English. <Something about "it'd be better if we used more appropriate grammar and spelling, tho". I think.> IMHO, it's preferable to have a understandable English-language forum, as it's arguably the 'lingua franca' of the moment."

How's that?

As said, I don't speak the language. I did take six years of Latin in HS/college, so I can attempt to translate most languages based on it. I also live in Arizona, wher I believe that the Hispanic population is now a majority.

[kcp]

Actually what I understand from saxcurious's comments is basically about the same type of concerns that have been said before when it was question of the French forum. Some people feared that it would divide SOTW into two clans, others expressed concerns via the direction of SOTW.

I think it should be stressed again that the creation of a sub-forum in a different language than English won't change the current direction of SOTW.
SOTW Forum is an international comunity. Proof is that the forum counts several thousands of members from around the globe. Harri, founder of SOTW is himself from Finland. It is only logical that in such a diversified community that the chosen language is English. That's NOT going to change.

Also it should be stressed that the intention behind the creation of a sub-forum in a different language ISN'T intended to stack the English speakers in one corner, the French speakers in another, Spanish there, etc, etc.

Our French Forum has been on-line for 7 months now and we can at this point clearly see that yes, there are forum members who participate in the French Forum but that that doesn't stop them from frequenting the main English forum aswell.

One observation I've made is that French SOTW members often use the French forum for obtaining answers for regionally-specific questions, regional for sale ads or equipment wanted in given region. Sure, the question could be posted in the Main (English) Forum and will get some answers but don't you think it's weird for a native French speaker to ask a question specific to region of France in English while the majority of people who live in France speak well... French and that in return they get a response to their question in English?? - Wouldn't it just be simpler to ask the darn question in French and get answers in French from French people who know of that region??

That's a little bit like eBay, there's USA eBay, UK eBay, France ebay, Australia eBay and I skip many many others... Why are there region/country-specific eBays?? Because there are people who wish to buy/sell equip locally. Yet, that doesn't stop a great number of eBayers from buying/selling internationally.

Anyway, long enough rambling. We'll see how the results of this poll turns-out to be and if there is a Spanish-fluent moderator candidate who volunteers.

[CMelodyMan]

Wait I made this into a poll? That must have been an accident, I was just curious into why there's a French but not Spanish forum on SOTW.

[CMelodyMan]

I must have started this in the wrong forum, I was just asking a simple question, I didn't mean for it to be considered to be created.

[CMelodyMan]

I have no doubt that English will always be the main language on SOTW, considering that 450 million people speak it, and half the world understands it to some extent. Although, if SOTW does want to start a Spanish forum, it should be considered, considering that 12% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, and there are 300 million Spanish speakers worldwide. However this would present a problem because we have people from many other countries on here to. So we'd have to take into account their languages too, and it would become too complicated, and like you said it would divide the community. So maybe we should just stick to French and English, with English being the main language of SOTW.

[Pete]

Wait I made this into a poll? That must have been an accident, I was just curious into why there's a French but not Spanish forum on SOTW.
Note the section that says, "Last edited by saxpics : Yesterday at 07:59 AM. Reason: Moved to the right area and added poll."

Why'd I put it here?

* If you're asking a question about SOTW rules and policy, you can easily contact any of the Admin/Mod staff. When you post something, it's a free-for-all -- and that gives the Mod/Admin staff the right to put it wherever we wish.
* It's implied that if you're posting something about a feature, you want that feature activated, because if you're asking about features the *only* people that can answer you are your friendly neighborhood Mods/Admins (and particularly me, considering I built this Forum).
* I occasionally get people asking for a Spanish-language forum. No reason not to poll it to see if there's interest.

[CMelodyMan]

It's fine with me, it's just that I knew I didn't put it there.

[jazzbluescat]

...............this would present a problem because we have people from many other countries on here to. So we'd have to take into account their languages too, and it would become too complicated, and like you said it would divide the community. So maybe we should just stick to French and English, with English being the main language of SOTW.

Very, very good point, says a lot for unity. :thumbrig:

[dolphyo]

saxpics,pretty good translation of saxcurious comments. so far i don't see enough interest in a Spanish sub-forum at sotw and i have been around 3 years and 1 before that on the older format/website. that is not to say later it couldn't be a well used bridge to increase readership here by Spanish speaking or Bilingual persons who know Spanish since it is an important second language worldwide. i am latino second generation and fluent in both languages and in the forum i haven't met many Hermanos who needed or asked for this kind of help and i surely would have helped. hard to say now. quisas si todo los miembros hispanos se ponen de acuerdo en este foro la idea es fantastico! seria ideal si ay mas de 30 un 40 porciento para la establidad de tal foro y para que no exsiste problemas con la administracion del sotw. there i said it and it is only an opinion and you know how that goes.

[saxcurious]

quisas si todo los miembros hispanos se ponen de acuerdo en este foro la idea es fantastico! seria ideal si ay mas de 30 un 40 porciento para la establidad de tal foro y para que no exsiste problemas con la administracion del sotw.

QUIZÁS si todos los miembros hispanos se PUSIERAN de acuerdo en este FÓRUM [incomplete sentence] ¡La idea es FANTÁSTICA! SERÍA ideal si HUBIERA MÁS de un 30 Ó 40 porciento [% of what?] para [PROVEERLE -inferred-] estabilidad a dicho fórum y para que no EXISTIESEN problemas con la ADMINISTRACIÓN del SOTW.

I would like to note that I have nothing against Dolphyo, Bassaltensoprillophone or anybody else for that matter. I also believe mistakes are normal, but a minimum knowledge of a language must be attained before communication can be clear and unambiguous.

[Pete]

QUIZÁS si todos los miembros hispanos se PUSIERAN de acuerdo en este FÓRUM [incomplete sentence] ¡La idea es FANTÁSTICA! SERÍA ideal si HUBIERA MÁS de un 30 Ó 40 porciento [% of what?] para [PROVEERLE -inferred-] estabilidad a dicho fórum y para que no EXISTIESEN problemas con la ADMINISTRACIÓN del SOTW.

I would like to note that I have nothing against Dolphyo, Bassaltensoprillophone or anybody else for that matter. I also believe mistakes are normal, but a minimum knowledge of a language must be attained before communication can be clear and unambiguous.Mmmm. A couple comments:

* Incomplete sentences are par for the course here at SOTW.
* Some of the posts on SOTW in general from folks that are native-English speakers don't look like they were posted by folks that have a minimum knowledge of the language (this is mentioned in our Forum Rules/Charter).
* As I've mentioned above about Kim's tenure, it's very probable that what D. posted happens to be closer to what they speak in <insert Mexican city of choice>, rather than in <insert Spanish city of choice>, or in <insert American city of choice that has a large Hispanic poprulation>, or <Puerto Rican city> or vice-versa. Or it's someone remembering high school/college Spanish. (I also can say that Latin sentences sometimes look incomplete, but they're actually referring to a subject mentioned in a previous sentence or someone that's commonly known, like an area Senator, etc.)

The point is that a native speaker can at least identify the difference and make sense of the post.

Of couse, I've also gotten a few Portugese e-mails which look sufficently like they're written in Spanish to give me pause.

:)

[gonza07]

QUIZÁS si todos los miembros hispanos se PUSIERAN de acuerdo en este FÓRUM [incomplete sentence] ¡La idea es FANTÁSTICA! SERÍA ideal si HUBIERA MÁS de un 30 Ó 40 porciento [% of what?] para [PROVEERLE -inferred-] estabilidad a dicho fórum y para que no EXISTIESEN problemas con la ADMINISTRACIÓN del SOTW.

I would like to note that I have nothing against Dolphyo, Bassaltensoprillophone or anybody else for that matter. I also believe mistakes are normal, but a minimum knowledge of a language must be attained before communication can be clear and unambiguous.


La palabra "foro" esta bien utilizada en español, o castellano. Yo digo foro y no "fórum", y el español es mi lengua nativa.
Foro y fórum son sinónimos.

[dolphyo]

gracias gonza07.