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Sometimes, you find a complex piece of text in a language you don't speak - or do speak, but not well enough for poetry, or metered prose, or an archaic / high-brow dialect etc - or perhaps the opposite - some non-standardized vernacular transliterated onto the web, or even text with many typos. In these cases, machine translation (e.g. Google, Yandex) don't work well, or not at all, and you need to find someone who can read and write that language at a relatively high level, probably also with some literary, rhetorical or poetic skill, to do the translation for you.

I was thinking perhaps a site for requesting and offering such translations could be a fit for the SX network. But - I've never posted anything on Area51, so I'm not sure how to proceed. I mean, I know the official conditions, but I don't meet them. And while I'd participate on such a site, I don't think I want to be central in managing it. Certainly not on my own, anyway.

Thoughts/suggestions/ideas would be welcome.

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    This is not at all the kind of thing Stack Exchange does. It isn't based on questions and answers, just "do this expensive and time-consuming task for me". Such a proposal would be shut down very quickly by Robert; look up a freelancer website or use an automated translation service. – Nij Apr 27 at 23:44
  • @Nij: "Based on questions and answers" - need I say Programming Golf? – einpoklum Apr 28 at 8:06
  • PPCG is a specific exception, just as Software Recommendations and Hardware Recommendations are exceptions to the almost-universal "no shopping" rule. It's been consistently clear from SE staff posting on Meta/A51D that these exceptions will not be repeated; they are considered very borderline passing-grade experiments. – Nij Apr 28 at 9:17
  • @Nij: Ok, but the questions in my idea are not "shopping" questions in the sense of "Which CPU should I get". – einpoklum Apr 28 at 9:26
  • Maybe, not a generic site but, try suggesting a language specific site :) – DarkAngel Aug 17 at 9:38
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    @DarkAngel: If a general site is undesirable for reasons other than volume of traffic, I doubt a language-specific site would be well-regarded. – einpoklum Aug 17 at 10:36
  • But at least the traffic will be low. And Current online translators are pathetic (even Google Translate). You seem south Indian. If only you knew marathi, you would understand my plight :) – DarkAngel Aug 17 at 10:38
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    @DarkAngel: "Low traffic" is not a good thing for an SO site... it's actually part of the reason why many beta sites don't graduate. – einpoklum Aug 17 at 10:39
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Stack Exchange is currently accepting proposals for sites focused on very specific areas of study or expertise. Unfortunately, this type of solicitation of work is not really appropriate for a Stack Exchange site. If you extrapolate a bit on the article linked below, it discusses why we are discontinuing efforts trying to repurpose Stack Exchange for uses outside our traditional Q&A space.

On proposals soliciting reviews, recommendations, etc...

  • But what I suggest is not a site for soliciting reviews nor recommendations nor comparisons. So at least the article at the link is not immediately relevant. But I understand the policy does not favor my suggestion. – einpoklum Apr 28 at 21:33
  • @einpoklum That’s why I recommended extrapolating a bit. The post talks about the issue… it just doesn’t mention your specific example here – Robert Cartaino♦ Apr 28 at 21:36

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