The whole French/English thing...

[Kramden23]

I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, so I figured here would be ok. If not then please move to the appropriate category.....

It seems to me that the majority of people here speak french. However it also seems that about 90% (if not more) of the people who speak french can also speak english, but, hardly anyone who's first language is english also speaks french.

I hope that made sense, but basically.....

People who speak french can also speak english
People who speak english don't also speak french

With that being said, I would like to request that if possible, and time permitting, if you could also translate your french posts to english, so that we may read and understand your posts.

As it is, I'd say over half the threads/posts on here are in french, thus making them useless for help for anyone that doesn't speak french.

I've tried a few online translators and they are for crap. So if you also speak english, and could be so kind, when making a post it would be great for us (those that don't speak french) if you could take a moment and also post in english.

I can't imagine I'm the only one who finds this stifling, as there are tons of threads I'm sure could help answer questions I have, if I could only read them

[SimonT]

Please read this : http://sths.simont.info/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1240

Thank you.

[Kramden23]

Please read this : http://sths.simont.info/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1240

Thank you.

Thank you. I did see that thread, but there are so many existing threads in french that I thought it would be quite unreasonable to just keep going through them and asking for translations, especially since some are quite long.

I was just hoping that in the future, if time permitted and they didn't mind, if people could post in english as well if it was at all possible.

Thanks!

[SimonT]

Answering a question in french and english is useless is the question is only in french. Most of the problem is there (At least for me when I'm answering).

I have nothing against having new topic in english only also. This able you to get a personnal answer and not a generic one.

[Icepilot]

I for one have answered many french topics in English and receive a reply.

My problem is i can read french but writing is another story. And this coming from a born and bred french canadian. Boy will i get ribbed for this.

If the issue is you not understanding the french topic there are more than a few people here who will translate it for you.

[CNGHL Angus]

This is what I use to help me comprehend French posts. Like Icepilot, my limited high school French helps me read and get the basic gist of what is being asked. If I want to understand better, I plunk the page into Google's excellent translator:

http://www.google.ca/language_tools?hl=en

[THuRSDay981]

Learning French would be another option for y'all... lol

jk

[Icepilot]

Learning French would be another option for y'all... lol

jk

This type of answer helps no one.
If for say we have a GM or Commish from anywhere outside of Canada or a French speaking country learning french is not my of an option as no one is going to pay to go to school to learn a language that they may only use on a message board on the internet.

But Don't get me wrong, the more languages a person knows the better off they will do in business/life and i am teaching my kids this.
My Kids know English, are learning French is school (Or at least what they teach as French out West) and since they are still young getting to learn a little Spanish from kids shows on TV.

But to answer the main question here, if there is a topic in French, just ask and someone will either translate it for you or give you a reply in English.
This goes the other way also, if someone posts a topic in English and a French person does not understand it i am sure there are people willing to do the same and translate it for them.

Remember, the Sim Hockey Community is here to help everyone and make their stay an enjoyable one.

[gamblor]

Maybe the STHS should separate the forums into two groups. One for French and one for English so there is no confusion between the two languages. Just my idea on the topic.

[DHLB Commish]

Thursdays981 comment was pretty inappropriate and just inflames other issues.

I think the problem is that Simon is french and made the sim as a tool and business oppurtunity to fill a void in the SIM COMMUNITY. Thus he made it in english (and rightly so. Personally I am french and have my league in french but understand the business aspect would demand an ENGLISH sim)

Contrary to popular belief by the "french" group of Commishes in the community, I would venture to say we may have an equal amount to MORE leagues outside of Quebec than within.

That, added to the fact the Simon is trying to recoup some money from the sim (rightly so) makes it that he must cater to the general public demand.

A board only in FRENCH would solve nothing for this.

On the other aspect, a board only in English would not either (as he would lose a good portion of his community as well).

Asking for things to be translated is fine, personally. Translating everything written in french to english when one posts would be a large of waste of time (as it would be to write everthing written in English to French)

Simply write your questions and we will answer. That being said, comments like Thursdays981 should be kept out of this forum as it only shows ignorance to a problem others are facing.

[Kramden23]

Translating everything written in french to english when one posts would be a large of waste of time (as it would be to write everthing written in English to French)

Thanks for the replies, and good post, but I have to disagree with that statement.

If you had a question, would you rather that question be available to 95% of the people on the board, or only about 65% of the board (guesstimate numbers)? I know that if I did speak french, when writing a question I would certainly post it in both languages, that way whoever read it could answer, and I have a better chance of getting more responses. How is that a waste of time?

I was very proficient with the "other" program, and liked to help people out as much as possible. I would sift through the board and see so many questions in French and would think to myself, if they only took another 5 minutes to re-post in english I'm sure I could have helped them. Instead, anybody who has knowledge of the program, yet doesn't speak french, obviously can't help.

Obviously things are different over here and Simon is extremely dedicated to answering questions in a timely fashion. But if you have the ability, I don't see why you would want to limit yourself to the amount of responses/input you can receive on a subject you might have an issue with, instead of taking an extra 5 minutes and posting in both languages. Then, no matter who reads it could possibly answer it

[DHLB Commish]

Hi Kramden23,

I understand your position. being bilingual myself, I have no problem with the languag issue. I understand, though, where a unilingual person (French or Enlgish) would have trouble getting answers.

I find the community here has always answered all questions pretty well when asked to explain in either language.

My point of writing FRENCH/ENGLSIh posts in both languages continuously is simply put because those that can would do it and waste a lot of time doing it while those that can't wouldn't. Who is to say which is which?

That being said, I take you back to the FHL forum. Everything there is in english. Likewise, just as here, the community was ENGLSH and FRENCH. Should they not as well have posted everything in French as well as english on their board?

It all comes down to a matter of accessibility. If , let's say, I write in english and someone in french asks for me to translate and I don't... then I am being an ass and it won'T help anyone.

Same goes for French ot Enlgish.

Thing is the community here is quite active and within 24 hrs someone is able to answer a question without a problem.

My point was thus not to say that writing it in both languages is bad, simply put that writing it in both languages just because I can would be a waste of time as many of the others in the community can't.

I guess this is the trouble with a multi-language forum. Atleast any question you have will get answered though.

[THuRSDay981]

Just to clarify things... When there's a "jk" in a post, it means that what was said is a JOKE!!!

We can't have a little laugh on this board nowadays?!?!

[DHLB Commish]

Hi Thursday,

Sorry... I guess we missed the "jk". That being said, based on the response you got, guess it wasn't much of one "jk"