MaxTravelz:Language version policy

From MaxTravelz

Not every traveller speaks and understands English. Those that do may still be better served by a travel guide in their native language. This article is about how we can serve those travellers.

MaxTravelz in multiple languages

One possibility is to promote and support other projects to make WikiWiki-based travel guides without being directly involved. We can treat them like fellow travelers, and provide encouragement, technical help, links, and other services without necessarily calling the things "MaxTravelz".

However, there's probably some benefit to everyone in having travel guides in other languages be part of MaxTravelz. All language versions would benefit from the increasing recognition of the MaxTravelz name. Technical support and software upgrades could be coordinated.

In addition, MaxTravelz would become a meta-guide -- a group of related guides. All the synergy we get from having lots of contributors would be multiplied by the new sites. Our community would grow in ways it can't now, due to language barriers.

Problems with multiple languages

There are some problems with having multiple-language versions of MaxTravelz, of course. Firstly, MaxTravelz will be taking some responsibility for content in a language that most of us can't understand. Some concerns:

Copyright violations or other illegal content.
The guide's goals evolve to something much different than ours.
Lack of communication.
The new MaxTravelz stays empty or is targeted by vandalism.
People might leave the English language MaxTravelz. On the other hand, contributions in other languages can and likely will be translated into English.

Starting a new language version

For these reasons, we're going to take a slow growth approach to making multiple-language versions of MaxTravelz. Here's how it will work:

First steps

New language versions will start out as Expeditions on English-language MaxTravelz.

Gathering a team

In order to have a new MaxTravelz server set up, the Expedition must have the following things:

Signups from three potential contributors saying they'll contribute to the new language version.
A chosen go-between between English-language MaxTravelz and the new language version. This person should show that they understand and agree with our goals, our policies, and our style guidelines. They can be nominated the same way as we nominate administrators, with at least 2 of the people signed up voting for them, and no votes against them. (For some languages, a volunteer has just stepped forward for the job.)
A translation of the Language file in MediaWiki to the new language.

After all these criteria are met, we'll set up a place on the MaxTravelz servers to run the new language site, and make it possible to do interlanguage links and the like.

The first month

After one month, the new language version should have at least a significant portion of these sections of MaxTravelz done:

They don't have to be identical to the ones on MaxTravelz in English, but they should be there. The goal here is to be ready to accept new contributors -- these are the pages people need to get started.

If these pages aren't at least partially done after a month, and there's no movement to get them done, the language version will be considered inactive (see below).

Go-betweens

The chosen go-between must make a monthly report of at least a few lines in the MaxTravelz logbook on the English site, covering developments on that language version. In addition, they must make a report on the language version's logbook, covering developments on the English-language site.

If for some reason the go-between chooses to not participate in MaxTravelz any more, the MaxTravelzlers using the language version have to choose another go-between. All the same criteria for becoming a go-between apply as when the version started.

If there's no go-between for the language version, the language version is considered inactive (see below).

Inactive versions

If activity on a language version drops to practically none, that language version is inactive. Unless the MaxTravelzlers on the language version are willing to get it re-started, the inactive language version will be shut down.

Database dumps and other data needed to get the language version started on another server will be made available. People are welcome to use that data to start their own projects on another server, of course, as long as they conform with the copyleft that was used to create the data in the first place.

Goal or policy changes

Different language versions will have different communities, and they will evolve different ideas about the goals and policies of that language version. The go-between should keep English-language MaxTravelz well-informed about any major changes to the goals or policies.

If for some reason the goals and policies of the language version diverge so far from the English-language version's goals and policies that they're no longer compatible, it may make sense to separate. As with an inactive language version, the database dumps and other data needed to start a new site will be made available.

Fellow travellers

If this all seems kind of demanding, well... it is. We want MaxTravelz in other languages to be as good a resource for travellers as the English language one.

If these requirements are too high, we're happy to help and encourage more modest attempts at doing Wiki-based travel guides.

New expeditions

See How to start a new language version, MaxTravelz:Expeditions.