Category: Quality

Resolutions for small-business owners

If you haven’t got round to making any business resolutions yet for 2011, or are stuck or ideas, here are some belated suggestions. Resolution 1

A translation sin of omission

I wrote a couple of posts, back in August, about the Oxford comma (Oxford commas (1), The Oxford Comma dilemma: a solution? and Oxford commas

Oxford commas (1)

I was puzzled last week to see references on Twitter to the exotic-sounding “Oxford comma”, a new term to me. It turns out (thank you,

Planning a new website? Communicate! (with your translator too)

One of my clients told me recently that their company is re-doing its website. They’re working with web-designers and -developers, copy-writers, graphic designers and search-engine

Translation clients, we need your briefs

A translation agency recently sent me a one-page (270 words) document, asking me to quote for “a re-write, not a straight translation”. I did my

Shake out your web site’s welcome mat

The best way to make your web site welcoming to visitors isn’t a big “Welcome” mat on the home page. The trick is to put

How to be a good client (2)

I wrote a couple of days ago about how to be a good client – and how to get the best out of your translator

How to be a good client (1)

I’m currently translating a speech for a government speech-writer who’s a delight to work with. Here’s why. First, he gave us advance warning (of about

Accessibility – why bother?

I’ve been focusing a lot this year on web design, content and usability. Mainly because I’ve been working on my new web site, with lots

Ideas worth translating (2): a web that speaks your language

More from the New York Times on Web translation projects (this time from Leslie Berlin, writing in the Business pages). Projects featured include Lingua, the