I regularly get email from people who love Logos Bible Software and would like to help translate it into another language, so that it can be useful to more Bible students.
We have set up a web-based project using the Crowdin translation tool, so anyone who would like to contribute to a translation project can. Right now the Logos 5 desktop UI has been uploaded for translation; help files and other content will follow in the coming weeks.
http://crowdin.net/project/logos-desktop-ui
We have set up projects for around 20 languages of interest to existing/potential users (based on the language their web browser is set to when people visit Logos.com).
Most Logos users read English, by necessity -- most of our the content is in English! (Except for our Spanish product line.) But having the UI in your native-tongue can be more comfortable even when you're using English resources, and this will enable users to contribute to that effort if they wish.
We will build Logos in any of these languages that get 90% or more of the UI translated, and enable switching to that language through the Program Settings. (Though you may have to wait for a beta or SR for updated language resources, until we're able to automate the update process more.)
We do not have in-house skills in all these languages, and will need to rely on user contributions, and on users with strong language skills volunteering to be proof readers who approve submitted translations. (An easy function once you're authorized for that role in Crowdin.)
For a small number of languages we intend to do a full-scale localization effort. This involves translating the software UI, the help files, our unique biblical data sets, creating reverse interlinears for Bibles in that language, translating a significant portion of our web site and automated transaction and service emails, hiring bi-lingual customer service agents, and licensing books in that language.
For these languages we will need translation managers who are willing to commit to the project, and we expect to compensate these individuals in exchange for their commitment to 'treat it like a job' -- making sure the translation is done 100% before a release, reviewing/standardizing vocabulary, etc. It's possible we'll contract this out to professional firms, but we're also open to working with users who would like to work remotely, part-time, in exchange for software credit.
I anticipate (in no particular order, and with no schedule, and we're not quite ready yet) that the first 'done thoroughly' languages will be German, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, and French, in addition to Spanish, which we manage in-house.
(We are not ready to go full-throttle on all this yet, and won't be for some time, but if you want to help in a bigger way, email me -- bob@logos.com -- and I'll add your email to my file for that language, even if I don't respond immediately.)
Again, if you volunteer to contribute to the translation project online at Crowdin, please know that we can't commit to payment or any compensation right now. So we have no expectations, but if you want to do it, you're welcome to and we'll build the localized UI if we get enough coverage in your language. And if you choose to contribute, please use the same email or name at Crowdin as you use on your Logos account, so we can see who contributes and thank you appropriately.
-- Bob
