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Waxy.org is the sandbox of Andy Baio, a writer and tech entrepreneur in Portland, OR. I work with Expert Labs, helped build Kickstarter, founded Upcoming, made an album, and other stuff too.

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« January 2009 | February 2009 Archives | March 2009 »

Translating "The Economist" Behind China's Great Firewall

Posted Feb 26, 2009 (Updated Mar 5, 2009)

While researching Oscar screeners last month, I stumbled on a remarkable example of online collaboration in China that's completely undiscovered here. In short, a group of dedicated fans of The Economist newsmagazine are translating each weekly issue cover-to-cover, splitting up the work among a team of volunteers, and redistributing the finished translations as complete PDFs for a Chinese audience.

It reminds me of the scanlation movement, in which groups of fans scan, translate, and redistribute manga into another language. But I've never seen it applied to a newspaper or magazine, especially one as high-minded as The Economist.

It's an impressive example of online collaboration with simple tools, a completely non-commercial effort by volunteers interested in spreading knowledge while improving their English skills. In the process, they're taking a political risk in translating controversial articles about their homeland behind the Great Firewall.

Continue reading (1248 more words)...
27 comments

John Hodgman on "meh"

Posted Feb 24, 2009 (Updated Nov 2, 2011)

I enjoyed this exchange with John Hodgman on Twitter yesterday, reminiscent of my own rant on "FAIL."

hodgman: Did I ever tell you people how much I hate the word "meh"? Nothing announces "I have missed the point" more than that word.

hodgman: It is the essence of blinkered Internet malcontentism. And a rejection of joy. Also: 12 hive mehs in the replies SO FAR

hodgman: By definition, it may mean disinterest (although simple silence would be a more damning and sincere response, in that case)

hodgman: But in use, it almost universally seems to signal: I am just interested enough to make one last joyless, nitpicky swipe and then disappear

wordwill: @hodgman Isn't rejecting joy how one traditionally demonstrates one's superior cool? Though, at the same time, to hell with that.

hodgman: @wordwill yes. It's part of the toxic Internet art of constant callous one upsmanship. And it is a sort of art, but not for me.

75 comments

Robin Hood's "Oo De Lally," Translated Into 16 Languages

Posted Feb 5, 2009 (Updated Aug 15, 2011)

There's something enchanting about these localized versions of Roger Miller's "Oo De Lally" from Disney's Robin Hood from 1973. While all of these videos were found on YouTube, each was created by a different person around the world. (Bonus points if you can find the Japanese, Chinese, and Norwegian versions. Got 'em all! Thanks, everyone.) April 7: Added Hebrew, but YouTube removed the Arabic version... Anyone have it? November 12: Added Finnish and Danish, but still missing Arabic.

Original in English

Portuguese, "O-La-Ri-Lo-Le"

Italian, "Urca Tirulero"

Continue reading (340 more words)...
48 comments
« January 2009 | February 2009 Archives | March 2009 »
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