The level of community participation since we began the Tuts+ translation project six months ago has been truly overwhelming. 95 volunteers have seen their translations published, and the number of new participants grows with each passing week. Recently I caught up with Erick Patrick, our most prolific translator to date with over 50 published translations (and counting!) to ask him a few questions.
Hi Erick. Let’s kick this off—tell us a bit about yourself!
Well, my name is Erick Patrick, and I’m a 26-year-old Brazilian father, systems analyst and freelance web developer. Since the 2000’s I’ve been learning web development and programming. This got me to a BA in Computer Science and an application for a Masters in Biotechnology.
To date you’ve translated over fifty Tuts+ tutorials into Portuguese—are you naturally a competitive person?!
Sort of, I like to compete with myself! I set deadlines and goals based on last year’s achievements, always trying to get better year over year. I’m always hungry for new knowledge.
You were translating tutorials and publishing them yourself before the Tuts+ translation project began. Is translating something you’d consider doing professionally?
Yes, indeed. Now that I know how much and what I’m capable of, this is a great option for an alternative/second career. We should always be open to new possibilities.
Given that this is an entirely voluntary scheme, what kind of reward do you get from translating tutorials?
Plain and simple: knowledge, skill proficiency, networking and friendship! Through translating I’ve “met” some really amazing people who ask and give great advice, not only professionally, but in terms of life advice too.
Who do you think benefits from your translations?
Despite our growing community, there are lots of beginner/intermediate developers for whom language is a barrier. They know that most of the new and best content is in English, but they either don’t like the language, or have no means to learn and get better.
Are any aspects of translating particularly difficult?
English phrasal verbs and expressions. Some of them are so unique that it’s really hard to find a translation that can express as much meaning as the original. And this is one reason I keep some terms in English.
Do you have any words of advice for anyone else who’s thinking of translating tutorial content?
Think of the long term benefits (knowledge, proficiency, etc). Be professional and do your best. Whether it’s paid or voluntary, it’s your name on the line.
Erick’s Five Most Popular Translations
- PHP Orientado a Objetos Para Iniciantes
- Laravel 4: Começando com API RESTful
- Os 30 Seletores CSS Que Você Deve Memorizar
- Princípios SOLID Parte 1 - O Princípio da Responsabilidade Única
- PDO ou MySQLi: Qual Você Deveria Usar?
In The Wild
Want to join Erick and help translate Tuts+ into Português or any other language? Head over to the translation information page to learn more.
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