As part of WordPress Translation Day 2021, we wanted to celebrate some of the contributors who have made a significant difference to the software being available in their own language or to translation of the project globally. The criteria was captured in a call for nominations and all locales were encouraged to submit entries.
The organizing team would also like to invite you to nominate the folks that make a difference to local communities through their translation efforts and have helped to enable a positive impact through having WordPress available in a specific language.”
We received 35 total nominations with contributors from 19 different locales. To honor and thank these Polyglots for their efforts to make WordPress more accessible to folks around the world, we’re sharing their stories in a number of ways. You can read their tips to others on this page and we will also be featuring how they became involved in translating in the coming months.
Read on to find their advice and encouragement for others interested in translating WordPress and its related resources.
Nominees
Bigul Malayi
You are contributing to one of the most well-known, open source projects and joining a team of 10,000+ contributors.
Devin Maeztri
One translated string could mean a lot for other WordPress users. So, translating WordPress could be the easiest way to help people achieve their dreams. It is giving a little for a great result.
Felipe Santos
I believe that it’s all about the impact. I love to have an impact on people’s lives and giving folks the possibility of using WordPress in their native language is what makes me happy to be part of the team.
Giacoma Allegretta
Don’t be afraid of the review process (no one is judging, it’s just a way to keep translations consistent), nor asking questions. Everyone starts from somewhere, it’s definitely ok to ask.
Jeroen Rotty
WordPress powers 42% of the web. Imagine how many users are using the software and how great this would be if the complete interface and tools are available in their native language. We would improve their productivity and experience so that we could grow more.
Lidia Pellizzaro
It’s fun! It’s helpful for all and for you, you can get to know a lot of different people.
Nidhi Jain
WordPress does change lives. The WordPress community appreciates every single contribution. I would tell people who want to start a career with WordPress, it will give them a chance to build an identity. This is the best open source platform and translation gives a chance to make it better. If people contribute to WordPress, they will be able to use it in their own language easily.
Pedro Mendonça
Adopting the translation of a theme or a plugin you use is a win-win situation: you get a full understanding of how it works, and you provide others in your local community a well-curated translation.
Piermario Orecchioni
My favorite thing about being a Polyglot is being part of an awesome team and knowing that what we all do helps make WordPress available to a larger audience in their native language. Also, the warm, fuzzy feeling of giving back to WordPress and contributing to a project that helps keep the web open and available for all.
Stefano Cassone
Translating the strings of a theme or plugin you use is a great way to start contributing. It is also a great way to learn new things about the world of WordPress. My first experience of translating a theme I was using for a site led me to understand every aspect of it and made me discover a few items that proved useful later on.
Tor-Björn Fjellner
If you’re using WordPress in any other language than ‘English (US)’ and stumble upon a weird translation, a typo, or some other mistake: it’s easier than you think to fix this error – not only on your own site, but for all WordPress users worldwide. Just come to Make WordPress Slack channel #polyglots and ask for help. Since we’re a truly global team, there are almost always experienced translators around to help you. (If you’re not yet on WordPress Slack – in order to register, start by visiting https://make.wordpress.org/chat/)
V Gautham Navada
Everyone should think about translating WordPress to their native language because using a CMS in one’s mother tongue is a lot more fun and makes them feel more connected to the system.
Abha Thakor
Translating software and community resources is more than just changing the words. It is about giving access, opportunity and opening up the community even further. If you are bi-lingual, joining the Polyglots team is one of the best introductions to contributing to an open-source project. Through events like #WPTranslationDay, we can welcome even more people across the world to join the thousands of translators making WordPress available in 205 locales and counting.
Fredrik Näslund
Start trying with a plugin or theme you would like to have available in your own language. First, translate some short and easy strings where you understand the context, that is, how the string will be used. You can look at the glossary and the translations of other plugins for ideas on how to better translate strings, so you will get a better grip on the workflow. The best part is that you can always get advice, support, help, encouragement, and guidance from all the friendly people in this community!
Additional nominees
Andre Ribeiro
Erica Varlese
Javier Esteban
Fernando Tellado
Jerome Ssenyonga
Laura Sacco
Suresha N
Vladimir Vassilev
Akira Tachibana
Kasirye Arthur
Loïc Antignac
Nabil Moqbel
Paolo Valenti
Yordan Soares
Alice Orrù
Felipe Elia
Jens Ratzel
Kharis Sulistiyono
Luisa Ravelli
Naoko Takano
Taisuke Jotaki
We will bring you more stories in the coming months!