Localize Base Language Dialect
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Monica Allen
A lot of the text in Almabase is written in British/Indian English (not sure which). Since this product is offered in the US, it would be helpful if the base text for American clients were offered in US/American English instead of a different dialect. Examples include:
Periods outside of quotation marks ie: Thank you for your following response to '{{form_entry.form.title}}'. In American English, this should be Thank you for your following response to "{{form_entry.form.title}}." {Please note that typical American English also does double quotation marks instead of a single one in these instances as well)
The use of the word "post" instead of "mail."
The use of "course" instead of "major" (there is a request in just about this issue as well: https://almabase.canny.io/digital-engagement/p/option-to-change-course-to-major-for-us)
Many tools already exist that can distinguish between different dialects of English. The one I'm familiar with is Grammarly. One pass through a tool like this would localize Almabase enough that any other grammar/usage things that fell through the cracks would be easier to update and less frequent. An editor/writer would also be a valuable investment.
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Monica Allen
Sahil Mallick I've found another dialect difference. In guest events, one of the tabs is "Customisation" instead of "Customization." I'd imagine most instances where a Z is used in American English like this are currently taking an S, which it shouldn't.
Sahil Mallick
Hello Monica Allen! I have a few more questions for you:
- Can you provide more examples of text that you find problematic or confusing due to the dialect differences?
- How important is it for your organization to have American English as the default language setting?
- Would you be willing to participate in a beta test if we implement these language changes?
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Monica Allen
Sahil Mallick
- Please refer to the four examples above. However, I will be happy to provide more grammar/usage differences as I find them here.
- As our language is American English, it is extremely important that we communicate in our dialect. Other dialects are confusing for our users and don't perform as well on our metrics.
- Yes
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BCHSAlumni Administrator
Sahil Mallick I too would be willing to participate in a Beta, as I've seen and liked other similar requests. (i.e. date order)
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Emily Johnston
Sahil Mallick I absolutely agree with Monica Allen , especially for the second point. The inconsistency with both language and date is a problem. For example, in the US, check is spelled check, not cheque. If I were a donor, I might feel a little hesitant trusting payment information with a US based organization using the cheque spelling. As online scams unfortunately are becoming more common, inconsistencies in spelling is one of the first things people look at to tell if an organization is trustworthy.