Overcoming the language barrier

I've been handed a press release for Babel Translations explaining their work, why language is an important issue in a virtual world that compromises people from all across the world and some information about their presence at SL6B.

I'll post the press release shortly but I do feel that virtual worlds really can enhance language issues, I mean I pop on my translator hud now and then as I have Spanish, Portugese, German, Italian and French tenants as well as tentants from the English speaking world, indeed most of my tenants speak excellent English which puts my foreign language skills to shame.

When you consider that a large portion of residents do not have English as a first language it becomes a good business decision to at least investigate running an advert in a foreign language. Personally my plan is to get Peter Stindberg drunk and ask him to translate my adverts for two pints of beer and a packet of Pork scratchings, we'll see how this goes.

On with the press release:

Babel Translations - Celebrating 2 years of language excellence

"Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides," American writer Rita Mae Brown once wrote. Those who recognise the power of language realise that much can be achieved by wielding this power wisely.

Second Life is a world that depends very much on language, more so than the so-called "real world": content creators communicate with customers through words on vendor ads, notecards, and IMs. Language therefore becomes crucial to communication. The content creator who is able to employ language to do his bidding will forge a stronger connection with his customers and see greater rewards.

The nature of SL has meant that people all over the globe and from all walks of life are populating this virtual world. The diversity is such that less than 50% of residents claim English as their first language. Babel Translations was founded with the vision of helping content creators to fully take advantage of the power of language in order that their business might reach as many potential customers as possible and have the greatest chance for growth and success.

Founded in June 2007 by Peter Stindberg, over the past two years Babel has established itself as the premiere translation and copywriting agency in SL, bridging the language gap between content creators and their customers. While its core business focuses on language translation services, Babel has also branched out into associated services and business solutions, offering assistance to content creators wishing to establish a business in SL.

Thus, the company not only provides language translation services for all kinds of documents including specialised texts like license agreements, covenants, and terms of service; it also offers consultation and copywriting services. Stindberg and his team work with content creators to not only translate, but also create and develop texts that will fit into a business's marketing strategy, thus spurring the business's success and growth. Product descriptions and advertising texts can be written or edited to match a specific user group and audience. This ensures that a content creator exploits the power of language to its fullest potential, for the greatest reward.

With a team of well over 50 translators, Babel is able to provide translations in languages such as English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and many others. To ensure that the service is affordable, pricing is oriented at in-world (not "real life") rates. Furthermore, all the translators are themselves residents of SL and therefore understand the culture as well as the context of the communication taking place; this places them in a unique position to be able to effectively bridge the language gap between content creator and any potential customers.

In March 2009, Linden Labs officially recognised Babel Translations as one of the official Second Life Solution Providers. This award further demonstrates that Babel has come of age as a company that is reliable, efficient and fills a crucial role in the virtual world we live in. The importance of Babel's work has been recognised by content creators behind brands such as Adam'n'Eve, Mechanized Life, Calla Hair and Botanical, all of whom have benefited from Babel's services.

However, Babel's focus is not solely on businesses and content creators. No document is too unimportant to translate, no piece of writing too trivial. Babel not only wishes to help content creators forge stronger communication with their customers, but desires to draw various SL communities and residents closer together. The company is therefore proud to announce its participation in the sixth SL birthday celebrations, SL6B. It is a significant landmark for Babel to be able to celebrate its second anniversary in the same month that Second Life turns six years old.

Babel's presence at SL6B will celebrate the richness that the various languages in SL can bring to a resident's Second Life experience. As "Your partner in the written word", Babel aims to raise the awareness of the language gaps that create chasms between various communities in SL and to educate visitors on the necessity of bridging these gaps.

Contact Information:

Peter Stindberg
SLURL of SL6B exhibit: http://slurl.com/secondlife/SL6B%20Quantum/218/69/25 (June 23 through June 29)