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Language for answering EarthCaches?


GeoLog81

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It is no longer required for EarthCache to have a listing in English, and many cache owners are too lazy to provide English description. This can be handled by google translator. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the answers don't have to be correct, so if I fail to provide the correct answers because of understanding problems resulting from the lack of English description, I can still log the cache.

 

But now, in which language I should answer the questions? I could answer in English or use Google Translator, which in most case result in some gibberish.

 

Do the cache owner can delete my log because he/she can't understand the anwers I've sent?

 

From what I know, only 2 countries have enough earth caches for diamond discovery award, so generally it is expected that the participants will travel through the world to get at least 1000, making the descriptions in English not necessary makes achieving that goal more complicated...

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Do the cache owner can delete my log because he/she can't understand the anwers I've sent?

 

As far as I understand current EC rules, log deletion is allowed if you don't provide answers at all.

If you provide incorrect answers, EC owner should discuss your answers with you until he/she will be satisfied.

 

Yes - this can be tricky if you both don't share any common language.

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It is no longer required for EarthCache to have a listing in English, and many cache owners are too lazy to provide English description.

 

Actually, I think that majority of Earth cache owners whose native language is not English are not able to provide a reasonable English description.

Back when English descriptions were mandatory, I translated a number of Earthcaches for other cachers.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the answers don't have to be correct, so if I fail to provide the correct answers because of understanding problems resulting from the lack of English description, I can still log the cache.

 

Actually, for me it depends on the type of misunderstanding. If you end up with failing to meet major requirements of the Earthcache, I would not think that logging a found it is appropriate and I would log a note only if a further visit would be necessary to correct my answers. If just some details get wrong, it's a different story.

 

But now, in which language I should answer the questions? I could answer in English or use Google Translator, which in most case result in some gibberish.

 

Of course you can try to answer in English, but there is no guarantee that the cache owner understand English and knows the geological terms. The problem was caused by the GSA by changing the language requirements. I've been a strong opponent of the change and I will never ever come up with an Earthcache as I'm not willing to provide a German version (even though it is my native language). I prefer if there are only a small number of Earthcaches, but those that exist are available in English, but that's not the way the GSA thinks about this issue.

 

 

Cezanne

Edited by cezanne
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Back in the old days.. <grin>

 

All the EarthCache reviewers were only English speakers. And online translators were worse than they are now. So they asked for an English option so they could perform the review.

 

When more and more EarthCache reviewers came online that became less of a necessity. With a German reviewer there is no need for an English version. (After all we do not require ones in England or the USA to be in German as well).

 

But to your question, it would show some respect for the local cacher to try and respond in their language, you are in their country after all.

 

On the cache owners part:

I am more lenient on those caches where people are trying to log in a foreign language. I also do not get upset if they answer in a foreign language. I understand they may not speak English at all. I will ask any questions I can if I do not understand them.

 

In other words, both should try and accommodate each other, and try to make things work. Being understanding and reasonable is needed.

Edited by BlueRajah
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With a German reviewer there is no need for an English version.

 

Somehow a bit off-topic here: There is no need to enforce local language versions either. The reviewers can read and handle English as well (and have proven so). I can easily get published any normal cache

with an English description only while this is not possible for me for Earth caches.

 

Cezanne

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I can answer German earthcaches in my broken German. I suppose my English would be easier to understand for an average German geocacher than my German...

 

But with French, for example, I'd have no other option than English. So with Spanish, etc.

 

People in 'small countries', AFAIK, are quite eager to speak English and it's not a problem there, as for now.

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and many cache owners are too lazy to provide English description.

Calling people -who spent a lot of time and effort creating an EarthCache- 'lazy' is not very nice, to say the least. As global EarthCache reviewer I deal with a lot of submissions all over the world by people from a lot of different countries, who speak a wide variety of languages. Although English is widely spoken and understood, it most certainly is not a language everybody knows, let alone is able to provide a sound earth science lesson in.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the answers don't have to be correct, so if I fail to provide the correct answers because of understanding problems resulting from the lack of English description, I can still log the cache.

The logging tasks are there to provide a learning opportunity. This means that answers not necessarily have to be correct, but merely show that you -the visitor- have learned something. An incorrect reasoning leading to a wrong answer can be valuable to, if the cache owner later on provides the correct explanation.

So yes, incorrect answers, for whatever reason, should not mean your found log is invalid if your answers show you've picked up the earth science lesson.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter / GeoawareGBL / Global EarthCache Reviewer

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Calling people -who spent a lot of time and effort creating an EarthCache- 'lazy' is not very nice, to say the least. As global EarthCache reviewer I deal with a lot of submissions all over the world by people from a lot of different countries, who speak a wide variety of languages. Although English is widely spoken and understood, it most certainly is not a language everybody knows, let alone is able to provide a sound earth science lesson in.

 

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. Certainly there are people who don't know English but I was talking about people who can, and who have published listings in English when they were obligatory, but when that required was removed, they don't care to translate anymore.

 

On the other side there are people, who provide English description to the other types of caches, although it was never necessary.

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So yes, incorrect answers, for whatever reason, should not mean your found log is invalid if your answers show you've picked up the earth science lesson.

 

However, on the basis of a google translation it is not possible to pick up the earth science lesson for a quite a number of ECs I know .............

 

Google translations will in many case lead to meaningless questions.

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Although English is widely spoken and understood, it most certainly is not a language everybody knows, let alone is able to provide a sound earth science lesson in

 

Of course not everyone is able to do that, but who says that everyone needs to "hide" Earthcaches?

 

I still think that the change of the language guidelines for ECs has been a mistake. Moreover, I think that

the fact that the usage of the/a local language is enforced contributed to a considerably reduced number of ECs that

are available in English as among those who are able to come up with a reasonable English version there are many

who do not want to come up with and maintain two language versions. Until the changed guideline it was perfectly

fine to use English only. Why should ECs be treated any different than other types of caches where understanding the

description is equally important and which can be written in whatever language.

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We have one EC outside the United States, in the Naerofjord. To meet the local language requirement, I relied on a local cacher to help translate our one Norwegian cache into Norwegian. Though most of our answers have been in English, I have gotten several answers in different languages. Most of them are in German, from cachers who look at our profile and our coin and assume I might speak German (which I do, just badly). I accept their answers, run them through a translator when I need to, and then I respond in English.

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We have one EC outside the United States, in the Naerofjord. To meet the local language requirement, I relied on a local cacher to help translate our one Norwegian cache into Norwegian. Though most of our answers have been in English, I have gotten several answers in different languages. Most of them are in German, from cachers who look at our profile and our coin and assume I might speak German (which I do, just badly). I accept their answers, run them through a translator when I need to, and then I respond in English.

 

We do that as well! Despite having one in Spain we don't really get Spanish answers for that. But we got a few in Skandinavian languages on our Norwegian one. I guess people look at our profile and see the large number of finds in Denmark. Oh well.. we can about read the answers, and otherwise google translator works fine.

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