<< GlobalThemes

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Topic Syndication and Translation

For someone who is interested in a specific topic with global relevance it has become impossible to keep tract of the postings on the local Indymedia sites, due to the overwhelming number of IMCs and due to language problems.

The following proposal is not meant to take postings on a specific issue away from the local IMCs but to provide a portal that gives an overview and an access to all of them, together with translations in other languages.

Content

The main part of the content comes from local IMCs through syndication. (The technical part of this still has to be worked out, but so long relevant articles can also be linked manually by the editorial team.)

Users are encouraged to use the local IMCs. Postings on the Open Newswire are checked and posted on the appropriate local IMC to ensure that syndication flows in both directions (The technical part also ha to be worked out, but in the beginning this can also be done manually).

Posting without any relevance to the topic can be hidden or moved to an "off-topic page" on the site.

Translation

Through syndication all postings appear in their original language, making the site multilingual. Every user of the site can add translations of any article directly.

The user of the site can choose whether s/he wants all articles in their original language or in translation. If for example "English" is choosen articles are displayed in their English original or English translation where availabe, and otherwise in their original language. Thereby the site always shows all postings.

Biotech IMC

We want to try such a "topic syndication" for postings on biotechnology/genetic engineering. Actions against GE crops are spread worldwide, and they are regularly posted on different IMCs. However they are not so frequently posted that the they are easy to find if one does not visit the sites on a daily basis.

We will try to provide translations into English, Spanish of all articles as well as into other languages where available. This depends on the users and on the interest of the Indymedia translation list to contribute translations on a regular basis.

The topic site will also offer space to cover bigger events relevant to the issue like international conferences or like the European Gene Spotting action.

-- ClarA - 26 Feb 2003