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submitted by evilsibe
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Dear Papabear,

I'm a member of the art site DeviantArt, which as you know is one of the most popular art websites in the world. People from all sorts of countries go there. Because of this, you can't help but interact with a few dozen foreigners, and I have encountered a pitiful problem of a language barrier.

My DA isn't very popular or engaging, so I'm usually on my FA, and I only check back on DA every week or so. Recently I logged on to DA and found out I received a few good comments and notes from a person named Husk. At first I thought he was speaking in text speech, but as I browsed along his words... I simply couldn't understand anything. *derp*

I went to Husk's account and saw that he was born and raised in a country which had its own language. I concluded that he only had English as a second language and didn't practice it too well. I tried to say a little greeting back to Husk (in English), but it seems the poor guy has little idea what I'm saying, and I have little idea in what he's saying too. And it's rude to just tell him directly "I don't know what you're saying" and I don't trust Google Translate to try and talk to him in his native tongue.

So far, he hasn't been commenting anymore, but I don't really know how to respond to his old comments because I don't even know what he means (plus, two of the comments are questions).

What's a guy to do in a situation like this?

Sincerely,

Doc

* * *

Hi, Doc,

Thanks for your question. Papabear agrees that Google Translate can be rather clunky, though it can do well enough to get the point across. It’s when you try to express difficult, abstract concepts or use too many colloquialisms that Google takes a poop and gives you odd results. My first suggestion, then, would be to send a short, very short, message to your friend. I take it you figured out which language he speaks? There are many online translators out there that can handle simple phrases such as “thank you for the compliment”; “sorry, I don’t speak [insert language]”; and so on.

You could go the extra mile and purchase software. One I know of is called Babylon (http://translation.babylon.com) which, I believe has a free online version. Other good software packages are Power Translator and Promt. If you find yourself dealing more and more with people from other countries, it might be worth getting some software, though in your case you probably don’t deal with foreigners often enough to justify it. Should that change, it is an option.

Going a bit further, perhaps you could locate a friend or acquaintance who speaks the language and he or she could help you out by translating back and forth.

And those are about your only options. Depends on how often you deal with the situation how you might wish to finally resolve it.

Good luck!

Papabear

submitted by MichaMichaela
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Author: admin Welcome to Episode 71! Kyo is still out on vacation – okay, most of him is – but we have his vagoo here with us to pontificate! In this week’s episode, Smokey rants about bad video game guides, Halfwit discusses womens’ rights in India, Isty talks about not ripping into people at their [...] Episode 71 – Progressive

submitted by Kaylex
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submitted by Zoowatching
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submitted by Zoowatching
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Welcome to Episode 71! Kyo is still out on vacation – okay, most of him is – but we have his vagoo here with us to pontificate! In this week’s episode, Smokey rants about bad video game guides, Halfwit discusses womens’ rights in India, Isty talks about not ripping into people at their workplace, and Mitch talks about his crazy roommate…and Isty reveals that he’s looking for a new roommate come April! There are a lot more shenanigans, of course, but that’s, well. Let’s call it a highlight reel, shall we?

Once we get into e-mails, we go all over the place; that happens when you get eight mails! Good show, people! We’re happy to hear from you! We discuss everything from phlebotomy to the ability to commit to creative works, self-appreciation to life hacks and relaxation…the list goes on and on! Making room in your life for school, alcohol and the damage it can do, one person being pulled back from the brink, there’s a lot to talk about – and we do! Even the cast chimes in with their various advancements, with varying results.

Next week, we’ll be talking about literature! Things you like to read, things you like to write, your favorite authors, everything from roleplay to novels to fanfiction. Write in and share your words with us!

Music – When Can I See You Again by Owl City

Twitter: fuzzylogiccast
FA: fuzzylogicpodcast
E-mail: fuzzy.logic.podcast@gmail.com
iTunes: Fuzzy Logic Podcast

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Episode 71 – Progressive
File modified January 7, 2013 – 89.6 MB – downloaded 494 times so far

Episode 71 – Progressive - Welcome to Episode 71! Kyo is still out on vacation – okay, most of him is – but we have his vagoo here with us to pontificate! In this week’s episode, Smokey rants about bad video game guides, Halfwit discu[...]

What’s your favorite kind of ice cream? We know it’s the middle of winter, and most of you are more interested in bundling up than eating a cold dessert, but we at WagzTail think any time of the year is a good time for ice cream!

Hosts: CrimsonX, Levi, MurphySlaugh
Podcast image by Michal Zacharzewski

Daily Show: January 7, 2013 - What's your favorite kind of ice cream? We know it's the middle of winter, and most of you are more interested in bundling up than eating a cold dessert, but we at WagzTail think any time of the year is a good time for ice cream! - Hosts: CrimsonX,

submitted by JasenTamiia
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submitted by Blan21
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Author: Fred   These are Books 2 and 3 in Jobling’s Wereworld saga. Book 1, Rise of the Wolf, was reviewed here last May. Viking has ignored my request for review copies, so I had to wait for the Glendale Public Library to get them. Sorry for the delay. The Wereworld Young Adult series is [...]

submitted by Lazorcat6
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submitted by HarmonyHeartstrings
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submitted by Mokuno
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submitted by VIKING713
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Author: E-Mail Hidden This week on KnotCast, Fuzz and Savrin catch up from over the holidays. Shiva has a case of boneitis, but will be back next week hopefully. As a bonus, here is the XXXMas Poem from last episode. Twas the night before Christmas and all through the manseNot a subbie was stirring; they [...] KnotCast: Episode 205 – Surviving 2013

submitted by GoingToTheStore
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submitted by QingQangQong
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submitted by r3drocket
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