TWN feedback
Following a project maintainer's choice for TWN to get translations, I've used the platform to translate the strings for that platform. My experience was far form smooth and at many points I felt annoyed using the platform. The full discussion can be found on [Github](https://github.com/eloquence/lib.reviews/issues/46#issuecomment-257149790), but the project maintainer suggested to post my feedback here so that ppl involved in this network can work on improving TranslateWiki.net.
Because it seems there's an active community doing translations for projects they aren't active for themselves (which is really awesome), I hope the platform can improve to also be great for ppl who are not used to this platform (ppl who come in because they want to help a specific project), like me :)
- you are prompted - without further explanation - to first translate random strings (one is not familiar with the strings' projects, while knowledge of the app/whatever would always be required to deliver proper translations, and thus this 'test' seems totally pointless)
- the user is not told how many of those random translations are required - I felt like stopping after 15
- alt-shift-s is an impossible key combination - doesn't help speeding up when touchtyping, quite the contrary (for a different project on Transifex I use a simple TAB)
- the full process of being admitted as a proper translator is explained only on a page to which the user has to navigate themselves, whilst I would expect this to be the very first welcome message that pops up after a user created an account.
- this 'forum' or 'support' section is a complete mess IMHO: I just created a message asking for further clarification on a specific string and it does not appear (not even a notification) next to the string. 1) I don't know if anyone gets a message about my request for further info (which I would hope otherwise it's just hanging in space) 2) I don't get feedback on me asking a question (I'm talking UI feedback here, not from actual ppl) 3) once there's a reply (enough info to do the translation), there is no easy way to go to the translations page to actually translate that string (on the above: let me refer to Transifex as an example: the 'managers' (aka developers) get a notifaction when I post a question, and I get a notification when they reply - I can then immediately go to the translation interface so that I can act upon the new info.) 4) Language questions get mixed up with process questions ('meta questions' so to say, including on the functioning of the platform)
- There is no visual distinction between translated and proofread strings on this page nor is there in the statistics.
- The whole 'messaging group' concept is unclear to me. Isn't that basically what one would call a 'project'?
- There's no easy way to navigate within a 'project space'. I would expect four big buttons on every project page: Project info (now: Translating:), Translate (now: Special:Translate), Languages (now: Special:MessageGroupStats), Support (doesn't exist).
- When one on the support page clicks on 'Write your message below', one one gets a simplified text entrance field without the special characters & which also provides a more helpful 'external link' button.
- When not logged in and clicking on 'Write your message below', one gets an error which 1) doesn't spring in the eye due to lack of error-markup (eg colour) 2) doesn't suggest someone should login (or create an account) first.
- Users can edit each-others messages - which I understand in a wiki/knowledge base situation, but not in a forum-like situation.