Corpus Maintainers
What can corpus maintainers do?
Corpus maintainers can:
- link/unlink sentences (same as advanced contributors)
- tag sentences (same as advanced contributors)
- edit any sentence (not just their own)
- delete any tags (not just the ones they have added)
- delete sentences
- change the language assigned to a sentence
This status is given to certain advanced contributors who are willing to help with maintenance tasks on the corpus. The responsibilities of a corpus maintainer are:
- to delete sentences that are added by mistake
- to delete sentences that are added as spam
- to delete sentences that cannot be in the corpus due to copyright issues
- to correct incorrect sentences of inactive users
- to delete tags that are irrelevant (or no longer relevant)
- generally speaking, to take care of the quality of the corpus
Guidelines for corpus maintainers
When you find an incorrect sentence, leave a comment suggesting a correction as well as the @change tag. (This is something every advanced contributor can and should do.)
Sentences with @change tags in a specific language can be found using the advanced search. This link will find English sentences. Adjust the parameters to your needs. Using a bookmark or saving the link in your profile can be a good idea.
You may change a sentence after two weeks if there has been no adverse response.
Leave a comment saying that the sentence has been changed.
Once a sentence is correct, remove all tags that are no longer needed. Especially if the sentence is owned by a non-native of that language, it is a good thing to put an OK rating and/or an OK tag. To use and see ratings, you have to enable this feature in your settings.
If a sentence that has to be corrected is owned by a member who is still active but forgot to respond to a comment, consider sending a reminder instead of just changing their sentence.
Try to avoid deleting sentences if they can be changed to be acceptable.
Corpus maintainers are not admins for a corpus or members with more say. They must be respectful of other members’ wishes and avoid antagonising them. They must not try to adjust correct sentences to their own style or standard. This is why we have the rule that "correct sentences should not be changed". We should use corpus maintainer rights as sparingly as possible.
Be responsible, aware of others, and use common sense.
You need not be perfect. Cooperation and communication are everything. If you are unsure about whether a sentence should be changed or not, consider asking other members for help. Use the @username syntax to address a comment to them. (They will only be notified if they have email notifications enabled. Check if they do.)
If you need further guidance, always feel free to send us a private message.
Procedure to become a corpus maintainer
If you want to become a corpus maintainer ...
You must already be an advanced contributor, and have been one for some time. If not, apply to become one.
Contact Pfirsichbaeumchen to inform her of your wish. In your message, please explain why you have decided to apply.
Admins will have their own opinion on whether or not to grant you the status of corpus maintainer. Once the admins have made sure your application is a serious application, they will announce it on the Wall and ask for opinions. They will then wait for around a week.
You will be informed by private message of the decision. If the decision was positive, there will also be an announcement on the Wall to inform the rest of the community that you are now a corpus maintainer. If the decision is negative, there will be no public announcement, but you will be given the reasons why the decision was negative in the private message.
If you want someone to become a corpus maintainer ...
Talk to them to make sure they're interested, and encourage them to apply. We will not grant the status of corpus maintainer to someone who doesn't want it.
You should also contact Pfirsichbaeumchen and indicate that you support that person's becoming a corpus maintainer. This way, admins will know that there is a demand for a specific contributor to become a corpus maintainer, and if they do apply, their application will more likely be accepted.
Conditions to become a corpus maintainer
The decision to grant you the status of corpus maintainer depends on:
- How long you have been an advanced contributor (usually three months or more).
- If there is need for a corpus maintainer for the corpus in question
- How much you have contributed (which is not limited to adding sentences and translations; comments on sentences also count).
- How well you understand Tatoeba (especially the concepts of linking, tagging, and deleting).
- Your behavior.
- How many other members support your candidacy.
Removal of corpus maintainer status
Corpus maintainer status may be removed for any of the following reasons:
- The corpus maintainer wishes to give up his or her status, for whatever reason.
- Inactivity over a prolonged period of time.
- Destructive behavior, as determined by the admins.