Version at: 31/03/2013, 09:50 vs. version at: 25/04/2013, 12:31
11#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors
22
33## The Aims of the Tatoeba Project
44
55* Briefly, ...
66
77 * We are collecting sentences and their translations into other languages.
88
99 * Sentences we create are used by [various projects](http://a4esl.com/temporary/tatoeba/links.html) under the Creative Commons - Attribution 2.0 license.
1010
1111## The 6 Basic Rules
1212 You can click the links to read **[Translations]** or read the **[Source]** documentation.
1313
14141. We want complete sentences.
1515
1616 * [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611372)      [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule1)
1717
18182. Don't change sentences that are correct.
1919
2020 * [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611373)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule5)
2121 - By correct we mean both grammatically correct AND natural-sounding.
2222
23233. Don't add sentences from copyrighted sources.
2424
2525 * [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611374)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule8)
2626
27274. We want natural-sounding translations, not word-for-word direct translations.
2828
2929 * [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611375)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule4)
3030 _Of course, we don't want computer translations._
3131
32325. Make a good translation of the sentence that you are translating. Don't let translations into other languages influence you.
3333
3434 * [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611376)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule3)
3535
36366. Don't add annotations.
3737
3838 * [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611377)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)
3939
40 _In other words, don't do this kind of thing.
40 In other words, don't do this kind of thing:
4141
42 X It's raining cats and dogs. (idiom)
42 X "It's raining cats and dogs. (idiom)"
4343
44 X I like her/him._
44 X "I like her/him."
4545
46For more details, ...
46In the first example, the inclusion of the parenthetical explanation "(idiom)" should be omitted, since it would not occur in natural use of a language. Such a note could be added to the comments instead.
47
48In the second example, the use of "her/him" leads to an unnatural sentence, one that tries to effectively cram two sentences into one in a way that would not be done in speech or writing (where you would know the gender of the person being discussed). The correct thing to do would be to add two sentences:
49
50 - "I like her."
51
52 - "I like him."
53
54
55For more details:
4756
4857* Read our blog entry on [how to be a good contributor](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html).
4958
5059* Read our blog entry about [our submission policy](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/08/submission-policy-what-kind-of-content.html).
5160<a name="users"></a>
5261
5362## Things a Contributor Can Do
5463
55641. You can **translate a sentence** by clicking on this icon ![](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/translate.png) whenever you see it.
5665 * Please do not forget **capital letters** and **punctuation.**
5766
58672. You can add **alternate translations**. (![](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/translate.png))
5968
6069 * If you feel there are several possible translations, you can add them all.
6170 * Just make sure you are adding the translations to the other language. (In other words, don't add an English translation to an English sentence.)
6271
63723. You can **proofread sentences** and "adopt" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/adopt.png?1271500434)) sentences that you think are good.
6473
6574 * If a sentence is "unowned," you can adopt it.
6675
6776 * Generally speaking, "owned" sentences are more likely to be error free, especially if owned by a native speaker (as requested, "[adopt any 'orphan' sentence you see in your native language, and correct it if necessary.](http://tatoeba.org/eng/activities/adopt_sentences/eng)")
6877
6978 * _I suggest only adopting sentences that seem 100% natural to you. If it seems "less than natural," don't adopt it._
7079
71804. You can **correct mistakes** that you find, if the sentence is not "owned" by another user.
7281
7382 * To do this, ...
7483
7584 * Adopt the "orphan" ("unowned") sentence.
7685
7786 * Then click the text to edit it.
7887
7988 * Then, optionally, "unown" (<a>![Let go](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/let_go.png "Let go")</a>) the sentence if you want others to be able to easily edit it again.
8089
8190 * Special Note
8291
8392 * Tatoeba.org prefers that you DO NOT CHANGE any sentence that could be considered correct. Of course if does not sound natural to you, you can change it.
8493
8594 * Instead of changing correct sentences, you should add an alternate translation.
8695
87965. You can **add comments to sentences**.
8897
8998 * If you find a mistake, but it's "owned" by another user, then leave a comment telling the "owner" how it can be corrected.
9099
91100 * If you see something that seems strange or you don't understand, you can leave a comment and someone may explain it to you.
92101
93102 * If you find things that are absolute nonsense or are not sentences, you can leave a comment alerting moderators that perhaps the item should be deleted.
94103
951046. You can **add new sentences**.
96105
97106 * The best approach is to search first to make sure the sentence is not already in the database.
98107
99108 * Search with the sentence in quotes to find exact matches.
100109
101110 * LIKE THIS: "I have a dog."
102111
103112 * NOT:  I have a dog. For more information, read the [FAQ](http://tatoeba.org/eng/faq).
104113
105114## Register and Become a Member
106115
107116* If you haven't already done so, after reading this page, [register](http://tatoeba.org/eng/users/register).
108117
109118* It's also a good idea to you write your native language and the languages you translate from in your profile.
110119
111120* You don't need to register, if you aren't planning to contribute. Just [go to the main page](http://tatoeba.org/eng/home) and start looking around.
112121
113122## Warning! There are errors!
114123
115124* Briefly,
116125
117126 1. Some sentences **sound unnatural** and are likely contributed by members who are overconfident in their abilities in their non-native langauges.
118127
119128 2. Some sentences use **archaic and/or old-fashioned** language and perhaps aren't really suitable for people learning a foreign language.
120129
121130 3. Some sentences contain **grammar and vocabulary errors**.
122131
123132 4. Some linked sentences **may not be good translations**.
124133
125134 5. For more details, read the [Warning About the Sentences from the Tatoeba Project](http://www.manythings.org/corpus/warningtatoeba.html).
126135
127136## Recommendation
128137
129138* To help maintain the quality of our sentences, I recommend that you only translate from a non-native language into your native language. I also recommend that you should be careful to only translate from sentences "owned" by native speakers. This helps to avoid problems.
130139
131140* To learn more about this, read the following page.
132141[Is it OK to submit sentences in my non-native language?](http://bit.ly/tatoebafaq#faq201)
133142_(Note: This is not the official policy of the Tatoeba Project. However, many people would agree with this.)_
134143
135144
136145 [1]: http://tatoeba.org/img/adopt.png?1271500434 "adopt"
diff view generated by jsdifflib

Version at: 31/03/2013, 09:50

#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors 

## The Aims of the Tatoeba Project

*   Briefly, ...

    *   We are collecting sentences and their translations into other languages.

    *   Sentences we create are used by [various projects](http://a4esl.com/temporary/tatoeba/links.html) under the Creative Commons - Attribution 2.0 license.

## The 6 Basic Rules
 You can click the links to read **[Translations]** or read the **[Source]** documentation.

1.  We want complete sentences.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611372)      [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule1)

2.  Don't change sentences that are correct.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611373)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule5)
 - By correct we mean both grammatically correct AND natural-sounding.

3.  Don't add sentences from copyrighted sources.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611374)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule8)

4.  We want natural-sounding translations, not word-for-word direct translations.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611375)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule4)
 _Of course, we don't want computer translations._

5.  Make a good translation of the sentence that you are translating. Don't let translations into other languages influence you.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611376)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule3)

6.  Don't add annotations.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611377)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)
 
  _In other words, don't do this kind of thing.

  X It's raining cats and dogs. (idiom)
  
  X I like her/him._ 

For more details, ...

*   Read our blog entry on [how to be a good contributor](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html).

*   Read our blog entry about [our submission policy](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/08/submission-policy-what-kind-of-content.html).
<a name="users"></a>

## Things a Contributor Can Do

1.  You can **translate a sentence** by clicking on this icon ![](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/translate.png) whenever you see it.
    *   Please do not forget **capital letters** and **punctuation.**

2.  You can add **alternate translations**. (![](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/translate.png))

    *   If you feel there are several possible translations, you can add them all.
    *   Just make sure you are adding the translations to the other language. (In other words, don't add an English translation to an English sentence.)

3.  You can **proofread sentences** and "adopt" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/adopt.png?1271500434)) sentences that you think are good.

    *   If a sentence is "unowned," you can adopt it.

        *   Generally speaking, "owned" sentences are more likely to be error free, especially if owned by a native speaker (as requested, "[adopt any 'orphan' sentence you see in your native language, and correct it if necessary.](http://tatoeba.org/eng/activities/adopt_sentences/eng)")

        *   _I suggest only adopting sentences that seem 100% natural to you. If it seems "less than natural," don't adopt it._

4.  You can **correct mistakes** that you find, if the sentence is not "owned" by another user.

    *   To do this, ...

        *   Adopt the "orphan" ("unowned") sentence.

            *   Then click the text to edit it.

            *   Then, optionally, "unown" (<a>![Let go](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/let_go.png "Let go")</a>) the sentence if you want others to be able to easily edit it again.

    *   Special Note

        *   Tatoeba.org prefers that you DO NOT CHANGE any sentence that could be considered correct. Of course if does not sound natural to you, you can change it.

        *   Instead of changing correct sentences, you should add an alternate translation.

5.  You can **add comments to sentences**.

    *   If you find a mistake, but it's "owned" by another user, then leave a comment telling the "owner" how it can be corrected.

        *   If you see something that seems strange or you don't understand, you can leave a comment and someone may explain it to you.

        *   If you find things that are absolute nonsense or are not sentences, you can leave a comment alerting moderators that perhaps the item should be deleted.

6.  You can **add new sentences**.

    *   The best approach is to search first to make sure the sentence is not already in the database.

      *   Search with the sentence in quotes to find exact matches.

            *   LIKE THIS: "I have a dog."

            *   NOT:&nbsp; I have a dog. For more information, read the [FAQ](http://tatoeba.org/eng/faq).

## Register and Become a Member

*   If you haven't already done so, after reading this page, [register](http://tatoeba.org/eng/users/register).

*   It's also a good idea to you write your native language and the languages you translate from in your profile.

*   You don't need to register, if you aren't planning to contribute. Just [go to the main page](http://tatoeba.org/eng/home) and start looking around.

## Warning! There are errors!

*   Briefly,

  1.  Some sentences **sound unnatural** and are likely contributed by members who are overconfident in their abilities in their non-native langauges.

  2.  Some sentences use **archaic and/or old-fashioned** language and perhaps aren't really suitable for people learning a foreign language.

  3.  Some sentences contain **grammar and vocabulary errors**.

  4.  Some linked sentences **may not be good translations**.

  5.  For more details, read the [Warning About the Sentences from the Tatoeba Project](http://www.manythings.org/corpus/warningtatoeba.html).

## Recommendation

*   To help maintain the quality of our sentences, I recommend that you only translate from a non-native language into your native language. I also recommend that you should be careful to only translate from sentences "owned" by native speakers. This helps to avoid problems.

*   To learn more about this, read the following page.
[Is it OK to submit sentences in my non-native language?](http://bit.ly/tatoebafaq#faq201)
_(Note: This is not the official policy of the Tatoeba Project. However, many people would agree with this.)_ 


  [1]: http://tatoeba.org/img/adopt.png?1271500434 "adopt"

version at: 25/04/2013, 12:31

#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors 

## The Aims of the Tatoeba Project

*   Briefly, ...

    *   We are collecting sentences and their translations into other languages.

    *   Sentences we create are used by [various projects](http://a4esl.com/temporary/tatoeba/links.html) under the Creative Commons - Attribution 2.0 license.

## The 6 Basic Rules
 You can click the links to read **[Translations]** or read the **[Source]** documentation.

1.  We want complete sentences.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611372) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule1)

2.  Don't change sentences that are correct.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611373) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule5)
 - By correct we mean both grammatically correct AND natural-sounding.

3.  Don't add sentences from copyrighted sources.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611374) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule8)

4.  We want natural-sounding translations, not word-for-word direct translations.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611375) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule4)
 _Of course, we don't want computer translations._

5.  Make a good translation of the sentence that you are translating. Don't let translations into other languages influence you.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611376) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule3)

6.  Don't add annotations.

    *   [[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611377) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)
 
  In other words, don't do this kind of thing:

  X "It's raining cats and dogs. (idiom)"
  
  X "I like her/him." 

In the first example, the inclusion of the parenthetical explanation "(idiom)" should be omitted, since it would not occur in natural use of a language. Such a note could be added to the comments instead. 

In the second example, the use of "her/him" leads to an unnatural sentence, one that tries to effectively cram two sentences into one in a way that would not be done in speech or writing (where you would know the gender of the person being discussed). The correct thing to do would be to add two sentences:

  - "I like her."

  - "I like him."


For more details:

*   Read our blog entry on [how to be a good contributor](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html).

*   Read our blog entry about [our submission policy](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/08/submission-policy-what-kind-of-content.html).
<a name="users"></a>

## Things a Contributor Can Do

1.  You can **translate a sentence** by clicking on this icon ![](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/translate.png) whenever you see it.
    *   Please do not forget **capital letters** and **punctuation.**

2.  You can add **alternate translations**. (![](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/translate.png))

    *   If you feel there are several possible translations, you can add them all.
    *   Just make sure you are adding the translations to the other language. (In other words, don't add an English translation to an English sentence.)

3.  You can **proofread sentences** and "adopt" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/adopt.png?1271500434)) sentences that you think are good.

    *   If a sentence is "unowned," you can adopt it.

        *   Generally speaking, "owned" sentences are more likely to be error free, especially if owned by a native speaker (as requested, "[adopt any 'orphan' sentence you see in your native language, and correct it if necessary.](http://tatoeba.org/eng/activities/adopt_sentences/eng)")

        *   _I suggest only adopting sentences that seem 100% natural to you. If it seems "less than natural," don't adopt it._

4.  You can **correct mistakes** that you find, if the sentence is not "owned" by another user.

    *   To do this, ...

        *   Adopt the "orphan" ("unowned") sentence.

            *   Then click the text to edit it.

            *   Then, optionally, "unown" (<a>![Let go](http://flags.tatoeba.org/img/let_go.png "Let go")</a>) the sentence if you want others to be able to easily edit it again.

    *   Special Note

        *   Tatoeba.org prefers that you DO NOT CHANGE any sentence that could be considered correct. Of course if does not sound natural to you, you can change it.

        *   Instead of changing correct sentences, you should add an alternate translation.

5.  You can **add comments to sentences**.

    *   If you find a mistake, but it's "owned" by another user, then leave a comment telling the "owner" how it can be corrected.

        *   If you see something that seems strange or you don't understand, you can leave a comment and someone may explain it to you.

        *   If you find things that are absolute nonsense or are not sentences, you can leave a comment alerting moderators that perhaps the item should be deleted.

6.  You can **add new sentences**.

    *   The best approach is to search first to make sure the sentence is not already in the database.

      *   Search with the sentence in quotes to find exact matches.

            *   LIKE THIS: "I have a dog."

            *   NOT:&nbsp; I have a dog. For more information, read the [FAQ](http://tatoeba.org/eng/faq).

## Register and Become a Member

*   If you haven't already done so, after reading this page, [register](http://tatoeba.org/eng/users/register).

*   It's also a good idea to you write your native language and the languages you translate from in your profile.

*   You don't need to register, if you aren't planning to contribute. Just [go to the main page](http://tatoeba.org/eng/home) and start looking around.

## Warning! There are errors!

*   Briefly,

  1.  Some sentences **sound unnatural** and are likely contributed by members who are overconfident in their abilities in their non-native langauges.

  2.  Some sentences use **archaic and/or old-fashioned** language and perhaps aren't really suitable for people learning a foreign language.

  3.  Some sentences contain **grammar and vocabulary errors**.

  4.  Some linked sentences **may not be good translations**.

  5.  For more details, read the [Warning About the Sentences from the Tatoeba Project](http://www.manythings.org/corpus/warningtatoeba.html).

## Recommendation

*   To help maintain the quality of our sentences, I recommend that you only translate from a non-native language into your native language. I also recommend that you should be careful to only translate from sentences "owned" by native speakers. This helps to avoid problems.

*   To learn more about this, read the following page.
[Is it OK to submit sentences in my non-native language?](http://bit.ly/tatoebafaq#faq201)
_(Note: This is not the official policy of the Tatoeba Project. However, many people would agree with this.)_ 


  [1]: http://tatoeba.org/img/adopt.png?1271500434 "adopt"

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