7/14/08 Poll - Which other languages would you like Gaia in?

If Gaia was offered in non English languages which language would you prefer?

Spanish	15.8%	[ 10750 ]
Italian	3.0%	[ 2027 ]
French	9.8%	[ 6690 ]
German	7.6%	[ 5145 ]
Japanese	25.3%	[ 17182 ]
Russian	2.3%	[ 1548 ]
Hindi	0.9%	[ 615 ]
Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese)	4.6%	[ 3138 ]
Other	12.1%	[ 8217 ]
OOOHHH EEEEEE AHHHHH	18.6%	[ 12618 ]
Total Votes:			[ 67930 ]

[Kon Kon Nogitsune]

peachpitty

Wow, are you like a professor or a lawyer or something? You seem very intelligent.

No, heheh. Just well traveled around the globe. Actually knowing how to speak a language is different from seeing how languages are used in the countries of origin. Just in the European area alone you have a medley mix of different languages from different places in a (mostly) unified standard, but just because some countries there teach English as a second language to all kids in addition to their own doesn't mean they all do. Some places, like Germany, simply don't support the use of other languages. Most every foreign television show is completely dubbed in German and even the market stall owners that lived in Holland had to speak German just to sell to them.

I lived in Nederland right on the border to Germany for a few years, so I've seen some interesting reactions between the two countries as far as language barriers. Therefore, I don't see people in Germany fully getting to appreciate GaiaOnline due to its entirety being purely English and the majority of Gaia users are probably too young and inexperienced to understand differential International repercussions dealing with communication mediums like this website.

Gaia already has international users; that much is obvious. But if this is a hint that they might be planning to make a jump to International boards as well (i.e. www.GaiaOnline.de) then I simply think that it's going to be a lot harder than what a simple poll for Favorite Foreign Language leads it to be. That's all. wink

[kelseykisses]

It's soon to be Spanish and English almost everywhere anyways so why not get a head start?!? *sigh*

[peachpitty]

Kon Kon Nogitsune

peachpitty

Wow, are you like a professor or a lawyer or something? You seem very intelligent.

No, heheh. Just well traveled around the globe. Actually knowing how to speak a language is different from seeing how languages are used in the countries of origin. Just in the European area alone you have a medley mix of different languages from different places in a (mostly) unified standard, but just because some countries there teach English as a second language to all kids in addition to their own doesn't mean they all do. Some places, like Germany, simply don't support the use of other languages. Most every foreign television show is completely dubbed in German and even the market stall owners that lived in Holland had to speak German just to sell to them.

I lived in Nederland right on the border to Germany for a few years, so I've seen some interesting reactions between the two countries as far as language barriers. Therefore, I don't see people in Germany fully getting to appreciate GaiaOnline due to its entirety being purely English and the majority of Gaia users are probably too young and inexperienced to understand differential International repercussions dealing with communication mediums like this website.

Gaia already has international users; that much is obvious. But if this is a hint that they might be planning to make a jump to International boards as well (i.e. www.GaiaOnline.de) then I simply think that it's going to be a lot harder than what a simple poll for Favorite Foreign Language leads it to be. That's all. wink

You are really something. There are not many people on Gaia who are smart AND understandable.

[scull_gurl94]

wow it'll b so kewl if we cud gaia in JAPANESE sweet! ♥♥♥ xoxoxo

[... You Meanie!]

@ Kon Kon Nogitsune

It depends. While it IS true that English is taught in most contries as a second language, most people would be surprised with the level of that English.
And there is also the fact that Gaia Online is mostly visited by people on their teens; and in some countries English is only taught when you are 11 years old, in 5th grade (Sorry, if this doesn't match you, I'm Portuguese). Even so, almost all of my colegues could not participate in most advanced forums, like the role-playing one; and I can only do that because I taught myself most of the English language.

Of course, not all languages would be available. But few is better than none.

[-[[Yreka!]]-]

-[ domokun ]-





Spanish might be nice.

Japanese would also be kinda awesome to have seeing as i'd be able to try to up my reading level ('tis lacking a bit), but the rampaging fangirls/fanboys would ruin it.

[Shizuka Angel]

Personally, I want French.

Seeing a French version of this site might motivate me to pay more attention in French class! xd

Not that I don't pay attention of course. wink

[Alixyveth]

Russian, please. smile

[Mafersauro]

Why not in portuguese? crying

[Akasha Heartilly]

Elvish and Klingon!~

[Kon Kon Nogitsune]

... You Meanie!

@ Kon Kon Nogitsune

It depends. While it IS true that English is taught in most contries as a second language, most people would be surprised with the level of that English.
And there is also the fact that Gaia Online is mostly visited by people on their teens; and in some countries English is only taught when you are 11 years old, in 5th grade (Sorry, if this doesn't match you, I'm Portuguese). Even so, almost all of my colegues could not participate in most advanced forums, like the role-playing one; and I can only do that because I taught myself most of the English language.

Of course, not all languages would be available. But few is better than none.

No, I fully understand what you mean. I'm not saying that all countries who teach English at all require students to master it. But what you say does help prove a point. The fact that you and your peers have an understanding of the language, even at its most basic form, gives you a bit more access to what a website like this one has to offer. Now, were it to be offered in your home language then, well, naturally you'd be able to do much more. But not all countries even go so far as to offer students multilingual studies and they, of course, cannot really enjoy a site like this at all.

All in all, this poll is probably nothing more than a mundane form of entertainment for us users by offering a way to share likes and intellectual conversation like this, but it does bring to light an interesting situation concerning offering this site in different languages, even possibly so by hosting new versions of the site in other countries for a truly International step. However, Localizing does nothing more than thicken the borders between countries and the people within them, in reality, so that in itself is a double-edged sword.

Things that make you go 'hmm'...

[Hazardous Bubbles]

French would be nice. Maybe then I'd actually use the language when I'm not with certain friends and in class.

[Happy Starfish]

I think just English is fine for Gaia but as German is my first language that would be nice too

[spanklets]

i think sign language would be cool. a bunch of pictures of hands

[Blippofun]

English is good.Irish could be useful-goodness knows i need the practice.But somehow i don't think it could be efficent for other users.
In that case German if not just english. 3nodding