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Can I ask as someone who doesn’t speak any Japanese, is there ever a time or place for direct translations over m… — I think the main issue is believing that 'direct' translation exists as translation. Translation is in itself an … https://curiouscat.qa/DistantValhalla/post/1171771899
The primary problem with translation/localization discourse is the terms that come up in discussion are now so loose and nebulous that not everyone will be on the same page when stuff gets brought up, so there'll be overlap of ideas and understanding that leads to more confusion.
Someone in the business who sees the word 'localization' might simply go "Ah yeah, part of my job." and think of it no differently to the word 'translation'. While someone more embroiled in culture war stuff might see the word and think "Ah yeah, 4kids and censorship."
Ultimately culture war discourse around loc is sad because it's often orchestrated by outsiders who want to exploit/weaponize the legitimate passion and fear of people who have probably been ostracized for much of their lives. They're twisted into seeing their fellows as enemies.
That epic youtuber who creates 20 videos a day isn't your friend. He's milking you. That angry blogger who warns you about poisonous ideologies you never knew about isn't a fellow fan. Maybe eventually they starts sipping their own koolaid but they were never here to help you.
I've never met a translator online, or at a con, or just in my travels, who holds contempt for their work. Nobody spends years of their life learning JP, joining weeb subcultures, and finally going pro out of hate. This is one of the most passionate industries I've ever known.
Fans have propped up this business since before twitter learned to get angry at them, and they'll keep propping it up long after. It's sad to think people believe people like us want to destroy the media so many of us grew up loving, to the point of embracing it professionally.
Anyway see you guys in 3-5 months where I make the same general points again but phrased slightly differently because we live in a cyclical hellscape from which there is no respite.
