m.radwan's blog

Translating emaxx
By m.radwan, 10 years ago, In English

Dear All,

Like any other contestant in ACM-ICPC or online competitions, you probably passed by e-maxx.ru/algo. The website is a very valuable algorithm bank along with explanation and sample codes. The only problem is that it's all in Russian. I am sure Google translate can do a proper job in the easier algorithms but in the harder ones every word counts and it's usually not very sufficient.

We have been thinking how valuable it would be if we have such a bank translated into English. To do that we basically need a Russian coder that knows English well and willing to do it. Translating all the algorithms will probably take some time and possibly nobody will be willing to give that much time with no return.

The plan we have in mind is the following:
- We find a good Russian coder with good knowledge of English willing to do the translation and ask him how much money he can do that for.
- We launch a kickstarter campaign targeting anybody who will benefit from the translation (which is basically any non Russian English speaking contestant) to collect the needed amount of money.

All would be public and transparent. Do you think that would be successful??

Are you willing to either do the job (if applies) or fund the campaign?

Please let us hear from you.

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10 years ago, # |
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hmm.

http://codeforces.com/blog/entry/13198 another campaign to do it)

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10 years ago, # |
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I've tried to start some activity in this direction: http://codeforces.com/blog/entry/13198

Currently no one except samsidx joined :)

You may see how results are going to look like here

We launch a kickstarter campaign

You probably now that launching at kickstarter is not a simple matter. Moreover I'm not sure it is possible for people outside US, UK, Canada (?)

So probably we may try to push more efforts to free collaboration.

By the way there is an urgent task — to check the list of algorithms and see which are already well-explained in Wikipedia for example... This will help to optimize priorities...

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    10 years ago, # ^ |
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    I've seen a kickstarter campaign for a guy making a potato salad :D so I guess it would be doable. I think we can effectively merge both campaigns. For example, we give a price to every article and once somebody translates it, he takes the money. I am just a bit skeptical towards the willingness of people to collaborate with no return.

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      10 years ago, # ^ |
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      I've seen a kickstarter campaign for a guy making a potato salad

      Yes, we all have seen and heard many such funny cmpaigns at kickstarter, however I mean that it is not as easy as just write "gimme the money, guyz" — in technical sense.

      One need to prepare some advertising materials, record video, probably invent some means to repay for kindness of your supporters — and do some other nasty routine work to organize the campaign.

      If someone has enough will, spare time and patience to go through all this — then someone may instead simply take google-translate and collaborate with us in translation :)

      I am just a bit skeptical towards the willingness of people to collaborate with no return.

      Be sure, there would be not many more people willing to help for money. Most people have their work and their side-projects and they will not gladly switch to something other even for some fee.

      However you may try of course :)

      Besides this I personally do not feel it quite fair: if one is ready to pay for translation of the site — than why not donate also to e-maxx himself for his original work?

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      10 years ago, # ^ |
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      I am just a bit skeptical towards the willingness of people to collaborate with no return.

      Have you ever heard of Wikipedia? :P

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        10 years ago, # ^ |
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        Well, strictly speaking not all people work on Wikipedia with no return. All full-time employee here have some substantial salaries (probably, except Jimmy Wales).

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          10 years ago, # ^ |
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          Yes, I know :) However, there are literally millions of others (who contribute without return) that deny what islam-al-aarag said.

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10 years ago, # |
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we basically need a Russian coder that knows English well

i think we actually need a coder whose primary language is English, but knows Russian well (not vice-versa).

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    10 years ago, # ^ |
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    It will be better, but I think that on that site there are more than 3000 people whose primary language is Russian, but knows English as well and little number of coders which you described.

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10 years ago, # |
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e-maxx is for russians

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5 years ago, # |
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cp-algorithms.com

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