RE: What's the best (easiest) way to make a site bilingual?

Sean: These are great ideas. We're going to get a quote from Weblations. We've just ordered language translation software, but any software needs to be finessed by an actual person. The HTML translator is an interesting option, too. Our site, by the way, is www.lacountyarts.org

"Does it translate our site into another language for us?"<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>>>lzucker: Yes phpnuke translates the web-site for you. It is a portal (like yahoo in style) that falls under the GPL heading. Among languages it offers a way for visitors to search your website, post comments, a forum, and even sign up for newsletters. And this is all incorporated into the package.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>If you got to phpnuke.org along the left column you will see "Select Language". There you can see an example of this.

I ran across a nonprofit site that had a good translation system, with just one click of the mouse the site was translated into one of many different languages. I emailed and asked them, and this is how they said they do the translations:

<:LINEBREAK:>"Hi Sean, you insert code into your page from the tranexp.com site:

FULL LIST OF OPTIONS LINKS:

<:LINEBREAK:>To enable FREE InterTran (tm) translations which will allow visitors to your web site to view your web site in difference languages by clicking on:<:LINEBREAK:>national flags<:LINEBREAK:>a listbox with languages<:LINEBREAK:>a listbox with languages

<:LINEBREAK:>To enable FREE InterTran (tm) translations which will allow visitors to your web site to translate a:<:LINEBREAK:>word or phrase while at your web site<:LINEBREAK:>paragraph or longer text while at your web site<:LINEBREAK:>paragraph or longer text or a URL while at your web site<:LINEBREAK:>paragraph or longer text or a URL while at your web site

<:LINEBREAK:>To enable FREE InterTran (tm) translations which will allow visitors to your web site to translate:<:LINEBREAK:>Search Engine Queries<:LINEBREAK:>World News<:LINEBREAK:>From their Mobile Telephone

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I believe they are using the free services of InterTran to translate the site, like a proxy server sort of(just my opinion, I'm not positive that's how it works). The translation is a bit slow, probably due to overuse of InterTran's servers, but there seems to be much less work involved.

- Sean

Hi lzucker,

Nice website! I really enjoyed the music clips.

Sean