Global support for DVB Viewer¿

[EnzoF1]

I have a request that will immensely improve this great product! I understand that the creators of DVBViewer are German and that it has many German customers, but there are a lot of non-German customers as well. Although there's an English section in this forum, most of the issues that occur in DVBViewer are being mentioned in the German section, meaning that those topics have no value whatsoever for us non-Germans. Is it possible that the main language of the board turns in to an English-based community so ALL customers can read and understand the things being discussed here¿

 

I just tried to view some of the other files in the member section and it annoys me that the information for a lot of files is written in German. I can understand a bit of German (me being Dutch and all), but I don't understand everything. I'm also having some issues with my copy of DVBViewer which aren't being mentioned in the English section of the board, but have been discussed in the German section. But I don't understand what exactly is being discussed, so those topics have no value for me.

 

Changing to English-only will also lower the barriere for new customers to buy this great product, because they will see that there is enough support in case something goes wrong or stops working. Don't get me wrong, I really love DVBViewer, it's an excellent product. But the main site is written and based in English, so why is the board based for German members¿ Without the national section, German users would have to describe their problems in the English language and the community as a whole would benefit from it. If we non-Germans can actually understand what the problem is, we might be able to help. And in the process, we might help new customers solving their problems as well.

 

Language for support and boards should never be a barriere to purchase a product, and with DVBViewer that is exactly where some major improvements could be done. I hope the creators of DVBViewer will think about my suggestion, because support in any type or form is a VITAL part of commercial software...

[Lars_MQ]

there is no reason not to post questions in english here. They will be answered, but only if asked.

 

As for some things only german: Most of the people (read nearly all except one) helping and contributing here, do it in their sparetime without pay. So it's up to them to deceide if they want to do the additional work to translate their work to english, which is by the way a real Pita to mantain it.

 

So the point is: to internationalize things start contributing. I'm sure there can be found ways (wiki etc) to integrate it.

[EnzoF1]

there is no reason not to post questions in english here. They will be answered, but only if asked.

 

As for some things only german: Most of the people (read nearly all except one) helping and contributing here, do it in their sparetime without pay. So it's up to them to deceide if they want to do the additional work to translate their work to english, which is by the way a real Pita to mantain it.

 

So the point is: to internationalize things start contributing. I'm sure there can be found ways (wiki etc) to integrate it.

I understand that questions might be answered when asked, but if there already is a topic about the same subject in German, wouldn't it make more sense to have just one topic about the subject¿ And preferably in a language we all understand. I run a website with 35.000+ members, but when I started it, I chose to make it an English-based community because 80% of the world population can understand the English language. So, when this community would become English-based, everything would have to be written in English and moderating would become less of a PITA (as you called it ) for the staff.

 

Currently this board is directed at the German customers, denying is pointless because it's the first section you see in the forums. I've been observing these forums long enough to know that the German members won't respond to an English topic if they've already discussed the same subject in German. See where I'm going with this....¿ Action -> reaction. I like the idea of a wiki to cover most basic problems, but nothing beats a discussion board so people can explain their exact problem. The way I see it now, is that I paid for DVBViewer, but I'm not getting the same support as the German customers. Not intentionally, but it is happening.

 

And like I said, if it would become English-based, you would lower the barriere for potential customers if they see that there's enough support. I hesitated to buy this software only based on the language spoken in the forums. Yes, I did buy the software in the end, but that was because I had no other choice....I just hope my suggestions is being discussed and thought of by the staff before shooting it down. Look at the advantages and disadvantages of the way it's set up now and how it might be when changing to English-only.

Edited August 1, 2008 by EnzoF1

[alvox]

Very good points EnzoF1!

But i expect, as it conventional at english part of this forum, good measure of scorn, answer like: "your best move - learn german"

[Lars_MQ]

Nah, you don't have to. There are no dark secrets or exiting things revealed in the german part of the forum.

[Griga]

and how it might be when changing to English-only.

Wouldn't work anymore. Most of the German users already know that DVBViewer is a German product and the developers & supporters are native German speakers, so they would go on posting in German, even if the board is labeled as "English", and it would require a lot of "unfriendly" moderator activities to stop it. We can't do that. Even now I have to move two or three German topics per week from the English to the German section, because people just don't care... and it was a permanent problem in the past, when the English section was at the top - one reason for putting the German section there.

 

However, if there is a lack of sophisticated English discussions or qualified English-Only support, it partly falls back to the Non-Germans. A community forum (or a part of it) cannot be better than its participators... everybody who wants to contribute is welcome, but we can't force people to do it.

[EnzoF1]

However, if there is a lack of sophisticated English discussions or qualified English-Only support, it partly falls back to the Non-Germans. A community forum (or a part of it) cannot be better than its participators... everybody who wants to contribute is welcome, but we can't force people to do it.

Fair enough, I just wanted to get it out there to open up a discussion...

[starman345]

Fair enough, I just wanted to get it out there to open up a discussion...

 

EnzoF1, I can identify with what you are driving at here. As an English only person, new to DVBViewer, I have been struggling with the learning curve. I am one of those people who likes to read, read, read and solve my own problems if I can but here it is tough, not much English info in this huge database. I've been using a translator of late, it is helpful but mighty slow. On the plus side, this is one of the very few places I can come and ask a question and have the developer(s) answer personally.

[Moses]

On the plus side, this is one of the very few places I can come and ask a question and have the developer(s) answer personally.

 

And that's exactly how the huge german knowledge base evolved.. people came, asked questions which eventually got answered and now it's all there, but it's all scattered over the whole board and most times not realy easy to find. That's why there is an ongoing process to organize that knowledge in a wiki. If that will be nearing completition someday (or at least some kind of base knowledge covering most of the aspects of DVBViewer) maybe then someone will be able to translate most of the stuff for the english people...

 

but filling the wiki is a not very liked task, so the quality of the wiki raises only very slowly, sadly.

[Valts]

Well Griga has answered few questions. If the question goes to OSD or COM or SDK - good luck getting any answers.