I am Elektro, a Gavin Wood fan, ambassador for Unique Network and a professional translator with many years of experience working with both large and small companies. I have the skills and expertise to handle this project in a serious manner.
I want to emphasize that only now, as I see the treasury investing much more pragmatically in things that actually create value for Polkadot (and so for all of us), I felt confident to bring this project forward to the community, that is why the contribution I'm requesting is very reasonable.
I will undertake the costs of proofreading, audio editing, production, and voice-over recording myself. I'm only asking for less than I would request just for a text translation.
The final price per minute will be exactly $13.70, slightly lower than the initial requested amount in the discussion. I want you to personally compare this price to other high-quality contributors and the general market. This is in no way meant to create competition for others or to show off, but to emphasize that the contribution I'm requesting does not actually cover the full cost of this project. It is not for my personal enrichment, but merely to partially cover the opportunity cost of starting this project - expanding Polkadot's reach to the Italian community and improving the weak areas in this field. To be multi-chain we must also be multi-lingual.
This specific proposal is related to the first video of the Polkadot 2023.
To keep costs as low as possible, I've decided to not incur marketing costs for now. If needed, I will add them to the proposal for the next videos, making it work retrospectively for all previously posted videos as well. If possible, I will try to rationalize the costs even further for the next videos.
Here is a summary of the biggest issues this proposal will solve:
Incomplete information: The information that reaches the Italian community is summarized briefly in Italian, which omits the complexity and details covered in the full discussions.
Chronological order: Information reaches the Italian community out of chronological order, arriving in pieces rather than complete concepts. As a result, summaries are posted in the wrong sequence, potentially causing confusion.
Misinformation: As information passes through the users with English proficiency, it may deviate from the original source, either unintentionally due to incomplete understanding, or deliberately to obscure, alter, or insert details that serve certain interests. This issue is particularly concerning in crypto groups unaffiliated with Polkadot, where language barriers could enable unfair competitive practices.
Language barrier: According to the latest EF English Proficiency Index of 2022, Italy ranks 32 out of 35 in Europe and only 13% of Italians speak English
Lack of content: There is a clear shortage of Polkadot-related content for Italian speakers. Translating this major event would be an important first step in addressing that need.
Subtitles: When Polkadot content is available in Italian, it is usually just subtitled. While better than nothing, subtitles can be distracting or demotivating for viewers. Providing full Italian voice-overs exponentially enhances the video quality and accessibility exponentially.
Inclusivity: Providing Italian dubbing also makes this content accessible to blind Italians who do not speak English..
Survivorship bias: While focusing on the English proficiency of the already existing Italians on Polkadot, we overlook potential newcomers deterred by language barriers. This is especially relevant as some Polkadot projects aim to seamlessly onboard users from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0.
Multi-lingual Polkadot: When Polkadot becomes widely adopted, it will be important to have key information and materials qualitatively translated into Italian (and other major world languages as well). High-quality Italian language resources need to already be available, since creating them takes time.
Full proposal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CQ2lcBKiDD5lyhz7eokdlcdyxCqoB0dWPToFhvMl_HI/edit?usp=sharing
Original post: "Hello everyone! I am reaching out because I'm noticing that the Polkadot treasury is becoming more discerning in its investments. This has given me the confidence to propose my assistance in expanding Polkadot's presence in the Italian speaking market. I've been a Polkadot enthusiast for a while now, and I'm excited to also dive into the community discussions and proposals (hoping I do nothing wrong). I am a professional translator with years of experience in the sector. I have all the necessary tools and skills for a project like this. Inspired by the work of Sara (sprin), a Polkadot Ambassador who provided an excellent Spanish dubbing for Polkadot Decoded 2022. As I'm relatively new to the space, I'd like to offer a competitive rate of 14$ per minute. There are a total of 88 videos for Polkadot Decoded 2023, amounting to 1890 minutes. To gauge interest from the Italian-speaking audience and the Polkadot community, I'm willing to dub one video from the compilation entirely for free. This will showcase the high-quality work I can provide. If allowed, I can also share my Fiverr profile, where I've been serving clients since 2017. Before proceeding, I'd like to know obviously if the community is interested in this proposal. If there IS some interest, I'd appreciate guidance on the technical aspects of proposals (any recommended resources, links, tips, etc...) and any additional information I should be aware of or provide. I look forward to your insights and feedback!"
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