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Web developers know it well: multilingual websites are more often than not a nightmare when it comes to adding and sustaining a new language. Some of the encountering issues are: adding entries and categories, creating navigation and translating words and phrases here and there.
Such issues run all Content Management Systems and have to do with any language. Expression Engine, the CMS of my choice, was no exception.
Several weeks ago I discovered Transcribe for Expression Engine, a module developed by EE Harbor and I was tempted to give it a try. Transcribe costs $150 per site and since I’m very skeptical with all similar modules I couldn’t pay this amount just to test it. So I asked the good guys at EE Harbor to provide me a copy of the module only for testing purposes. To my surprise they did offer it to me.
Now I can testify: Transcribe is a wonderful module. It provides a sophisticated yet elegant way to add more languages to an Expression Engine installation.
To install Transcribe is quite simple and it won’t take you more than 30" to do so. After that you need to add one language or more and to prepare your system in order to take the most of Transcribe. This step requires some attention but if you follow the clear and concise instructions it won’t bother you. After all, multilingual websites do need some work in order to run smoothly.
By the moment your system is set, creating entries, categories or adding even more languages is a piece of cake. I won’t go into details since — yes I’ve got to say it again— the documentation is great. By the time you do so, you will easily detect the elegance of Transcribe.
Transcibe handles URLs beautifully, plays well with custom fields and other 3rd party modules, such as Matrix. Exporting and importing the database of the installation is as easy as it gets. Last but not least, to learn how to use the module doesn’t take more than a few minutes. What’s more to ask?
How about the price? Each copy of the module comes at $150. I know it sounds a lot. However I think it’s not. Everyone who has tried to develop multilingual systems has felt the pain. If a module works the way it promises and remains stable, it certainly deserves that price. I think it all comes down to professionalism. Do you care about providing a decent solution to your clients? If yes, look no further. Transcribe is for you.
To conclude, I do recommend Transcribe for Expression Engine and I’m looking forward to using it in real projects. I’m very thankful to Tom Jaeger and the whole team of EE Harbor who provided me this free copy and gave me the opportunity to discover the beauty of their work. You guys made Expression Engine even more attractive and graceful. Thank you!
It was 2003 and I used to be a fresh fish when it came to web design. Then I read this book, Designing with Web Standards, and everything changed. And yes, I was quite lucky, because my first book meant to be one of the best ever written in our field. And it was all because of Jeffrey Zeldman of course.
I guess I was not the only one who was brought up with such special treatment but it was extraordinary for me anyway. Since then I admire and respect Mr. Zeldman for all that he did for our community and for all that he will keep doing.
Recently, Zeldman was inducted to SXSW Hall of Fame. So some of his friends who happen to be amongst the best web designers of the world put a video up to celebrate the particular event. It’s a beautiful video and I think the kind words of the participators are absolutely true.
Here’s a happy coincidence: Jonathan Ive, the lead designer at Apple and James Whittaker, former Engineering Director at Google talk about their working environments, their process and the culture of Apple and Google respectively.
Both of them share their thoughts almost simultaneously, which is pretty rare, isn’t it? There’s only one big difference: Ive keeps navigating the ship, while Whittaker left the building.
What I enjoy about being here is there is a remarkable optimism, and an attitude to try out and explore ideas without the fear of failure. There is a very simple and practical sense that a couple of people have an idea and decide to form a company to do it. I like that very practical and straightforward approach.
There’s not a sense of looking to generate money, its about having an idea and doing it - I think that characterises this area and its focus.
The Google I was passionate about was a technology company that empowered its employees to innovate. The Google I left was an advertising company with a single corporate-mandated focus.
You can make numerous thoughts about the sincerity of the words above and the intentions of both people. For me things are pretty clear, I trust their words, and I can now explain a bit the trajectory of Apple and Google.
You don’t have to be a filmaker to love a story. In fact each one of us is hardwired to love stories, it’s a part of our nature. Furthermore, we don’t only love a good story but we’re eager to work, consciously or not, in order to take the most of it.
In this wonderful TED talk, Andrew Stanton, the famous writer of Pixar, explains what’s inside a good story. His talk might give you some insights on how to become a better web designer also. Yes, I do believe so.
It’s been a long time since I read an article which dares to show the not so polished face our industry. The thing is, are we ready to see this face or not? I’m afraid we are not.
Andy Budd writes:
I constantly see clients being sold inappropriate solutions by convincing sales people so they can meet their monthly targets. Once the project has been won it’s somebody else’s job to deal with the fall-out. Very often these sales people go in cheap to win projects and then make the money up through hidden charges and change requests.
If you’re young enough and feel lost, if you have a kid and want to help it found its way or if you just enjoy a good story this one is for you.
The wise Paul Graham shares the secrets of How to do what you love. Here’s the most intriguing part of the story:
The test of whether people love what they do is whether they’d do it even if they weren’t paid for it—even if they had to work at another job to make a living. How many corporate lawyers would do their current work if they had to do it for free, in their spare time, and take day jobs as waiters to support themselves?
Here’s a fantastic video. In fact it’s something you can’t miss.
In this one hour talk Bret Victor embraces the urge to create software which instantly responds and adapts to the orders given by the developer. Although this is only the tip of the iceberg, I found it pretty fascinating since the particular method could expand our imagination in an unthinkable way.
Well, I want to give away an invitation on Dribbble. And I’m asking for a tiny payback. In fact I’m looking for a happy accident—some call it serendipity.
Here’s my invitation. More after the break.
(This beautiful illustration with the man on the bicycle can be found on Graphichive and you can have it for free too.)
I don’t want you to create/draw/design/you-name-it anything at all in order to take this invitation. (However, if someone feels so, please go on.) All I want you to do is to add a comment below with a link to an article or a book or a video or anything you find precious. Something useful for all the people who will read this post. In other words, let’s spread the knowledge.
Your link should be about design, typography, art, science or writing.
My criteria are absolutely subjective but honest and decent. In the end I will give away this invitation anyway. Let’s go.
In fact it seems there are many ugly websites that are extremely successful. The big question is, why?
I think Gerry McGovern has a good explanation:
In the eyes of many customers, ugly equals authentic and credible. Ugly helps you get the task completed quickly without any fuss or distraction. Ugly is going to give you the details. Ugly is not hiding anything. Ugly does not waste your time on surface images and trivial jargon and hype.
The arguement “Ugly is not hiding anything.” impresses me. It reminds me all those pointless effects, all those fluffy images that prevent us from looking at the real thing: facts. It really feels like someone tries to hide something.
I wouldn’t ever vote for an ugly website, but I can’t reject their truth.
