It's been seven months since I have asked for simple translation on a potential relative. I have been told that people on this web do not like to translate. Well, why the hell are some of you on here! Why are you so scared to translate? Do you think WE are SCARED of what you will SAY? REMEMBER, WE WANT TO KNOW too! Keep being stupid. I now pay for simple translations. Too bad my money is not going to rootsweb. I am disgusted.

Hello Jane, There is no reason to be disgusted, simply be reasonable. Allow me to defend those who choose to request fee for translation service. Most Americans do not grow up in an environment that encourages multilingualism. And that is, indeed, unfortunate since it serves, among other things, to better appreciate our participation as members of a world community. The ability to provide high quality translations is a talent that requires both dedication and fair knowledge of the subject matter. The ability to read various scripts, to understand historical usage, to make soiled documents readable and to provide the client with accurate renditions of the content takes time and effort. These skills are not innate; they are developed via a substantial investment in more time and effort. You can get free machine translations (notoriously inaccurate) and you can occasionally obtain free services by people generous enough to provide them. However, expect to compensate a translator just as you would pay your lawyer, doctor or any other professional whose capabilities you rely on and trust. I have no aversion to translation. However, I do believe in fairness. On occasion I do respond with my opinions on translated content when that could be of interest to the general forum member. But providing individuals with free translation services would imply that I do the same for all others needing them. And that could easily become an overwhelming and continuing task taking up all of my spare time. Best wishes, Roman Jane Rowland wrote: > It's been seven months since I have asked for simple translation on a > potential relative. I have been told that people on this web do not > like to translate. Well, why the hell are some of you on here! Why > are you so scared to translate? Do you think WE are SCARED of what > you will SAY? REMEMBER, WE WANT TO KNOW too! Keep being stupid. I > now pay for simple translations. Too bad my money is not going to > rootsweb. I am disgusted.

As an aside, it might be worth noting that Jane did not post her request on this list. She posted it in early January on the PBS forum requesting help in the translation of some Christmas cards. Not seeing any follow-up relative to that request on the forum, it is only fair to assume that she handled the request privately. Roman Jane Rowland wrote: > It's been seven months since I have asked for simple translation on a > potential relative. I have been told that people on this web do not like to translate. Well, why the hell are some of you on here! Why are you so scared to translate? Do you think WE are SCARED of what you will SAY? REMEMBER, WE WANT TO KNOW too! Keep being stupid. I now pay for simple translations. Too bad my money is not going to rootsweb. I am disgusted. > *********************************

Jane, I checked the Poland Roots' archives and prior to your post on June 21, 2008, you hadn't posted since October 15, 2004. ??? http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/search I wonder if the post to which you refer really came through the list. Debbie Jane Rowland wrote: > It's been seven months since I have asked for simple translation on a potential relative. I have been told that people on this web do not like to translate. Well, why the hell are some of you on here! Why are you so scared to translate? Do you think WE are SCARED of what you will SAY? REMEMBER, WE WANT TO KNOW too! Keep being stupid. I now pay for simple translations. Too bad my money is not going to rootsweb. I am disgusted. > *********************************