Proficiency

I'm done washing my bathroom.
And it feels great to have time to finally clean it!
...I don't think anyone in the whole wide world would admit to that.

Anyways, I was lurking around the Baka-Updates forum's Recruiting section. It seems to me that there are a whole lot of groups around, and a whole lot of them are looking for staff.
There are some asking for C-E translators, which I was VERY tempted to bump back.
But I've got a whole lot on my plate now. And since semester two is coming, that means that I have less time to manage my stuff.
And with the introduction of Biology, I think I won't even have off days and probably will have to stay till 5.30.

My translations are still on hold, until next week. Proofreading has been ongoing though.
I haven't heard from J-Sis in a long time, so I'm assuming that I'm out.
Fate hasn't sent me anything, and I'm still waiting.
I've not received any proofreading scripts from Shoujo Crusade yet, but that's because they know that I still have a whole lot of translating to do.
So far, I've done 61 scripts; 40 translating and 21 proofreading.
I'm aiming for 100 each.

Proofreading seem to be a much coveted position; that's because people think it's easy.
But it isn't.
If you get a script from a translator whose written English isn't good, you'll have a hell of a time trying to figure and piece together what they're trying to say.
The raws help, but not very much.
I do ask for the raws to be sent alongside with the scripts, but that's because I want to see the reactions of the characters to exactly express their tones in speech.
I also want to assess their characters and character development to know the kind of speech they use; tone, slang and all.
And it's not because the translators are incompetent. Thank goodness that most of the scripts that I PR-ed are from translators who have a good command in English.
Like I told mioka, I read the scripts thrice. Once is with the spell checker to note obvious mistakes, then the second time to make sure the dialogues flows well and are according to the character's manner and the third to catch things that I missed.
The reason for doing so many reads is to ensure that everything is perfect and that the 2D characters are able to come to life.
A grammatically correct script is one thing, but without a tone that suits the characters, it'll just be another monotonous read.
Yeah, I'm that picky.
I'm still far off compared to veteran proofers, but I will try my best.

Translating, however, is not easy at all.
There's always the issue of changing the character's names from Chinese to Japanese.
I used to have a problem with the names; always asking the department head to give me the list of names in romanji. Most of the groups don't have the list, which made it even harder.
However, I solved the problem by getting a Japanese word processor and using a little ingenuity.
The only problem now is deciding which pronunciation is the right one for the name, whether it's according to katakana or hiragana.
I want to think that my scripts don't need to be PR-ed, since I proofread them as I translate. But, I can't say for sure until I ask proofers who gets my scripts.
My only problem is missing translations. I get very careless after many hours of translating, and sometimes don't check them after being done.
I get e-mails from editors now and then to fill in those blanks. I don't mind it though, I'm happy to oblige.
I can't comment on editors, scan preppers and QCers because I've never done any of them.

You might say that I'm stupid for doing so much when I'm not even getting paid for it.
Boy, are you wrong.
First, it's for the readers; but I'm not that selfless though.
As a reader myself, I hate to see low quality scans done by a half-baked team. Horrid editing, terrible typesetting, atrocious translations and an abominable feel to the overall chapter is one thing that I avoid like the Black plague.
I do appreciate the fact that a fellow manga reader has converted from a leecher to a contributor, truly I am. But if you produce such a horrible product, you would either have to buck up and get more experience and get a few experienced people on the team or go back to being a leecher.
I don't want my eyes to be tainted by LQ stuff.
Someone might happen to stumble upon my site and be affronted by my flamming, but I'm not pointing fingers to anyone and I do reserve the right to say it, since I do contribute.

Second, it's a sense of passion and pride. I like doing it, and I take pride in my work.
It's practically pointless to do something without those two attributes.

For those leechers who are looking to join any scanslating groups, I suggest that you apply for a group that has been around for 3 years or more.
They have experienced staffs who are willing to help you with any problems and you might even get to learn new tips and tricks from them.
If you're a newbie in the whole scanslating scene, ask for help; they won't bite.
Most scanslating teams offer training to newbies, since extra help is always appreciated and welcomed.
I'm forever grateful to the staff in Entropy for teaching me things I previously was oblivious about and the experience that came with it.

With this, I end my post.
I hope that a leecher happened to stumble across this and takes the initiative to help a group.
What's the point of hording your skills? Set it free and show the world what you can do!
Then, you can control the masses of rabid otaku like me! XD