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I’ve been away for a while building a site called UbuntuDeal. Gosh, those guys rock and they’ve got a super site now. But before I go off on a tangent about them or why I was away, here’s a toast to today’s post about websites and language! Why a toast? Come on, let’s be festive!

When building websites in multiple languages, you are faced with a variety of challenges. Translation is an important part of the process, though not the only one. Some of the things to consider I’ve jotted down below. I’ve done quite a few websites in various languages, and all I can say is this: be sure you need it!! It’s a lot of work…

Inputting translated text

Adding text to a website in an unfamiliar language can be tricky. One solution is to include notes and labels which tell you which part of the text is which and where is belongs on your website. If you do this, you should explain the purpose of such notes to your translators. Unfortunately not all translators will follow the instructions: some will translate the notes and labels, others will leave them out of their translations. Even with such labelling, some web developers and editors will still not be confident about adding the translated texts to websites, particularly texts written in different writing systems.

Another solution is for the translators to enter the translated text into your website. This can work if you have a content management system for your website, though there may be problems text formatting, links and coding. If your translators have some knowledge of such things as HTML and CSS, such problems can be minimised or eliminated.

Alternatively you could employ web developers who are familiar with the languages into which you are translating your website, or send them on training courses to learn those languages.

Fitting the text into your web pages

Text in some languages takes up more space than others. For example German and Russian text usually takes up more space than English, but texts in Chinese and Korean take up less space. Certain sections of websites, particularly menus, often have a fixed width. Sometimes you have to use alternative, shorter translations to fit the available space.

Page layout

If you translate your website into languages that are written from right to left, such as Arabic, Persian or Urdu, the page layout should be flipped over so that it’s a mirror image of the pages in left-to-right languages. Some images may need altering and adjustments to the style sheets and some page elements will also be needed.

Font sizes

Some languages, such as Chinese, Korean and Arabic, are difficult to read at font sizes that are perfectly legible for languages like English, French and Russian. Using separate style sheets is a solution to this problem. Another solution is to avoid specifying font sizes at all, though designers don’t tend to be very keen on this as it messes up their design.

Linking to and between translations

On bilingual websites linking between languages is straightforward. On multilingual websites though, it can be more challenging.

There are a number of ways to link to and between the translated parts of a website. A popular method is to list all the translations available on your homepage, though it’s better to link to the translation on every page of your site as not all visitors will enter your site through the homepage.

Maintaining your website

Websites tend to be changed regularly. Keeping all the translations of your site up-to-date is a real challenge. Some changes will be large; others will involve just a few words here and there. Sending such changes to your translators whenever they occur may be inconvenient for both you and the translators. The best solution would be to employ web editors who speak each of the languages into which you’ve translated your website. But this is tiresome too. Ahh!

Handling enquiries from your website

Once you’ve translated your website, people will start contacting you in foreign languages. Ha, bet you didn’t think of that! This is one aspect that many people seem to overlook. There are various ways you could do this, including employing people who speak the languages; having the enquiries translated, writing replies, then having the replies translated, or using automatic translation software.

In South Africa, employed skills can be costly. It’s best to think very hard before making a site in another language. Otherwise you will end up with something on your hands that you can’t get rid of.

Good luck!

I feel guilty working in the travel industry as  (due to the carbon emitted) flying in an aeroplane is one of the worst things you can do for the environment. So, I was really pleased to see our government release a discussion paper on carbon taxes, and being the wonderful participative democracy that we are, they invited commentary on it. So, today’s article takes a different tack, and sets out our draft comments on the carbon tax paper.   We’d love it if Imod readers would share their views, and we might incorporate them into our submission to National Treasury.

In summary, South Africa Travel Online fully supports the introduction of a carbon tax in a way that does not impact on South Africa’s competitiveness, and applauds the government for progressing the discussion. We are in favour of large carbon taxes in exchange for equivalently large reductions in other taxes.

It needs to be recognised from the start that not all countries are going to implement carbon taxes to the same extent as South Africa. Whilst this should not hold us back, it’s vital that Government implement carbon taxation in a smart way, to ensure that the relative competitiveness of South African companies is not worsened.

If there is a net increase in the tax paid by South Africa’s companies and individuals relative to other countries, South Africa will be less attractive to both groups. South Africa’s biggest problem is unemployment, and to reduce unemployment we need to make the country attractive to companies. Tax competitiveness of companies is vital to reducing unemployment. To maintain competitiveness it’s important that there isn’t a net increase in taxes, this can be achieved by chanelling the additional tax revenue received back through appropriate reductions in other taxes charged to corporations and individuals. We are in favour of large carbon taxes in exchange for equivalent reductions in income taxes and corporate taxes. Naturally, if the tax reductions are targetted towards industries with low carbon use, this would amplify the positive environmental impact of the additional taxes targeted towards high high carbon use, and we support this.

In order to allow South African producers to compete against foreigners, a carbon tax should be imposed on imported items, which takes account of:

• carbon emissions in shipping or flying the item to South Africa (locally produced goods are more carbon friendly). This could be based on a simple formula, like weight multiplied by a factor (even a rough adjustments are better than none at all).
• carbon emissions from producing the item (to the extent that the country of origin does not impose a carbon tax on goods). Once again a rough adjustment is better than none at all – a register should be maintained of the extent to which carbon taxes are imposed on goods by different countries, and the cost of the good ratioed up/down by that factor.

Without these measures, tough climate legislation merely results in carbon-intensive items being imported from jurisdictions which are more lax; whilst jurisdictions with tough climate legislation shift activities to those with low carbon impact. Whilst the legal and practical difficulties as set out in the discussion paper are appreciated, this issue is important enough that we request our government to confront and resolve them.

As mentioned earlier, unemployment is one South Africa’s biggest issue. Another reason we support a carbon tax, is that it encourages a shift from mechanised functions to using labour.

Well, it really seems like the most popular route at the moment in South Africa, with so many changes being made in such a short space of time. It’s like those board games with all the spaces filled with blocks except one. As soon as you move one block, it frees space and you can start to move the others. This seems to be what has happened with the Durban to Cape Town route.

First SAA pulled out of the route, citing that they could not make it profitable, and would like their low cost airline, Mango, to take up the slack. Next BA came in, offering to increase their scheduled flights on this route. They added an additional 5 flights per week. Now, SA Express has entered, stating that they will be adding this route to their network, as from the 10 January 2011. It will offer flights on this route 3 times daily during the week, and two times a day during weekends.

We just wonder what exactly is next? I am sure that once 1Time get the rights to fly to/from Lanseria from next year, we are going to see plenty more changes in schedules and routes.

4×4’s are not for sissies.  I’m not talking about the odd pot hole riddled road, which some parts of our country are so well known for.  I’m talking about axle twisters, 30 degree angles and less than clean underwear.

Last weekend I went along with my boyfriend to a 4×4 training weekend.  He did the driver training; I was the co-pilot/back seat driver.  After hiring a 4×4, it became clear that we didn’t have an idea what this monster of a bakkie could do.  Situated between Malmesbury and Wellington you will find Babylonstoren.  Once of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, with a twist.  It has a formidable 4×4 trail which will be near impossible to navigate in the wet.

Having met Herman, (our fantastic instructor) and the other students, we started off with the theory.  We learnt all there is to know about axels, articulation, diff locks, tyre pressure and shocks.  I’m using the term “student” very loosely.  Most of the people on the course did have varying degrees of experience of 4×4’ing, but I couldn’t help but notice how the silence fell every time they were faced with a new obstacle.  Then the fun started…

You will be interested to know that in order to successfully traipse over boulders the size of a small house, you need very low tyre pressure.  Extremely low.  We learnt this the hard way, with my dearly beloved spinning away in the gravel and rocks, unable to get any kind of traction whatsoever.  After deflating the tyres to (what I thought) dangerously low pressure, everything became a lot less scary.  The first steep 40 degree hill proved quite a challenge.  The instructor sat next to each student and talked them through the whole process of stall starts and getting proper traction.  I was most impressed when he ran down the hill each time to drive up again with a different student

The axle twisters were a real treat to watch; imagine playing hopscotch with holes as deep as your waist!  Again Herman sat next to each student, talking them through the whole process.  Most of the students descended into joyful (or hysterical) fits of laughter when their 4×4 started tipping over with 2 wheels in the air!  It reminded me of a shovel –snouted lizard doing its thermal dance, two feet up, two feet down!  The Jeeps made it look ridiculously easy, their wheels barely leaving the ground.  I understand what all the fuss is about.  Unfortunately, the only 2 vehicles getting stuck or needing assistance from another vehicle were the Jeeps, how embarrassing.  There was also a slightly damaged Land Rover and an unhappy Trooper with a less than perfect clutch at the end of it all.

My favourite obstacle of the day was “Apocalypse Rocks”, a steep downhill encountering an equally steep rock face, on the edge of a cliff!

The side slope also proved to be a huge challenge.  I was in fear of being crushed by a Pajero, revving and sliding precariously on the slope, whilst trying to get the perfect photo.  This time the instructor walked beside the vehicles, as it was near impossible even sitting in the driver’s seat.  Many students ended up holding on to the roofs of their vehicles!

We spent the night in a chalet with the most incredibly view.  Having eaten our T-bone steaks, there was just enough time to brush our teeth before falling asleep, drained from all the sun and adrenaline.

The next day we had our Bush Mechanics training.  Now this was really interesting, did you know that something as simple as an empty Coke can will keep you going for miles and miles?  I can’t divulge the secrets here, but it sure made me look at ordinary things in a very different way!

Next year, I will definitely do the driver training, watch out Babylonstoren!

Author : Chelna Maré

For a long time I wanted to be able to get the GPS co-ordinates from Google Maps and after some research I found a neat little trick. After being asked by a few people, I decided that I would share the trick as it really is useful. Here are the 4 simple steps that you need:

1. Open Google Maps and locate the place you want GPS co-ordinates for
2. Choose to center the map at this location
3. Paste the following code into your browser address bar: javascript:void(prompt(”,gApplication.getMap().getCenter()));
4. You’ll see a popup appear with the GPS co-ordinates right there..

How neat is that?

We have spoken about 1time planning on flying from Lanseria airport before. At that stage, they were fighting with the operators of the airport, kulula, and the competition commission, stating that the exclusive agreement between Lanseria airport and kulula, was negatively affecting competition in the domestic flight market.

The reason was that Lanseria airport is much more conveniently positioned for a large proportion of people, as well as charging lower airport fees (taxes) which ultimately means cheaper ticket prices for customers. It looks like now, that 1Time will be flying from Lanseria airport from the first half of next year. This will mean more choice for passengers, as well as cheaper prices – as it removes the monopoly that kulula once held. 1Time also plan to use the airport as a base to increase its flight routes into Africa (as and when new flight routes become available).

But can Lanseria Airport cope with the increase in flights? Lanseria Airport currently serves around 1 million customers per year. In order to cope with not only 1time flights, but also kulula’s planned increase in flights from the airport, it needs to expand, and rapidly at that. The airport operator has plans to spend “hundreds of millions  of rand on a new runway, a multi-storey parkade and some changes to the terminal building in the next 12 months to cope with the increased demand.”

I’ve had hope for South African Airways ever since Barbara Hogan appointed Cheryl Carolus chairwoman of the board, in September 2009.  Carolus is a person of principle, and I’ve seen SAA make the right moves under her watch – from trying to recover money from the former CEO (Khaya Ngqula), to suspending the Cape Town to Durban route (which seems like a well thought out business decision), to revamping their site (the format of the new website has awesome new capabilities, like being able to see the cheapest tickets booked on routes).

So I was sorry to read today of passengers getting bumped off flights following the introduction of a “shambolic new IT system” (I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen the  introduction of a new IT system has led to major problems).  Even though they arrived timeously at the Durban airport for flights they had booked and paid for, a group of business journalists were bumped onto the next flight.  The new system kept placing the journalists on standby no matter what the check-in staff did.  Even though there were seats on the aircraft they had to wait for the next plane, as the system wouldn’t print out their boarding cards and hand written cards weren’t allowed. Harassed South African Airways staff stared fixedly at their computer screens.

Ironically, this is what I saw on the SAA homepage today “Online check-in: Enjoy a queue-less and hassle free check-in process.” – today’s fiasco will not doubt lead to more people wanting to check-in online.

This article wouldn’t be complete, without quoting some of the famously no-holds-barred comments on the Moneyweb site:

• “As far as SAA’s IT systems are concerned it is really your own fault that you did not comprehend that the system was written by a loyal deployed cadre who thinks that merely writing something, anything, graffiti perhaps, is the same as providing a system which works.”
• “Must have been hillarious seeing those vegetables at the check in counters becoming ‘harrassed’.  Did they immediately start scratching in their ears or did they stay with the tried and tested nostril exploration. ”
• “Expect no sympathy from me. if you lie with dogs you get fleas. Best solution dont fly SAA.”
• “IWhy on earth are you still flying on that C***** airline. I stopped years ago….don’t even check their prices. BA is the way to go.”
• “do not blame saa, blame bee and incompetent unskilled wanebe (sic) it workers.”

When it rains it pours.  In unrelated news today, a South African Airways manager in Lagos, Adebulehin Michael, was arrested over attempts to smuggle a bag containing 500 grams of nose candy out of the airport.  What is it about SAA staff and drug smuggling – it was just 2 months ago that I wrote about an SAA hostess getting 7 years for cocaine in her knickers. Cheryl’s got a lot of work on her hands.

Kulula have come out with some absolutely brilliant ads this year, mainly centering about the soccer world cup. As they were not an official sponsor this managed to create a bit of a media furore with Fifa, and generate substantial PR for them. They now have a new concept, which looks very exciting. It’s called ‘Create your own Sky Poster’, and will let you release that creative genius you have, and hopefully win some prizes. Basically you can either take one of their existing photos and give it your own caption, or use a photo from your own collection. Then just submit the poster and get your friends to vote for it, as the poster with the most votes, wins. The prize is 2 return tickets to any local kulula destination. In addition, any posters that make the kulula staff laugh out loud, will get a kulula goodie bag.

Submissions close on the 19^th December 2010, voting closes on midnight on 31 December 2010, and the winners will be announced on 7 January 2011.

Enter on their facebook page, and choose the Sky Posters tab.

Haere mai, welcome to the City of Sails!  Auckland is the largest urban area in New Zealand with over 1.4 million residents (about 1% of the population are South African emigrants). It is also where next  year’s Rugby World Cup kicks off, on the 9^th September.

Auckland lies on a narrow strip of land less than 2 kilometres wide at its narrowest point.  With Waitemate Harbour to the north which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf, and Manukau Harbour to the south, Auckland has a temperate oceanic climate and it is also the warmest and sunniest of all the cities in New Zealand.  It is surrounded by tropical forests and slumbering volcanoes, making Auckland a spectacular back drop for the Rugby World Cup 2011.  Most of Auckland’s matches will be decided at Eden Park with three pool matches to be played at North Harbour Stadium, and the final showdown at Eden Park on 23 October 2011.  With great venues such as trendy Kingsland and Viaduct Harbour, excellent bars and 4 official fan zones, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to watching your team fight it out.  There will also be open training sessions where you can meet the players from New Zealand, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Namibia, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa and Tonga.

Auckland is known for its excellent public transport system.  The MAXX Journey Planner includes rail, bus, ferry and walking routes, making it very easy get around.

Be sure to visit some of Auckland’s most famous attractions, everyone needs a break!  Rangitoto Island is a sleeping volcano which emerged a mere 600 years ago in the middle of the Hauraki Gulf.  You can explore this island with a walk or a drive.  Sky Tower is the highest building in the Southern Hemisphere at 192 meters.  If you are feeling brave and have been inspired by the spirited Haka, you can have a go at base jumping, or simply walk around the outside of the Sky Tower for a real sky high thrill. Be sure to visit the fabulous rotating Orbit Restaurant. Auckland Harbour Bridge is another must for adrenaline junkies, climb over it, or bungee jump off it!  You will be rewarded with panoramic views of the city and surrounding areas.  Auckland also has a rich cultural heritage and the biggest collection of Maori treasures in the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

With so much to do and see you are sure to build up a healthy appetite and with a multitude of diverse restaurants and markets, you will not go hungry.  You can try a traditional Hangi dinner (cooked in the earth), a chewy Pavlova stacked with fresh fruit produced locally or spicy Asian and Pacific Rim influenced dishes.

2011 is New Zealand’s year, there is no better time to visit Auckland and enjoy everything the youngest land mass in the world has to offer.   Book your travel to the Rugby World Cup now.

Written by Chelna Maré