The idea of a global village, united by technology rather than divided by linguistic barriers, has moved a step closer to realization, thanks to an innovative Web platform developed by Dotsub, a New York-based enabling technology company. This browser-based tool enables quick and easy time coding and captioning of online video created in any source language, and then translation via subtitling (soon dubbing) into any other language. This technology facilitates the sharing of knowledge and information across linguistic barriers. With this facility, the Dotsub platform is making a significant contribution to Translators without Borders’ (TWB) mission to support humanitarian work around the world.
Innovative technology
The inspiration for the Dotsub platform derives from company Founder and Chairman Michael L. Smolens and is based on his 33 years’ experience of setting up and running cutting-edge manufacturing businesses, employing thousands of people in high-risk, emerging economies. His understanding of how to do business in countries with cultures as diverse as Mexico and Haiti, Hungary, Romania, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Russia, India, Pakistan and Turkey, led him to realize the extent to which language can pose a barrier to communication. “Language underpins everything,” he points out, “but the dominance of major languages such as English, French and Chinese is an impediment to information sharing with peoples of other tongues. It can constitute an impenetrable barrier rather than promote understanding. You can foster far greater understanding, respect and warmth if you can communicate with people in their native language or dialect. Dotsub enables this.
“I was convinced that the future was going to be in video and set up Dotsub myself, with no outside investors, to focus particularly on the 94% of people in the world who don’t speak English as a first language. It took two and a half years to design the technology that is the architecture for the platform. One of our first clients was TED, who used Dotsub to launch and power the TED Open Translation Project.
“One of my favorite sayings is that ‘a picture is worth 1000 words’ – so how many words must a video be worth – particularly if the content relates to health or education or other crucial knowledge that less fortunate communities are often denied? Dotsub enables video and film to be translated through sub-titles and captions into any language or dialect for viewing in any region of the world.”
A vision for a better world
Since Michael Smolens launched Dotsub in 2007, its client list has grown rapidly, including multinational corporations such as GE, Cisco, Adobe and Boeing. The US army is a major client as is Bank of America. The company’s commercial success means that it has been able to make a significant pro bono contribution to numerous non-profit organizations including Translators without Borders. Michael’s huge respect for the work of TWB also led him to volunteer as a board member. He explains that “In Dotsub’s work for TWB, our aim is to aid dissemination of information to the most far-flung localities by removing language barriers to cross-cultural communication. Such global reach can make the world a better place – particularly if we can help and empower women by providing information on health, hygiene and education, which they can then share with their communities.
“I’m a fanatic about the preservation of language. Where language is a barrier, Dotsub is an enabling tool. I’m convinced that, as technology evolves and more and more people have access to video, there will be a huge opportunity for online video translation in terms of promoting access to information and engagement with ideas. This could have a profound impact on the world by communicating important messages to hundreds of millions of people.
“Dotsub is a for-profit company and commercial enterprises pay for use of our platform. However, when organizations such as Translators without Borders have important stories to tell, Dotsub is totally free. TWB can use our tool in any way it sees fit and is doing many wonderful things with it: videos for sex workers in Africa; translation of cell phone videos from witnesses to the Arab Spring; videos in 22 local Indian dialects for Healthphone…to name but a few. To me TWB couldn’t be a more perfect organization to be involved with. Everything it believes in mirrors what my life is all about. Working with Translators without Borders is a personal journey that I love, and I will do anything I can to assist.” More at http://dotsub.com