ICanLocalize has recently released a set of WordPress plugins designed to make the difficult process of translating a website into another language much easier.
The biggest feature of their system is obviously the translation mechanism. Here is how it works (from their website):
Our system produces a translated blog with contents that are based on the original language blog. Whenever there are new contents or when contents update on the original language blog, they are sent to translators. The translations are then published in the translated blog.
The entire process is fully automated. Bloggers don’t need to spend any time administrating the translation. From the translators’ point of view, the process is seamless. They are notified whenever there is new work and translate inside ICanLocalize’s system. Translations are being sent automatically and published.
And the results are great. If you have ever tried to translate a website using an online tool I am sure you have realized how inadequate it can be. Don’t get me wrong, Google Translate and Babelfish have their uses, but nothing can compare to a professional human translator, writing in his or her native language.
More than just translation
ICanLocalize offers more than just translation. They have created several other WordPress plugins that compliment the translation service but are beneficial without it. For example, the CMS Navigation plugin provides “out-of-the-box support for full CMS navigation in your WordPress site including drop down menus, breadcrumbs trail and sidebar navigation.”
The Absolute Links plugin “prevents dead links between any post or page by guaranteeing that all links always point to the current addresses (permlinks).” I could have used that one on a project that I recently completed which required non-technical people to deploy a WordPress blog in test and transfer it to a production site with a different URL.
Each individual plugin is great but the whole package of plugins, used together, allow you to do things that are difficult to do otherwise. They are all GPL and in the WordPress plugin repository. Check it out and let us know what you think!
