Common names in non-US language do not show

[Torsten Eriksson]

I am living in a non-US country (Norway) and would like the local common names to show. In my account settings, I have:

1. Selected "Norway (country)" at the setting for "Names, Place".

2. Just to be sure, I also set "Norway (country)" as search place (should not matter for common names).

3. There is no "Locale" setting for Norway, which I take it means that the user interface is not translated. This is fine.

4. I have checked the "Show common names" tick box.

5. Found an observation of a species that has a Norwegian common name present (Filipendula ulmaria).

Still - after saving, logging out and in again (to be sure) and checking with another web browser (to be doubly sure) - only the US common name is shown.

I am told by a Swedish user that Swedish common names work. So, why does this not work for me?

Help is appreciated!

[Chris Cheatle]

I would reply in Norwegian , but you guys spell everything funny (Danish speaker).

For non translated languages like Norwegian, just entering a translation is not enough. In that translation, it needs to be set to be used in that place. Thus while you set your account to use names defined for Norway, the translation was not applied for that. It's a complex set up, in "unilingual " places like Norway it seems an unnecessary step, but it places with more that one language it is needed.

I set the use in Norway flag for that species so if you check your record it should now show it. Unfortunately only the person who entered the translation or a curator can edit an existing translation to make the change.

[Torsten Eriksson]

OK. I see how that works. It is a wee bit too complicated:

1. Find the taxon page

2. Select "Edit taxon" under "Curation"

3. Scroll all the way down to the taxon names

4. Click on "Add a new name" and fill in the data (in this view, there is NO Place selection - so it is not obvious that it needs to be done)

5. Save the name

6. Select "Edit taxon" once again under "Curation"

7. Scroll all the way down to the names (the new name just added seems to be at the top of the list, but else they are in no particular order)

8. Click to edit the name just added.

9. Now it is possible to "Add place"

10 Save the name

So this has to be performed for EACH name that is to be added. In Norway, there are commonly two names for each plant species (the legacy of having two Norwegian langages). So, for Anemone nemorosa there are almost twenty steps to perform.

I see that this can be done, but... the clunkiness of the procedure will severly hamper the progress of adding common names. I know that in some countries (at least Sweden and Norway) there is a very large set of "amateur botanists" that might start using this fantastic tool - but many of them dislike using scientific names. I hope therefore that this process can be streamlined.

Maybe the thing to do (for me) is to add a feature request?

[Chris Cheatle]

Just as an FYI, unless there are plans to translate the entire platform into both Nynorsk and Bokmål, it serves no purpose to add both translations. Since you set the translation to be used in a place, only one can be the default for that place.

I agree it should be that when entering a translation, you enter place(s) to use it on the same screen.

The problem is the setup has to support multiple use cases:
- nations with 1 standard language say Poland or Hungary
- nations with multiple languages like Canada or Switzerland
- cases where people want the interface in 1 language but names in another

This current setup works, but it is complex to support the above

[Ezequiel Vera]

I contacted support for a similar query on Argentinian common names of birds (since I edited some, but some names cannot be edited by users).

I received a kind answer saying that they could update all the database, and asked me for a reference database of common names for the country (in my case this publication http://www.avesargentinas.org.ar/lista-de-las-aves-argentinas)

Maybe you can ask in the support if this is possible for your countries?

The webpage and (most of the time) the app now show argentinian common names of birds in my session

Hope this helps

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iNaturalist" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to inaturalist...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to inatu...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/inaturalist.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[wst wst]

i have the same on the android app and website.

Most names when searching come in English instead of the Dutch name.

In the overview in the app they show up translated but not when searching or trying to find suggestion.

Op donderdag 28 juni 2018 16:42:17 UTC+2 schreef Torsten Eriksson:

[Chris Cheatle]

Unless I am mistaken, the application has not yet been translated into Dutch, so you must be running the app in English, and want to see the Dutch common names ? Is that correct ?

If so, go to you account settings on the web client (I don't know if it can be done on the mobile client). Near the bottom of the centre column is a setting marked "Prioritize Common Names used in this place" and set it to the Netherlands. And then remember to hit the Save button at the bottom.

I believe you have to close and re-open the mobile app to see the change, it should show right away on the web client. 

This will show common names in Dutch, assuming a translation has been entered, if none has been entered into the database, then you will still see the English