Author: nonsensetwice#3475
Date Created: September 7, 2021
I. Summary
II. Localization Scope
III. Financial Implications
IV. Success Metrics or KPIs
BACKGROUND
BanklessDAO (bDAO) is a melting pot. We have incredible diversity, with members participating from around the world. Crypto is a global initiative; Bankless is a global initiative. In an effort to celebrate this diversity, and encourage participation across all facets of the DAO, Mad Hatter MGMT is interested in expanding the services of Mad Hatter to be available across a number of languages.
Mad Hatter will be a need for the DAO for a long time, and we’re working on building out services before they’re critical. Considering we’re working to onboard as many people to crypto as possible, and as part of this, we’re also onboarding new members to BanklessDAO, it’s going to be imperative to provide support for as many members in as many ways as possible. We feel confident that localizing commands will be a major step in supporting many of our members.
LOCALIZATION SCOPE
This will be no easy feat. The dev work itself will be easy enough, as both the Discord API and the discord.js library support the localization of commands. The development aspect will require creating switches, based on the locale a user has set for their discord, for the various verbiage across the codebase. However, the greater work comes in translation, and the verification of that translation.
Currently, if a developer wants to build or augment a feature on Mad Hatter, the process is as follows:
- Developer (dev) picks up a bounty.
- Dev creates a bot through the Discord Developer Portal for local development.
- Dev forks the Mad Hatter repo.
- Dev plugs in credentials for their personal dev bot.
- Dev builds a new feature, or augments an existing one.
- Upon completion, dev submits a Pull Request (PR) from their fork back to the main repo.
- Mad Hatter MGMT tests and reviews the PR. We then communicate any recommended changes with the dev.
- Once completed, Mad Hatter MGMT merges the PR and sets the feature or augmentation to go live on the next release.
Two changes will be necessary to this process to implement localization:
- in step 5, translation services will be necessary, unless the developer is bilingual in the language being developed for, and
- a 3rd party translator will be necessary in step 7 to validate the verbiage prior to inclusion to the codebase.
While we recognize there are a number of languages well represented in our community, Spanish will be the first language to be implemented as it is widely used and offers the path of least resistance. This will allow Mad Hatter MGMT to create a process that will guide future localization efforts, and hopefully simplify the process along the way.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Mad Hatter MGMT has parceled out 35k BANK from their bounty pool for this endeavor. This amount will be split between the team of developers and translators that are able to complete and ship the first iteration/language of this feature. 35k BANK, we think, is a decent amount to present for the first language to be implemented; however, we want to encourage those who will gain the most from this development to contribute to the developers and translators by way of tipping them directly. Any funds sent to the Mad Hatter MGMT safe for this effort will be distributed evenly among the developers and translators working to bring this to fruition; Mad Hatter MGMT will only provide the support necessary to keep this initiative on track, and as such will not partake of community funds raised for the delivery of this feature.
A rather important caveat: as exciting as this may sound, be aware that the first language to be produced will require the greatest effort, as it will serve as the locale that informs us of the failures and successes in developing the process for successful implementation of more languages in the future.
SUCCESS METRICS OR KPIS
There are two metrics that will help Mad Hatter MGMT measure the success of this initiative: Mad Hatter to become bilingual, and for our members to make use of the commands in Spanish. With these two critical factors out of the way, there are a number of ways this initiative can be held accountable:
- Bi-weekly (every two weeks) updates in the Community Call, once development has begun.
- Via the Mad Hatter MGMT project board on Wonderverse.xyz.
- By regular engagement with the Mad Hatter MGMT team.
CALL TO ACTION
We’re looking for general feedback from the BanklessDAO community. We’ve decided to run with Spanish first, as it will provide the easiest way for us to develop a process by which other languages can be built out for. However, we’d like to know what languages are most represented in the DAO, and how best to incentivize future teams that will be supporting future iterations of command localization.
If you are a developer interested in working on this feature, please reach out to the core Mad Hatter MGMT team members for onboarding to bot development. Currently, @LordRanchoatos1813 has stepped up to assist with onboarding and guidance for this endeavor, though @tony_stark and @nonsensetwice will be available to support onboarding and development efforts.
Likewise, if you are active in the Translator’s Guild, please reach out to @nonsensetwice to get plugged in to the initiative.
We are here to help build a better experience for all bDAO members, and to develop greater unity across the entire bDAO Discord ecosystem. This initiative is a step forward in that direction.