in the end, cultural relativism is a poor excuse for bad behavior

[threeplusfire]

I've seen numerous translations today of the Russian interview with Anton Nosik. I've also seen numerous posts excusing is comments on some spectrum of cultural relativism. Hey, it's okay to treat your customers poorly because in Soviet Russia there were no choices! We are about 15 years too late for that sort of bullshit. I can completely understand that business practices in Moscow are different from business practices in Dallas. That's normal. But what I don't understand is why we should give people a pass for boorish, idiotic behavior and claim it is a cultural difference. Would those same people cut Dallas businessmen the same slack if they went to Russia? No, they would demand that the businessmen learn to work with local culture! I've read every translation I've seen of Nosik's interview and compared them to my own notes - in every one he says the same thing. That's he not interested in what his customers have to say, and if they don't like it they can leave.

This is not just about advertising, revenues and free accounts. I am a permanent account holder and I've continued to spend money on LJ during over more than seven years here. This is about whether or not Livejournal is a place where fandoms, people with depression, and people of all sexual identities can have space and communities. If we aren't wanted here, then it is time for management to say "Right - no more queers or depressives or fanfic writer, get out before we throw you out." The ongoing, underhanded attempts to pretend that LJ's userbase does not have a significant population of these groups is what I find reprehensible. (In case you missed it all the first go round, this post has hilarious brief recaps of all the drama.)

When you do international business, one has to learn how to play in more than one sandbox.

Comments

[meallanmouse.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I had a long reply to this since, since you posted this right after the links went up in my LJ.

Instead, I'll just say this. Using underhanded and drama-mongering methods - aka, doctoring a translation to make it sound worse than it is - is reprehensible as well. Furthermore, it undermines any credibility the people using those methods have, in my eyes, making them no better than those they are pointing the finger at.

On the other hand, anyone giving a sane, responsible translation with well balanced condemnation, I can respect. I'll note that none of the translations or posts I linked to excused the behavior of SUP in any way. But at least they were fair, in context and that's why I'll take these into consideration, whereas any drama mongering "OMG, SUP EATS BABIES FOR LUNCH!" is going to leave me entirely disinterested as a rule.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I've spent most of the day scouring LJ for links and seeing what people say, so your links were welcome additions to my reading. Add to that, I dragged out my Russian grammar book and used my woefully rusty language skills as well as consulting a friend through email about it - I don't really see how anyone is "doctoring" a translation. Phrasing, vernacular, common evolving usage can all lead to some differences of wording. Granted, my feeble translation attempts are better than Babelfish but not as good as a professional's work or a native speaker.

on a lighter note

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

What if we post "OMG SUP HAS A SEKRIT MURLOC ARMY!!" instead? :P

Or frogs maybe. Deadly, deadly frogs.

Re: on a lighter note

[meallanmouse.livejournal.com]

HA! You win!