I agree too.
There is the substitute keywords script, but for the ones that are not familiar with english or computers it is simply impossible to setup.
I have some friends who would like to do RevTK, but disliked the idea of english keywords.

While I myself too cannot have a specific idea on what the real demand for an international version of Reviewing the Kanji is, I doubt Fabrice is aware too: I am sure many of what would be requests become masked by woelpad's great work with the Substitute Keywords Greasemonkey script (I am studying using the Spanish keywords).

Still, the functionality of woelpad's script is just as "good enough" as can be, since not having a true international version of the site implies there are dozens of stories out there that are being kept private, not shared, which is the opposite of what is cool about this site.

Of course, I do understand Fabrice can do with his time as he pleases, and I am thankful to him (and woelpad) for what Reviewing the Kanji is like as of today.

The thing is that Fabrice does not even have to wonder that question either. It is just a matter of offloading the work of adding personalized keywords to users (and of course no one can hold copyright on what I write on my own flashcards be them electronic or paper-based) and avoiding the risk.

He could still add a "language" option in the user's profile, so that shared stories in a different language from your option/s could be filtered out, and you wouldn't mind sharing yours either.

Fabrice, if it is a "too much work" or "unsure about copyrights" or "I would simply spend my spare time on something more fun" thing, I think it is totally understandable. If it is about "studying Heisig in English is just as easy", I think you are not being fair.

I consider my English to be (cough) rather damned pretty good. And yet, there is, still, an impressive list of "official" Heisig keywords in English which are words that, either it is the first time I have come across with, or the subtleties in the meanings of which stretch the demand on my command of the language just a bit too far.

gall bladder, happenstance, ladle, eventide, plump, icicle, meadow, marsh, fathom, den, yonder, reed... For Christ's sake. Studying Japanese with that English makes the fun become a torture for a non-native (me). We are not talking Sesame Street here. May I add we have no Thanksgiving in Spain either?

Then there are all those keywords the meanings of which are so incredibly close that make you bend over backwards so to find tricks to remember how they differ. That is there in English or Spanish without any need of translations. There is a reason posts like List of easily confused keywords (which falls way short IMHO) exist, for English users.

I think what you consider "sufficient english level" is a friggingly remarkable level of the language. And yet, even for those, there is a big way from "going with the english version" if there is nothing else, to *studying* it in English. You called the site "Reviewing..." for a reason. I can perfectly see people without an official translation making their own translated flashcards for the sake of study. I would. I sometimes pick some of the stories shared in English, and record them into Spanish in my own flashcards. I can understand them in English. Studying Japanese in English, though, makes the thing just too convoluted for me. And what is great about a social place like this, is that people speaking a certain language can gather and pinpoint the exact proper word for those tough ones, instead of coming up with non-proper ones if they had to rely just on theimselves.

Still, like I said, I acknowledge I cannot know the real demand. (Is there a way you can know statistics on how many people use the "Substitute Keyword" script?

Last edited by elmimmo (2008 October 17, 4:42 pm)

elmimmo wrote:

Is there a way you can know statistics on how many people use the "Substitute Keyword" script?

Userscripts.org keeps track of the number of downloads for each script, which is the closest thing to a statistic. It doesn't distinguish between different script versions or people downloading it on multiple machines, so the actual number of individuals is probably much lower. Currently at 1190, making it with a fair margin the most popular among my uploaded scripts. 

Not all these users switch languages. There's probably a fair amount that simply use it to tweak the english keywords or to get the keywords for just one edition. Just to put things further into perspective.

Having proven the worthlessness of this number, shall we do a count of hands? All people with a localized keyword list, raise hands! 1 ... 2 ... many! There, you have your statistic

Elmimmo and others, keep up the pressure. Fabrice, keep it on your todo-list. Heisig, pressed by his American publisher, has in a recent e-mail finally acknowledged the site in its present shape, as a free service, requesting only that no further material from the book is used. That removes the biggest objection raised by the german publisher, so we might even see some progress there.