Translation tools on websites are never quite as accurate as you want them to be, but nevertheless they are often pretty useful if you need to get the general idea about what’s being said.
One particular location where this is particularly helpful is on Twitter, where it’s often relatively easy to develop a basic understanding with a few choice translated words in a 140-character tweet. Although complete social media translation is challenging.
The website had briefly added a Bing translation tool to the page, albeit with little fanfare or announcement. While this seems like a relatively shrewd move, it actually turned out to be pretty unreliable.
So, just as silently as it arrived, the Bing Twitter translator slipped back into the murky depths of the internet.
The feature could yet return in the near future, perhaps after some subtle tweaking, but for now it seems we’re back to normal Twitter in the vast array of languages it currently hosts.
Translation tool
For businesses and corporate users, a translation tool would certainly have some benefits. Contacting clients and customers over the global marketplace can be a difficult task, and Twitter especially is a handy way to provide updates to a worldwide base without mass emails and lengthy details.
While Twitter users in this category may mourn the loss of a potentially boundary-breaking and business-making tool, it does, however, mean that details will definitely not get lost in translation. As some people in the online-universe jump on tiny mistakes and errors and make them go viral in an instant, this might not be such a terrible thing.
As noted by Don Reisinger at CNET, chief executive officer of Microsoft Satya Nadella mentioned the app during this summer’s FIFA World Cup, tweeting: “Futbol, football, fuβball, Soccer: @Bing on @Twitter can help translate the beautiful game.” However, nothing has since been said about the tool’s removal. Perhaps it was just intended for the aforementioned sports tournament?
Social media translations
Like all social networks, Twitter is battling to remain fresh in its ever-evolving world. It has been suggested the San Francisco-based website could soon be introducing a shopping tool, as part of a number of future changes to improve user experience.
With such developments intended to make Twitter one of the leaders in the social network sphere, it would not be a surprise if the translation tool were to make a triumphant return in the coming months.
However, whether or not Bing will power it is another matter. If it did indeed prove to be a failure this time around, will the Microsoft search engine be trusted once more to offer a translator?
Of course, translation services can be extremely helpful for a brand’s progression, especially as the marketplace has grown beyond geographical boundaries since the birth of the internet.
Social media is one of the key drivers of an international presence, so being able to easily translate status updates, tweets or blog posts with maximum efficiency and accuracy could be a key to success.
Why not see how far your business could reach with the use of translation and localization services?
