The Rosetta Foundation is a
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
that promotes
social localization. The Rosetta Foundation was registered as a
charitable organization
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definitio ...
in Ireland. It was an offshoot of the
Localization Research Centre (LRC) at the
University of Limerick
University of Limerick (UL) () is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in Septemb ...
, Ireland, and of the Centre for Next Generation Localization's (CNGL) research initiative, supported by the
Irish government
The Government of Ireland () is the executive authority of Ireland, headed by the , the head of government. The government – also known as the cabinet – is composed of ministers, each of whom must be a member of the , which consists of ...
.
The Rosetta Foundation developed the Service-Oriented Localization Architecture Solution (SOLAS), whereby volunteer translators and not-for-profit organizations contribute to the translation and distribution of materials for
language localization
Language localisation (or language localization) is the process of adapting a product's translation to a specific country or region. It is the second phase of a larger process of product translation and cultural adaptation (for specific countries ...
. The first preview of Translation Exchange, now called SOLAS Match, was given on 17 May 2011; the first pilot project using SOLAS Match was launched on 20 October 2012. The Rosetta Foundation launched Translation Commons (or "Trommons") on 18 May 2013.
On 15 June 2017, The Rosetta Foundation merged with
Translators Without Borders
Translators without Borders (TWB) is a non-profit organization set up to provide translation services for humanitarian non-profits. It was established in 2010 as a sister organization of , founded in 1993 by Lori Thicke and Ros Smith-Thomas. As ...
(TWB). The two now operate jointly under the TWB name. This merger was announced at a Localization World conference in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
.
The foundation was named after the
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a Rosetta Stone decree, decree issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt, Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts ...
.
Goals
As outlined in a paper published by organization founder Reinhard Schaler: ''Information Sharing across Languages'', The Rosetta foundation stated aims is to provide infrastructure for translation and localization.
The concept of "Social Localization" was introduced by Reinhard Schaler, director of the Localization Research Centre at the
University of Limerick
University of Limerick (UL) () is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in Septemb ...
, at a particular Localization World Silicon Valley session on 10 October 2011. The main objective of social localization is to promote a demand rather than a supply-driven approach to localization. The Rosetta Foundation launched its initiative at a special event in Dublin on 27 October 2011 with volunteers, partner organizations, and funders.
History
European launch
The European launch occurred at the AGIS '09 conference in
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
, Ireland, from 21 to 23 September 2009. The president of the
University of Limerick
University of Limerick (UL) () is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in Septemb ...
, Don Barry, announced the launch of The Rosetta Foundation on 21 September 2009, during his welcoming address to the AGIS '09 delegates. AGIS, Action for Global Information Sharing, provided an opportunity for volunteers, localization specialists, and
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
s to come together.
North American launch
The North American launch took place at the Localization World conference in
Santa Clara, California, on 20 October 2009. This pre-conference workshop provided an overview of the organizational structure and the strategic plan of The Rosetta Foundation. Participants were introduced to the foundation's translation and localization technology platform,
GlobalSight.
International No Language Barrier Day
In 2012, The Rosetta Foundation declared 19 April the international "No
Language Barrier
A language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to refer to linguistic barriers to communication, i.e. the difficulties in communication experienced by people or groups originally speaking different languages (or different dialects in ...
Day", meant to raise awareness that access to translation services is an information barrier. The BBB Volunteer Interpretation Service helps communication in Korea, and Interpreters Without Borders from Babel verse.
Translation Commons (Trommons)
On 18 May 2013, The Rosetta Foundation launched Translation Commons, or Trommons, an open, non-profit space for those offering free community language services. Trommons was powered by the
Service-Oriented Localisation Architecture Solution (SOLAS). The Rosetta Foundation switched over overproduction on 8 May 2013, attracting communities from 44 countries within hours.
Technology platform
The Rosetta Foundation is involved in developing GlobalSight and Crowdsight. Both systems are open source systems originally developed by Transware and then moved into the open-source space by their new owners, We localize, in early 2009. Sponsored by We localize, GlobalSight is an open-source
Globalization Management System (GMS) that helps automate tasks associated with the translation, review, and management of global content. CrowdSight is another open-source application fully integrated with GlobalSight. It is used to engage a quick-turn translator for on-demand content. The GlobalSight community has over 1,500 members.
The first preview of Translation eXchange (now SOLAS Match), a component developed as part of The Rosetta Foundation technology platform in collaboration with the Centre for Next Generation Localization (CNGL), was given in a webinar by Reinhard Schaler and Eoin O Conchúir on 17 May 2011. SOLAS Match was developed as part of the Next Generation Localization research track of the CNGL at the University of Limerick and is based on ideas developed at The Rosetta Foundation Design Fest in San Francisco, 5–6 February 2012, by around 25 localization experts.
Service-Oriented Localization Architecture Solution (SOLAS) design is based on the ORM design principles: O-pen (easy to join and to participate), (serve the task to the volunteer), and (clear). SOLAS consists of SOLAS Match (matching projects and volunteers) and SOLAS Productivity (a suite of translation productivity tools and technologies). SOLAS Match has been released under an open-source GPL license and can be downloaded from the SOLAS web page. SOLAS Productivity currently consists of six components, all sharing an
XLIFF
XLIFF (XML Localization Interchange File Format) is an XML-based bitext format created to standardize the way localizable data are passed between and among tools during a localization process and a common format for CAT tool exchange. The XLIFF ...
-based
common data layer:
* Workflow Recommender (workflow optimization)
* Localization Knowledge Repository (source language checking)
* XLIFF
[Th]
OASIS XLIFF Technical Committee
is the owner and developer of the XLIFF Standard. Phoenix (re-use of metadata)
* MT-Mapper (identification of a suitable MT engine)
* LocConnect (orchestration of components)
International advisory committee
Board of directors
Non-profit Technology Enterprise Network
In March 2010, The Rosetta Foundation became a member of the
Non-profit Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN), a membership organization made up of individuals, non-profit and for-profit organizations which seeks to support non-profit organizations in their use of technology.
See also
*
Internationalization and localization
In computing, internationalization and localization (American English, American) or internationalisation and localisation (British English, British), often abbreviated i18n and l10n respectively, are means of adapting to different languages, regi ...
*
Globalization
Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...
*
Association without lucrative purpose
Laws regulating nonprofit organizations, nonprofit corporations, non-governmental organizations, and voluntary associations vary in different jurisdictions. They all play a critical role in addressing social, economic, and environmental issues. Th ...
*
Community Organizations
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
*
Master of Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit studies or nonprofit management is a Interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinary field of teaching and research that focuses on practices of the Nonprofit organization, nonprofit sector and can date back to the 1920s. This area of inquiry exam ...
*
Mutual organization
A mutual organization, also mutual society or simply mutual, is an organization (which is often, but not always, a company or business) based on the principle of mutuality and governed by private law. Unlike a cooperative, members usually do not ...
*
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
(NGO)
*
Non-profit organizations and access to public information
When government agencies outsource basic services to third-party non-profit contractors, one consequence is that the public may lose its access to information about the service that the public would have retained, had a government agency carried o ...
*
Nonprofit technology
Nonprofit technology is the deliberative use of technology by nonprofit organizations to maximize potential in numerous areas, primarily in supporting the organization mission and meeting reporting requirements to funders and regulators.
Types of ...
*
Occupational safety and health
Occupational safety and health (OSH) or occupational health and safety (OHS) is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work (i.e., while performing duties required by one's occupation). OSH is re ...
*
Social economy
*
Supporting organization (charity)
A supporting organization, in the United States, is a public charity that operates under the United States, U.S. Internal Revenue Code i26 USCA 509(a)(3) A supporting organization either makes grants to, or performs the operations of, a public cha ...
*
:Nonprofit organizations
Notes
External links
Non-profit Technology CommunityGlobalization and Localization Association (GALA)Localization World ConferenceLocalisation Research CentreMozilla Localization ProjectI18nguy: Internationalization (I18n), Localization (L10n), Standards, and Amusements
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosetta Foundation
Non-profit technology
Non-profit organisations based in the Republic of Ireland
Organisations based in Dublin (city)
Organizations established in 2009
Translation organizations