[lg policy] UK: What's TripAdvisor's problem with Welsh reviews?

[Harold Schiffman]

 What's TripAdvisor's problem with Welsh reviews?

*Name:* TripAdvisor.

*Age:* 15.

*Appearance:* *Gelyn holl Gymru*.

*Did you just fall asleep on your keyboard?* How incredibly racist of you.
I was speaking Welsh.

*Welsh? Since when has Welsh been a language?* Since for ever, you dolt. I
can’t believe this. First TripAdvisor doesn’t recognise Welsh, now the
Guardian. It’s enough to drive you *hollol wyllt*.

*TripAdvisor doesn’t recognise Welsh?* Not even slightly. A Welsh tour
guide is kicking off because TripAdvisor rejected his Welsh review
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3325050/TripAdvisor-sparks-outrage-refusing-run-review-s-written-WELSH.html#ixzz3s1bR5XFs>,
on the basis that it violated the site’s language policy.

*Really? What was he reviewing?* The Llyn Maritime Museum
<http://www.llyn-maritime-museum.co.uk/>, a small attraction in a church in
Nefyn.

*And what did he think of it?* We’ll never know. TripAdvisor rejected his
review. However, based on its English reviews
<http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g1097184-Activities-Nefyn_Gwynedd_North_Wales_Wales.html>,
the museum is the best attraction in Nefyn, ahead of a 19th-century watch
tower and two transit vans
<http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g1097184-Activities-Nefyn_Gwynedd_North_Wales_Wales.htm>
in a car park.

*Ooh, I like transit vans.* Listen, that’s not important. What’s important
is that TripAdvisor is unwittingly marginalising a language spoken by more
than half a million people
<http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/12/welsh-language-extinction-use>
.

*Is the tour guide annoyed?* He is. Emrys Llewelyn called it an insult,
saying
<http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/tripadvisor-refuses-publish-welsh-language-10456813>:
“Welsh is a major language but TripAdvisor do not seem to think so. It’s
difficult to keep a temper about something like this … TripAdvisor are
making fools of themselves.”

*Did he say all that in English?* Well, yes, but that’s not the point.
There are communities that would find Welsh-language reviews incredibly
useful.

*Communities who enjoy reading what someone with too much time on his hands
thinks about a canoe in a church?* Why not?

*Then why don’t they just look at the museum’s website? That’s **in Welsh*
<http://www.llyn-maritime-museum.co.uk/>*.* You’re not helping.

*How has TripAdvisor countered this criticism?* It says that, currently, it
doesn’t have the capacity for Welsh-language moderation and fraud
detection, so it’s better to reject all Welsh reviews outright than
compromise the integrity of its site.

*Still, at least this is good publicity for the museum.* I know. It really
looks quite nice.

*Do say:* “A global organisation such as TripAdvisor should be better at
facilitating the needs of its own user base.”

*Don’t say:* “*Does neb yn siarad Cymraeg beth bynnag*.”
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/shortcuts/2015/nov/22/whats-tripadvisors-problem-with-welsh-reviews

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or
sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write
directly to the original sender of any offensive message.  A copy of this
may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20151123/a20ecdb3/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list