Top 10 Worst Localization Influencers

Nimdzi’s top localization influencers list has garnered a lot of online debate and commentary over the past few weeks. Who’s on it? Who’s not on it? Nimdzi has just released an updated version, so MultiLingual is following suit with the list that everyone will be relieved to be excluded from: the worst localization influencers. All of these are real in a purely abstract way, and some are even real in a real-world way.

1. Voldemort. The attempt to localize Hogwarts for serpent culture, through language and changing his own facial structure, didn’t win this guy any popularity points.

2. Dracula. He never really bothered to adapt to centuries or locales that weren’t Medieval Romania. Plus the eating people thing.

3. Fans of Esperanto who think everyone should learn Esperanto to communicate across cultures. Localization? More like nope-alization.

4. The true villain: the Bad Manager. Most notably, the “seagull” project manager who flies in every few weeks, makes a lot of noise, craps all over your work, and then flies out.

5. Donald Trump. Under his astute global-businessman leadership, in which he has blamed his competitors (Democrats, other countries) for his own performance, all but a handful of countries have closed their borders to Americans. Not great for international exchange.

6. Stalin. That guy was really opposed to people keeping their native languages. Two thumbs down.

7. Regarding the prohibiting-native-language thing, see also: Franco (Franscisco, not James), Andrew Jackson, and most other dictators and/or genocide enthusiasts.

8. Saruman The White. His rebrand did not cater to most of the peoples of Middle Earth, and his thirst for innovation was expressed in new, improved Orcs. Very culturally insensitive — and environmentally destructive.

9. Scammers who steal translator resumes, clog your inbox, and even drain your bank account.

10. That one guy. Don’t be that one guy.

Katie Botkin
Katie Botkin is a freelance writer. She has a master’s degree in English with an emphasis on linguistics and has taught English on three continents.

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