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296 points jakub_g | 10 comments | | HN request time: 0.351s | source | bottom
1. watwut ◴[] No.45011400[source]
Now to that stupid robot auto translation on non-english videos I never asked for and can not turn off.
replies(4): >>45011489 #>>45011554 #>>45011556 #>>45011904 #
2. roelschroeven ◴[] No.45011489[source]
Those translations are not only unwanted but also ridiculously bad (which is part of the reason why they're unwanted, I guess). I have to translate back to the original English, as far as that's even possible, to get an idea of what the video might be about.

Who in his right mind thought this was a good idea??

I have a Firefox extension which tries to suppress the translations, but it only works for the main view, not for videos in the sidebar. It's better than nothing.

3. jakub_g ◴[] No.45011554[source]
The "can not turn off" part is the most jarring. Seriously, did none of Californian PMs hear about the concept of "being multilingual" and not needing to translate non-English content?

---

By the way, this reminds me also of another stupid Google thing related to languages:

Say your Chrome is set to English. When encountering another language page, Chrome will (since a decade ago or so) helpfully ask you to auto-translate by default. When you click a button "Never translate <language>", it will add language to the list which is sent out to every HTTP request the browser makes via `Accept-Language` header (it's not obvious this happens unless you're the kind of person who lives in DevTools and inspects outgoing traffic).

Fast-forward N years, Chrome privacy team realizes this increases fingerprinting surface, making every user less unique, so they propose this: "Reduce fingerprinting in Accept-Language header information" (https://chromestatus.com/feature/5188040623390720)

So basically they compensate for one "feature" with another, instead of not doing the first thing in the first place.

replies(2): >>45011570 #>>45012985 #
4. scyzoryk_xyz ◴[] No.45011556[source]
Nobody asked for it and you can't find discourse on the subject or give it a name, I've never had a feature made me feel more gas-lit. And I pay for premium dammit.
replies(1): >>45012350 #
5. scyzoryk_xyz ◴[] No.45011570[source]
"Złomnik: Dodge Caravan Is a Large Wall Unit"
replies(1): >>45011695 #
6. meindnoch ◴[] No.45011695{3}[source]
The car that changed the car industry forever. Something. Something. Fake american accent.
7. rckt ◴[] No.45011904[source]
This one is the worst. I can't imagine the thought process behind it. How on earth it was seen as a wanted feature, and especially without a simple way to disable it? This feels like they used AI to code this AI thing in.
replies(1): >>45012336 #
8. hulitu ◴[] No.45012336[source]
> How on earth it was seen as a wanted feature, and especially without a simple way to disable it?

Were you asleep in the last 10 years ? /s They have names for it: accessibily, User eXperience. Or as some other people put it: enshitification.

9. hulitu ◴[] No.45012350[source]
> And I pay for premium dammit.

Sometimes it is better when some things are left out. /s

10. vintermann ◴[] No.45012985[source]
> Seriously, did none of Californian PMs hear about the concept of "being multilingual" and not needing to translate non-English content?

Sometimes it feels like Google keeps anyone with any kind of executive power hermetically sealed a some house borrowed from a reality TV show where they're not allowed any contact with the outside world.