This blog is mostly an exploration of my thoughts on translation technology, localization and collaboration, and sometimes other random stuff that makes sense to me.
I believe that sharing information is a great way to learn and so I am always seeking new ways to do this. Sharing also means that one is listening and I hope to get feedback that also adds to my learning. I do not presume to be an expert but I do believe that expertise can be gained by serious long-term focused attention and dialogue on a specific subject.
This blog represents my personal views and readers should not assume that my views are consistent and always in sync with my employer. Views expressed here are not necessarily aligned with the views of Translated Srl and/or any other company I have worked with in the past, as I say in the tagline. Though it is possible that my current employer can influence and bias my view.
Apart from my recent stint in the Language Translation Industry I also spent many years in the regular IT industry in the Data Storage, Content Management Software, Business Information Publishing, and the Institutional Investment Information industry.
I also have serious interests outside of technology and you may see traces of this occasionally in my posts.It is my sense that MT is not only useful for more effective distribution of "corporate content" but also to spread general ideas and knowledge more pervasively across the web. In fact, I think this is where the technology will really flower in potential and use.
I do not censor feedback given on the blog, but I do expect that people will conduct themselves in a civil and respectful manner. All SPAM comments will be deleted on sight.
I reserve the right to speak about things I find interesting in general, though I will try and keep the bulk of my posts focused on Translation Technology, Localization, Globalization, Internet Trends, The Social Web, Crowdsourcing, Collaboration, Global Business, and other things like that.
The following quote from John Hagel captures the spirit of what I hope to achieve in my explorations in this blog.
Other background information:
The correct pronunciation would be "keer" as in the drink Kir Royal and "tee" except it is a soft "t" that does not exist in English. They have at least 3 "t" sounds in Hindi. So KEER-tee is I think how it would be written for pronunciation. But I am not picky and I will respond to anything that vaguely sounds like it could be my name.
The description is not the described... J Krishnamurti
All that is required is impeccability, energy, and that begins with a single act that has to be deliberate, precise, and sustained. If that act is repeated long enough, one acquires a sense of unbending intent, which can be applied to anything else. If that is accomplished the road is clear. One thing will lead to another until the warrior realizes his full potential... Carlos Castaneda
The observer is the observed... J Krishnamurti
We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same... Carlos Castaneda
Thought shattering itself against its own nothingness is the explosion of meditation... J Krishnamurti.
I am also quite active on Twitter which I find is a great place to share and discover useful information. You can follow what I share at @kvashee and you can send me an email here.
"There are many different forms of passion. My particular interest is in the passion of the explorer – a passion that takes the form of a long-term commitment to explore a particular domain, usually fairly broadly defined criteria. It is not content with passive observation, but it wants to learn through doing. In the process, it seeks to achieve a growing impact on that domain by continuing to test and extend one’s own personal performance limits.
I have increasingly focused on two key dispositions that define the passion of the explorer – a questing disposition and a connecting disposition.
A questing disposition continually seeks out new challenges to test and advance our capabilities. People with this kind of disposition need continuing stimulation. But it is stimulation of a certain type – the kind that comes from going beyond one’s comfort zone, addressing new challenges, engaging in creative problem-solving and developing new skills to make progress in a challenging environment.
A connecting disposition, on the other hand, seeks to connect with others and form deep, trust-based relationships. For a passionate person, this is about continually reaching out to find people who share their passion or who might have some insights that can be helpful in pursuing their passion. It is ultimately about a desire to learn from each other and to get better faster by working together. The power of passion is that it brings these two dispositions together. The relationships resulting from the connecting disposition help passionate people to more effectively set out on ever more challenging quests. The quests in turn forge deep, trust-based relationships among those who jointly participate on a quest."
Other background information:
- Interested in the potential of technology and collaboration to bring about positive change around the world
- Interested in working with people who have integrity and passion.
- I have worked for almost 20 years with many of the luminaries in Machine Translation (and also some not so bright) and thus claim expertise in this technology.
- Interested in the possibility of automated translation to make all kinds of knowledge and information ubiquitous especially as related to reducing information poverty in Asia and Africa.
- I am also fascinated by music and its ability to move, inspire and change people. I have been working on a long-term project to produce life-like 3D sound from 128K MP3 sound files to bring back audiophile sound quality to the digital world. One of these days this could become my primary focus.
- Recently, I have also become very interested in the broader Machine Intelligence industry which I increasingly believe will drive change in the way we interact with knowledge data via technology, and I expect that it will help us connect better rather than isolate us as many seem to believe.
The Name
My name is of Indian origin and would be written as कीर्ति वशी • કીર્તિ વશી in Hindi and Gujarati which are languages that I can sort of speak. I also speak Ndebele (Zulu dialect) badly since I was born in Southern Africa. I really tried hard for a brief moment in time to learn Japanese as well.The correct pronunciation would be "keer" as in the drink Kir Royal and "tee" except it is a soft "t" that does not exist in English. They have at least 3 "t" sounds in Hindi. So KEER-tee is I think how it would be written for pronunciation. But I am not picky and I will respond to anything that vaguely sounds like it could be my name.
Continuously Ponderable Quotes
You are what you is, you is what you am, and a cow don't make ham ... Frank ZappaThe description is not the described... J Krishnamurti
All that is required is impeccability, energy, and that begins with a single act that has to be deliberate, precise, and sustained. If that act is repeated long enough, one acquires a sense of unbending intent, which can be applied to anything else. If that is accomplished the road is clear. One thing will lead to another until the warrior realizes his full potential... Carlos Castaneda
The observer is the observed... J Krishnamurti
We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same... Carlos Castaneda
Thought shattering itself against its own nothingness is the explosion of meditation... J Krishnamurti.
I am also quite active on Twitter which I find is a great place to share and discover useful information. You can follow what I share at @kvashee and you can send me an email here.
