Losing Tom the Translator from Online Bullies

It’s very sad to lose someone because of the Idiots abusing him for really Nothing. It pisses me off as it’s over nothing:rant:

Problem with Social Media it gives the Dickheads a Voice

Just wondering do you agree with that or was this Warranted?

1 Like

So he got bullied because he translated a transphobic joke properly or something like that ? How ridiculous, those guys are just little shits if they think everything they don’t like should be censored to the mass, he shouldn’t apologize nor quit the scene.

3 Likes

Article Here about it from Romhacking.net

romhackers.net/index.php/2020/01/27/harrassment-in-the-rom-hacking-community/

I’m disappointed how hardcore gaming 101 was also involved with their cucked, virtue signalling stance.

I used to respect them for many years. Now they just turned pathetic.

3 Likes

Whatever stance hg101 might have in regards of this topic, calling out Tom in public was the worst thing to do; even more knowing how Tom is and all the work he has done throughout the years. Not only that, but hg101 even politicized his response. He created an unneeded shit storm.

I’m so sad about all this. Hope Tom comes back eventually, and start placing disclaimers in Arial 72 in every game he translates, so nobody can say anything about his translations, and these scenarios can be avoided.

3 Likes

It’s only the worst thing to do if we assume these people are in it for a solution. When creating this kind of drama is the goal, no apology and disclaimer will save you. Until you completely comply with their demands anyway.

BTW. the programmer DDSTranslation is on Twitter as well, also had a reply to HG101

https://twitter.com/DDSTranslation

2 Likes

Nothing can be preserved by altering its escence. Rewritting history to fit a stance is dishonest, it is wrong. Censorship is wrong.

2 Likes

I always remember the Warner Brothers cartoons late re-releases; they placed a disclaimer about what was depicted, and the reason why they did not modify it:

BwVksgcCEAE5Ynb

7 Likes

Absolutely, the facts are that the game was originally released over twenty-six years ago and is set in stone. That cartridge’s data, Japanese text and all, will not change. It’s one more piece of history. In contrast, translation patches are updated all the time when problems are found. These are in no way set in stone.

The whole point of translating any work is to make it accessible to those who want to play it now. This means using language understood by current readers. There are plenty of words we used back then that mean different things now. Just because a word was widely used twenty-six years ago doesn’t necessarily mean it makes any sense to put it in a modern translation. It also doesn’t mean the word was acceptable back then, only that it was widely used.

It’s not out of line to choose a better word for a translation. In this case, there are plenty of ways to convey the meaning and flavor of the original without using disrespectful language. There’s no reason to stick with deprecated terms.

Most of all, nobody outside of an oppressed group has any right to determine on their behalf what terms are acceptable when referring to those inside the group. Only they can say. This isn’t some surprise rule that someone made up to cause trouble. It’s basic respect. To argue otherwise is to say that they shouldn’t be respected, period.

If it really feels so hurtful and onerous to be asked to change one word, then maybe the aggrieved people aren’t the overly sensitive ones, eh?

There’s plenty of room in a readme file to put content advisement. There’s no shame or censorship in warning that the game holds transphobic dialogue and that it’s been translated slightly more respectfully. The original writers were on the wrong side of history even back then; there’s no reason to join them there now.

Anyone who can wrap their head around Super Famicom code is certainly capable of learning how to actually apologize for disrespecting others.

For crying out loud, we’re talking about a skilled ROM translator who prefers to run away crying rather than apologize and correct a mistake. We don’t need a translation that badly, and it’s not even like this is the only person in the world who can do the job. There are plenty of others who can do it right.

tl;dr: Stop defending bigoted behavior, even if it’s unintentional or historical.

1 Like

Additionally, it’s not “censorship” of any form to include a warning that the original had a giant honkin’ swastika on the title screen but it isn’t relevant to the translation so it was removed. Then just friggin’ remove it. Seriously, punch Nazis.

1 Like

You hate nazis? Wow, that’s such an unusual and controversial stance. So brave.

Anyway, the translator should never apologize because he did nothing wrong. Simple as that.

2 Likes

Still no need to Abuse People over it though as they makes them Worse.

Shouldn’t they be more Mad at Konami who Made and Produced the Game?

You can be Civil about it.

1 Like

@ElectricKeet

  1. No, he shouldn’t have changed this word, a direct translation is a direct translation, and he never said it was a censored translation.
  2. Those guys never asked kindly for a censored version, they directly switched to harassment mode, because they actually don’t really care about the offended people, they are just trash who find harassing people fun.
  3. Erasing all traces of those prejudices is akin to claiming they never existed, nothing good will come from this.
6 Likes

It’s terrible because those who fight for tolerance in such manner in fact becoming equal to those who abuse such as them. Defence of rights in such cases is just disguised enforcing of someone’s will for everyone else. It’s violence, and nothing more. I’m very sorry for Tom. Good luck to him😃.

4 Likes

Yup! That’s what we call a “content warning”, and it covers the bases nicely. “Here’s what’s problematic in the work, we know it’s problematic, proceed at your now-actually-informed risk.” Two or three honest sentences about what’s inside, and the complaints disappear.

Plus, it’s a great CYA for when the actually unreasonable folks try to complain. “Outraged? That sounds awful for you, but we were very clear from the start that this had the content you’re upset about, so you did this to you.” There, problem sorted.

And speaking as someone who’s kinda fearless about watching or playing anything, it’s still awfully nice to get a heads-up for intense stuff. “Depictions of suicide? Just got back from my best friend’s funeral, so how about I set this one aside for a couple weeks or so.” No shame in it.

1 Like