Every month or so the OTW will be doing a Q&A with one of its volunteers about their experiences in the organization. The posts express each volunteer’s personal views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the OTW or constitute OTW policy. Today’s post is with Chien, who volunteers as a translator.
How does what you do as a volunteer fit into what the OTW does?
As part of the Chinese translating team I assist in putting together Chinese versions for anything the OTW posts online, from AO3 guidelines to write-ups of amicus briefs. Basically I’m part of the bridge of communication that connects the OTW to the Chinese-speaking fannish community, helping to reach out to more people who might be interested in what we do!
What is a typical week like for you as a volunteer?
I joined the OTW right before my last year of high school and now I’m preparing for my UEC certificate exams in October, so generally my week is similar to that of any typical Chinese independent school student — except I use Google Drive a lot more often! I live in the school dorms too, which (gasp) don’t have any WiFi amenities, so I normally make my task for the week available offline and use my smartphone app during the week, then hand it in when I’m home for the weekend to save data charges XD. I also handle the occasional “do you get paid for your work?” from curious dormmates, but overall my work is like a de-stressing pastime for me.
What sorts of OTW content have you worked on?
Other than pages for the AO3 site and legal write-ups, I’ve done news posts and election manifestos too. I also dip into the Tag Wranglers’ chat room to help out with fandom tags. And when I’m 18 in two months I’ll apply for Abuse tickets too, because all experience is good experience, no?
What’s the most fun thing to you about volunteering for the OTW?
Fandom tags are really great fun, especially when a familiar series pops up every so often (I was so hyped when the first Chinese tags for Yuri!!! on Ice came in ?). It also keeps my mind on its toes as I jump back and forth between two languages, and I’ve always had a thing for linguistics, haha! Plus I’ve learned more legal terms in the past year than I have in my entire life, which could be a good conversation starter if I need one.
What fannish things do you like to do?
I made my FanFiction.net account when I was twelve, then moved to AO3 after getting into Free! My Tumblr blog is basically a collection of art reblogs from whatever fandoms I’m into, which could be anything from Steven Universe to Game of Thrones. I occasionally rant about issues in the fandom too, when I’m struck by the fancy. Then there’s headcanons with fellow fans too, which may or may not be turned into NSFW fics on AO3 ?
Now that our volunteer’s said five things about what they do, it’s your turn to ask one more thing! Feel free to ask about their work in comments. Or if you’d like, you can check out earlier Five Things posts.