Subtitle Requests: 'Subtitle Creation in Process' flag

[subshare]

I noticed that the subtitle requests section doesn't offer any possibility to discuss a request. It's simply a list of subtitles requests where you can join in when you have a request too. It would be nice if there was a possibility for people who create subtitles to discuss requests, so that they can for example ask for help or work together on a subtitle, i.e. share work for instance. Or, at least, inform the community that they are working on a subtitle. This flag could have some sort of automatic 'delete flag' timer, in case the subtitle isn't submitted within a specific period after the flag has been set, let's say 7 or 10 days.

A few times it happened to me that I decided to create a subtitle that didn't exist yet for a specific title and then discovered afterwards that someone else had done it too while I was at it. This is unnecessary and can be avoided if subtitle workers could set a flag for a request, something like: 'subtitle creation in process'. Because the manual creation of a subtitle can take a few days. And during that time someone else might decide to work on the same subtitle.

As suggested, subtitle workers could share work on a subtitle if they coincidentally intend to work on the same title. So, the 'subtitle creation is in process' flag should also indicate who is working on it, so that this subtitle worker can be contacted, e.g. for offering help (transcription, translation, spellcheck, sync etc). Perhaps the above coincidence doesn't happen that often. Nevertheless, for these occassions it would be really nice.

Edit:
It would also be nice if people who are searching for a subtitle and get no results because it doesn't exist yet, but if the that flag is set, that they get a hint like "No subtitles available yet for this title. But apparently someone is working on a subtitle for this title. For more information, click here [Link to Subtitle Request for this title]".

[oss]

I have to agree it is nice idea, and already available on some other subtitle sites.

Before even thinking how to implement this, these questions must be answered:

- mark is enough (on/off), or it would be better how many percent is done ?
- only one translator can translate one subtitle, or it can be more users ?
- who can edit how many percent is done ?

I believe there can be done much more for translators.

[eduo]

Did this go anywhere? Wouldn't it make more sense to ally with a subtitle creation site like Addic7ed and just interface both sites?

From their site it's easy to know if a subtitle is missing, in process or "complete". All "edit" actions would take the user to that site and all "complete" subtitles would automatically be flagged as "preferred". In turn, their sub IDs could be linked to our own hashes.

I'm not a fan of Wiki-based subtitle editors but I'm even less a fan of re-doing existing work. The idea, though, seems intriguing and I've been asking for related stuff for ages

[subshare]

I don't think it's very handy to link in an external website. It might be rather confusing then. I'd prefer that everything stays within Opensubtitles. As for implementing this feature, I suggest the following:

If a user searches for a subtitle and gets no results, and if there are already requests existing for this movie ID, he'll get a direct link to those requests, so he can instantly see the status. There he can: A) add his own request or B) set a flag that he is working on that subtitle

If a subtitle has been flagged as 'Subtitle creation in progress', it will be displayed to users at the search results. If there are no results, but if a subtitle is in production, they get a clear hint about this and also a link to the subtitles existing requests.

In order to make this useful, the requests lists' functionality should be extended. Subtitles producers should be able to post info on the production status, e.g. estimated finishing time, percent of completion, comments, help/support requests for their production. Perhaps this can be simply done by linking it to a subforum of OS, specifically for discussing the production of those very subtitles (sharing the work, asking for translation parts, etc). This subforum should have a 'one thread per subtitles' policy (movie id + language) with the IMDb ID and the language being compulsory in the thread's subject title.

If a subtitles file hasn't been submitted within a specific period of time after it has been flagged as 'In Production', the flag gets automatically removed. Of course, subtitles producers can simply 'renew' it by setting the flag again if they need more time.

Naturally, only registered users can set this flag. They can also unflag it, if they don't find the time to finish it. Unfinished subtitles could be posted as attachments in the subforum, so that other subtitle producers can pick it up and finish it if they want to.