Reporting abuse from admin 'Azpidatziak' in Basque subtitle section

[luistxo]

The admin of the Basque language section 'Azpidatziak' is sistematically deleting all subtitles that I submit, giving no reasons at all for that behaviour.

I have known that other people's subtitles are being erased as well. I know of some users that have received insults when they have demanded for reasons for deletion thru the internal messaging system of Opensubtitles.

Publically, in the forum, the admin remains silent after people's respectful requests to allow submissions. https://forum.opensubtitles.org/viewtop ... 976#p33976

In other user's cases, he lets some subs pass, while others are deleted.

Until recently Azpidatziak has been the sole uploader of the Basque section of OpenSubtitles. No wonder, it seems that he has been deleting and harassing users back in the past too. Ref. from 2013: http://www.opensubtitles.org/en/subtitl ... x-11-23-eu

He has uploaded certainly lots of subs, and that's fine, but it seems he only respects his own work. Moreover, he has also localised this website into Basque, and that would be fine if it weren't for the fact that this user's spelling and terminology is in many cases a self-invented language, not standard Basque. His subs are also written in that kind of pseudo-Basque.

I don't expect Opensubtitles to decide on the subject of "correct or incorrect Basque spelling", but the matter would be a minor thing as long as extra versions of subs can be uploaded with other translations. Sadly, Azpidatziak doesn't admit that. Adding versions of films first subbed by him are marked for immediate deletion.

I request that the general admins of Opensubtitles review this claim, see the logs, and please remove the abusive Azpidatziak of his admin status.

I think that other submitters of Basque subs can sustain these claims of mine.

Thanks for your attention. Pls keep the good work; these kind of resources are important for a minority language like Basque and it feels bad that we should bother you with this abuse nuisance, but well, I think it's in the best interest of Opensubtitles not to have abusive admins among you.

[joxearanzabal]

Luistxo is not the only one having problems with admin “Azpidatziak”. The first two subtitles I submited to Opensubtitles in Basque language —The Martian and Afflicted—, were accepted without any problems. But last Saturday, February 20th, I uploaded the subtitles in Basque for the Toy Story trilogy, but they were erased with no explanation. I cannot understand what’s wrong with these subtitles, because they are well translated. I thought Opensubtitles was a big database where new and old movies’ subtitles can be stored.

Thank you very much for listening.

[rbsjn]

Yes, he has disabled four of the five subtitles I uploaded twice, without giving any reason http://www.opensubtitles.org/eu/subtitl ... 309/ran-eu. I'm sure that they are not duplicated, because these films aren't in the catalogue. I reported that in the same place than luistxo, here https://forum.opensubtitles.org/viewtop ... 976#p33976

In addition, I know that other users have received answers like «those films are too old for this web». Respectfully, I think this behaviour is an obstacle to people who have worked with the best intention. I respect the work of Azpidatziak, but I think that he can't be an administrator.

[KuntaKunde]

In my case, the actual administrator hasn't deleted any subtitle I uploaded. So I can't complain about that.

Anyway, I have been told twice by private message not to upload subtitles "like that" (I actually don't know what he means with "that", I have asked about which kind of subtitles are welcome and which not, but I have had no answer). That's true. Seems that anybody except the administrator himself is not very welcome in this site.

[KuntaKunde]

Another point: it seems that other language sections from Spain (like galician or catalonian) work well without any administrator. Why basque language subtitlers have to suffer this kind of censure? Have a look at this, please.

[aitarenetxea]

In my case has also been the same, these days ago I uploaded some subtitles in Basque, some new and others old film, and most of them have been deleted by the administrator “Azpidatziak” without giving a clear explanation, and without knowing why some yes and not the others. I leave here some of the messages I have received

Hello aitarenetxea,
your uploaded subtitles http://www.opensubtitles.org/
was disabled by "Azpidatziak" - http://www.opensubtitles.org/
Reason for disabling: unknown (possible duplicate etc.)

Hello aitarenetxea,
your uploaded subtitles http://www.opensubtitles.org/

was disabled by "Azpidatziak" - http://www.opensubtitles.org/
Reason for disabling: unknown (possible duplicate etc.)

Hello aitarenetxea,
your uploaded subtitles http://www.opensubtitles.org/
was disabled by "Azpidatziak" - http://www.opensubtitles.org/
Reason for disabling: unknown (possible duplicate etc.)

[Lasturralde]

In my case, as Luistxo says, one of the subtitles was disabled by admin. And some days later was enabled again, without specify any valid reason.

I know my works aren't professional and surely have to be improved. But that's not the point. In my opinion, this issue is about the right of someone without any agreement or argued reason to disable the work ( and by the way, the rights) of others. It's about a question of authority abuse without a reasonable argument. And for a admin. of Opensubtitles.org or any other website, is not a good way to proceed.

Can anyone imagine a single manager , for example in English or French language acting in the same way with the works of all users of these languages on this site? someone would understand this senselessness?

Thanks for listening our requests.

[Lasturralde]

In my case, as Luistxo says, one of the subtitles was disabled by admin. And some days later was enabled again, without specify any valid reason.

I know my works aren't professional and surely have to be improved. But that's not the point. In my opinion, this issue is about the right of someone without any agreement or argued reason to disable the work ( and by the way, the rights) of others. It's about a question of authority abuse without a reasonable argument. And for a admin. of Opensubtitles.org or any other website, is not a good way to proceed.

Can anyone imagine a single manager , for example in English or French language acting in the same way with the works of all users of these languages on this site? someone would understand this senselessness?

Thanks for listening our requests.

Im not saying that the admins know everything about subtitles, but they certainly have more knowledge than a common user or even, a translator.
With all respect, a PERFECT translation can easily be unusable as a subtitle if it doesnt respect some formal rules - and then the subtitle wont play, even the video wont play, and everyone blames opensubtitles for that.
Also, when admins make mistakes, and they see that they have mistaken something, why is it wrong when they fix their mistakes?
So I cant see abuse and you must also get over the fact that admins have no obligations to reason their decisions.
Altough, there has been example that opensubtitles removed the admin status from someone who started to do idiotic things in a big scale.

I agree that a perfect translation can be unusable for technical reasons and if that's the case, it could be reasonable disable them while they correct the problems. And obviously, with any mistake made by anyone there's no problem, never. (be an admin. or an user)

But when the uploader don't receive a concrete reason to correct the problems with the file, how can he know what happens? how can he start to fix it? As you could read in the other posts, usually we don't receive any concrete reason of why. Although be asked for them. As a sample, here you can see two questions asked directly to the admin. of Basque language in the forum, with no answer.
https://forum.opensubtitles.org/viewtop ... 976#p33976

It seems it's made randomly. And I'm sorry but, to me, that's why it's an abuse problem when someone made this things without a given reason, don't answer when it's questioned about it although the fact that admins have no obligations to reason their decisions.

Thanks for listening our requests

[Azpidatziak]

Hi Omerta,

I stay here very happy for years uploading good Basque subs that people love and download in hundred and thousands and millions times.

Any can view that this guys never upload one Basque subtitle in years and the only thing that they want is crash and broke this website
and me, the Basque admin, with lies, fake and very old subtitles that any want view because are really bad subs with time and write errors anywhere.

They can't view how I and a lot of people that download millions of Basque subtitles in peace.
This guys live saying lies about us and this is the only reason that this fake guys come here.

I hope Opensubtitles stay FREE of this guys.
Thanks!!

[oss]

I am contacting him, so he can see what is going on.

[Azpidatziak]

Hi Admins,

I explain yesterday in above reply what is the situation, but I explain you these 3 points:

* Subs that I deleted are really bad, wrong timecode and write errors or are duplicated or are fakes automatic translations or etc.
* Is lie that they not receive any clarification, I write comments in deleted subs and speak with uploaders via PM.
* About Basque spelling I don't imposing anything to anybody. I write subs how I know and people love them, downloading them millions times for years.

The only thing this guys want is a massacre and blood this website, and me, the Basque admin. It is the really behavioural issue.
I come here years ago for stay away from these guys, and I stay very happy with you and a lot of people downloading and viewing good movies and subs,
they come here now to attacking us.

I hope Opensubtitles stay FREE of this guys.
Thanks!!

[luistxo]

I strongly deny the claims by the admin Azpidatziak.

- I defend the correctedness and overall decency of my subs (all have been disabled and now my username has been named bad, so I can't provide more). Particularly automatic translations? NO BASQUE subtitler has ever produced such, nor me nor any other uploader. I may talk about the excellent work done by fellow subtitler JoxeAranzabal who has seen his Toy Story trilogy deleted with no explanations whatsoever... It's plainly outrageous.

- Comments: None with notifications of deletion (they have been all immediate: see Luistxo's subs, deletion, no thinking, no messaging), no PMs to me. No explanation. Check the logs, I hope they are traces in the DB.

- Only reply that I received is in the forum: https://forum.opensubtitles.org/viewtop ... =4&t=15273 Pass that thru Google Translate if you dare. It's a bunch of incredible insults, but not dedicated personally to me, but in plural, to the group of Basque uploaders.

The Admin has managed the Basque section as a one-person realm, with him as absolute king. There's no 'massacre' in sight here; just him, terrorized because he has believed OS to be a personal one-man-rule realm for his own subtitles (look at the history), and he's not ready to share this space with anyone else, particularly with people that can actually write proper Basque.

Among the other Basque subtitlers that have written here, there is a reasonable proposition by KuntaKunde: no need for another Basque admin here. It's not that anyone should have the powers of Azpidatziak to delete his work. The Galician and Catalan sections work without admins. It could be like that here.

Thanks for your attention, and sorry again having to bother you with this nonsensical behaviour by this abusive admin.

[KuntaKunde]

* Subs that I deleted are really bad, wrong timecode and write errors or are duplicated or are fakes automatic translations or etc.

This would be understandeable... if the subs that Azpidatziak (AKA Xabier Aramendi) make were good. In fact, they don't have only a problem, they have two:
1. It seems that, once Azpidatziak has translated them, he doesn't survey them anymore. As a subtitler, I know that despite of having tried to make a good work, we ALWAYS do mistakes. So, having finished the translation, it's important to watch the whole film (with a paper, a pen, and some popcorn of course) to catch these mistakes. Seems that our admin Azpidatziak doesn't never ever do that. In fact, it seems that quantity bothers him much more than quality.
2. As someone remarked before, Azpidatziak's basque language is not standard. I won't mess you with linguistic explanations, but I will only say that that kind of basque doesn't fit the rules fixed by Basque Language Academy, which are the ones employed by basque public radio, tv and papers, and this doesn't help to follow the plot of the film.

* About Basque spelling I don't imposing anything to anybody. I write subs how I know and people love them, downloading them millions times for years.

Azpidatziak mentions once and again this millions' thing, quite a bizarre date, if we realize that basque language it self has not more than 500.000 speakers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_language

[Azpidatziak]

Hi opensubtitles,

I already explain clearly what this guy want, but one more question:

Why this guys never upload a Basque subtitle here in years?
Why this guys now upload Basque subtitle that nobody want see?
Why this guys attack me and this website with lies and this hate?

This guy is a authentic leecher and psychopath.
This guy hate me and the work I make for Basque and subs and people that love this site.
The only thing this guy want is no one can see actual movies with Basque subtitles.

About me Basque Language, it is my mother tongue and I love it and I don't accept this guys fascist baspanish impositions.
About rules subtitles that I write aren't official subs with all copyrights, are illegal subtitles. This guys aren't any to tell me how I have to speak with my mother, friends or how I have to write Basque subtitles that firstly are illegal subs, because I don't have own rights or permission to translate them and anybody pay me for it, second I have enough rights to write Basque subtitles without official impositions... this isn't their official radio-tv that never show one Basque sub or movie in basque in their programations.


I hope Opensubtitles stay FREE of this guy and his henchmans.

I LOVE OPENSUBTITLES!!
I LOVE BASQUE SUBTITLES!!

[joxearanzabal]

Just for the record:

1. I never ever have received any notifications from anybody in OpenSubtitles to explain me why the subtitles of the “Toy Story” trilogy that I uploaded were deleted. No comments, no calls, no messages.

2. I never ever have used bad timecode or automatic translations on my translated subtitles. Usually, I work upon an English subtitle, but, just in case, I always have an Spanish translation at hand, to consult it whenever I have doubts. Once I finish translating, I read again all the translation, to correct the text. And, before sending it, I always watch again the film with my subtitles, just in case, to do the last corrections. It takes me more time to translate, but it’s the way I work.

3. Right now I am translating to Basque “Citizen Kane”, a universal classic from 1941. Reading to admin Azpidatziak should I understand that at OS there is no room for such movies? If that is true, it would be a pity, really.

4. I am a retired university professor, I started translating subtitles to Basque about two years ago, and I’ve come now to OS when I heard that it was an interesting repository of subtitles with an open philosophy. But if there is no room here for my work, don’t worry, I won’t come back, because at my age I don’t need the kind of abuse I’ve been subjected here.

Wish you the best.