This guide explains different approaches to organizing a Discourse forum for a multilingual community, including pros and cons of each method.
Required user level: Administrator
Discourse offers several ways to structure your site for a multilingual community. This guide will explore the most common approaches and their advantages and disadvantages.
Using categories for language separation
āOther languagesā category with sub-categories
One approach is to create a main category called āOther Languagesā with sub-categories for specific languages.
How to implement:
- Create a new category called āOther Languagesā
- Add sub-categories for each language you want to support
- Encourage users to post in the appropriate language sub-category
Pros:
- Clean separation between languages
- Ability to use category-restricted tags for additional organization within each language
Cons:
- Multilingual users need to track multiple categories with similar content
- Can lead to content silos based on language
Separate top-level categories for each language
Another approach is to create separate top-level categories for each supported language.
How to implement:
- Create a new category for each language you want to support
- Use a theme component like Custom Header Links to add language switching links in the header
Pros:
- Clear distinction between language sections
- Easy navigation for users who speak only one language
Cons:
- Can create a fragmented community experience
- Difficult for multilingual users to follow discussions across languages
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- Can lead to content silos based on language
Using tags for language identification
Forum-wide language tags
This approach involves creating tags for each supported language and encouraging users to tag their posts accordingly.
How to implement:
- Create tags for each language you want to support (e.g., #english, #french, #spanish)
- Encourage users to add the appropriate language tag when creating topics
- Optionally, use emojis in tag names for visual distinction
Pros:
- No need for separate categories
- Multilingual users can easily follow all content
- Flexible for topics that may involve multiple languages
Cons:
- Relies on user compliance for accurate tagging
- May be less intuitive for users accustomed to category-based navigation
Using separate Discourse instances
For communities with distinct language groups, using separate Discourse instances for each language can be considered.
How to implement:
- Set up a separate Discourse instance for each language
- Use subdomains or separate domains for each instance (e.g., en.example.com, fr.example.com)
- Link between instances in the header or footer using a theme component like Custom Header Links
Pros:
- Complete separation of content and users by language
- Ability to customize each instance for its specific language community
Cons:
- More complex to manage multiple instances
- Difficult for multilingual users to participate across language communities
- Potential for duplicate discussions and fragmented community
Additional considerations
Localization of categories and tags
Consider localizing category names, tag names, and their descriptions for a more inclusive experience.
User language preferences
Utilize Discourseās built-in locale settings and allow users to set their preferred language for the interface and content.
Search functionality
Ensure that users can search across all languages or filter results by specific languages.
Additional resources
Last edited by @hugh 2024-07-26T00:58:46Z
Last checked by @hugh 2024-07-26T00:58:56Z
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