Native Language Profile Setting

[phreadom]

Do I need to make the text field for the language a little longer? It's set to 20 characters right now.... but I can make it a lot bigger if need be.

I see that SS seems to have shortened it to "English speaking fam", where I'm guessing it would have been at least "English speaking family".

Let me know please.

[ss]

Yes, fam = family
Would appreciate that, thanks again. ^_^

[coco]

Many other language learning forums (e.g., WordReference, UsingEnglish) include a profile option to display the first/native language of every user. This information is usually visible in both the profile and every post, along with the user's name, post count, and location. Would it be possible to add this to the site? I would also suggest making it mandatory information.

Is it difficult to make a　member's native language to be mandatory information at a members profile?
As Spin13-san suggested in his OP, basically, I think native language information should be mandatory.
However, there must be some members who don't want to tell their native language, so answering "N.A.(No answer)"(or something like that) could be one of options.

[Valatunda]

However, there must be some members who don't want to tell their native language, so answering "N.A.(No answer)"(or something like that) could be one of options.

Wouldn’t that be similar to the same position we have now?

Maybe it could be made a need to be able to register, but as for others, they would have to be asked I imagine.

[phreadom]

Many other language learning forums (e.g., WordReference, UsingEnglish) include a profile option to display the first/native language of every user. This information is usually visible in both the profile and every post, along with the user's name, post count, and location. Would it be possible to add this to the site? I would also suggest making it mandatory information.

Is it difficult to make a　member's native language to be mandatory information at a members profile?
As Spin13-san suggested in his OP, basically, I think native language information should be mandatory.
However, there must be some members who don't want to tell their native language, so answering "N.A.(No answer)"(or something like that) could be one of options.

We can make it a required field both when registering and if a user later edits their profile (which would affect all the users who registered in the past before we implemented the Native Language entry).

Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

[becki_kanou]

It would certainly be nice to know. That way people can give help in languages other than English when needed, and you can tell if someone's English is iffy because they're non-native, or just because they're lazy.

[coco]

Is it possible to show a notice that the native language column is mandatory to members who didn't fill in their native language when they log in the forums?

I also remember that some of members data of languages were gone few weeks after native language was shown in their posts. For example, I saw Harisenbon-san and Tanuki-san had showed their native language. Hari-san wrote it with a humorous tone. like "へたな英語". Am I right? > 針さん 　
I myself had to rewrite my native language.

[phreadom]

Is it possible to show a notice that the native language column is mandatory to members who didn't fill in their native language when they log in the forums?

I also remember that some of members data of languages were gone few weeks after native language was shown in their posts. For example, I saw Harisenbon-san and Tanuki-san had showed their native language. Hari-san wrote it with a humorous tone. like "へたな英語". Am I right? > 針さん 　
I myself had to rewrite my native language.

I'm starting to wonder if one of the database crashes we had awhile back did more damage to our forum database than we've been aware of. I thought everything was restored correctly and we seem to have been running fine since then... I don't recall knowing about these missing language settings, but I do know that we are missing a number of forum posts, as you pointed out a few weeks ago.

At some point I need to go through and try to figure out what's happened and possibly a way to merge in the old missing posts without affecting the existing posts etc.

To answer your question though, I'm not sure about hassling the existing users to force them to add that setting. I can see possibly making it a mandatory field upon registration, as users are already expecting to fill in information... but making existing users go back to edit their profile seems a little intrusive?

Let's see what some others think about the issue.

[coco]

I think it was after the moving (March '08) that you had kindly set a native language for us.(Aug.'08)

but making existing users go back to edit their profile seems a little intrusive?

　As you said, it might be intrusive.
---
Sorry, Phreadom-san, it was not few weeks but 2 months (Oct.'08) after the language setting, that some data were gone.

[Valatunda]

Sending a notification with a reason to encourage members to add their native language and a link to this thread if there are any concerns I think would be good.

Also, if you’re going to implement those changes then perhaps that could be added to the notification too.

[Infidel]

forcing existing users seems wrong, but just advising everyone that it is there and requesting it doesn't. I'll go look myself at the settings, most users probably don't mess with the control panel much. I know I don't.

[phreadom]

forcing existing users seems wrong, but just advising everyone that it is there and requesting it doesn't. I'll go look myself at the settings, most users probably don't mess with the control panel much. I know I don't.

Would it be too pushy to force users to provide a native language setting when registering though? Right now it's an optional field, but it could be made mandatory on registration, or when a user tries to change their profile settings (that way it would only be an issue if they were already in editing their profile).

I tend to think that leaving it optional might be a the best route... I don't like forcing people to reveal things about themselves, even though knowing their native language might be helpful.

[coco]

I also have considered what is fair.
If it won't be mandatory for every member, it seems fair to keep it an optional field.

Thank you for posting your opinions, everyone. I could learn a lot from them.

[NocturnalOcean]

I can't see why people shouldn't be forced to put their native language. This is a site for learning, it's not 4chan.
If people can't be troubled to write their native language, then they can just find somewhere else in my opinion.

[astaroth]

I think it's not pushy to make the "native language" field a requirement. As Becki was saying there are times it's hard to tell if the English if iffy because they're not native or because they're just plain lazy. A couple of times I thought a user was a non-native speaker from their writing (and suggested accordingly to look for textbooks in their own native language, since it makes sense to me that if one has a hard time understanding English studying a third language in English might not be the best plan of action ...)
Also I might add that I think most of the non-native English speakers in this forum have said field filled, since it makes sense for them (as well as for me) to make a sort of cautionary statement on the way they might write.
Those are my two cents ...