I will be translating Askbot's dictionary into German during the next few days.
As in every language, there are a few ground rules that need to be defined. My suggestion would be to create a very neutral, formal translation with as little "techie speak" as possible. An informal translation can be added later separately.
Basic rules:
Use of formal "Sie" instead of informal "Du"
Use of german words over anglicisms where there is a choice; no silly germanisms for english words everybody knows, though: Internet, Browser and so on.
New / old ortography: I tend to use new ortography but I can live with old as well. I suggest a relaxed mixture with a bias towards the new rules: Old ortography may be edited by other users into new, but not the other way round.
Word choices:
I think this is a sane set of basic rules; feel free to add your comments, corrections and criticism. Also, maybe you want to contribute an informal or dialect translation?
Update: Translation choices
There are difficult but crucial translations that are going to be very heavily used in the everyday operation of the site. Here, good wording can decide a lot. Feedback is welcome. If you think you have a better solution, don't hesitate to contribute here.
Why are you use "Log-in" instead of "Login" ?
Es ist wahrscheinlich aussergewöhnlich oder?
I'm nearly done. I would like to take the translation into a Beta status now and look at it in context - I'm sure there are a few things that need to be translated differently when seen in the actual web site's context. With that (very important) caveat, I consider the translation to be pretty clean and stable.
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create your Q&A siteAsked: 2010-04-29 15:00:16 -0500
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Last updated: May 04 '10
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