About Translations

Source texts will not be translated.

That's a phrase you might encounter now more often on this blog.
With the dwindling readership and the superficiality of todays reading habits I found my efforts and many hours invested to translate everything a futile exercise; in addition to that I now mostly write and record findings for my own amusement. 

W.M. Obreen "De tekenles". Curtesy of Rijksstudio,
Object number RP-T-1976-23
http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.234958 

This decision wasn't something I came to lightly, because I do enjoy making source materials accessible to people who do not speak the languages they are written in - though I came to realise: most readers didn't read the texts, but skimmed to the pictures, or if there was something what interested them - harvested it for their own "research" to be spread across the web.

I do enjoy archive digging, I enjoy reading what people wrote in the past, as they do offer us a glimpse into the writers world. I am as much a spectator, a consumer of those words as were readers back in 1800.
I do enjoy the great privilege of free access, what todays digitised sources offer, what are indeed open to everyone with an internet connection and a curious mind.
I don't enjoy it when my archive digging is handed around under wrong colours.

I found a compromise what I think should work for us all - for my readers as well as for my own sanity and time-management: On the righthand side of this blog you'll find the Google Translator (GT) box (it's more or less reliable, or if it doesn't work, you can always feed the whole page through GT manually) 
I will transcribe some of the texts I find interesting, because I know that 1800 fonts and translators don't always mix well, so you don't have to rely on my conclusions. 

If you still have questions, or would like some clarification, or discuss something with me - there's a comment box underneath every post, feel free to leave a comment. 
If you'd rather be less visibly curious, you can always send me an email / contact request, or DM me over at Instagram.com/seidenweberin