Just like diamant, this post makes me wonder, though it does not concern me directly (since it's about Italian translations).
I share Een's spirit, that translation work should be about collaboration rather than a form of competition and a race for reward (namely BGA membership, but also a certain form of honour, fame or self-esteem somehow). And I think this should be questionned and set as an actual aim: it is what we chiefly lack. Not to dramatize the current situation, which is barely imperfect, but to raise a will to change.
I also share, but moderately, the opinion of diamant. We should really (I know I'm just here talking and it's easy to say 'we should', but I'm actually willing to participate) consider a supplementation of translation guides, with primarily conventions for punctuation (a reminder) and inclusive writing (an - arbitrary - decision in order to fix it once and for all) etc., but also with some other reminders, and also with a clear and completed presentation of translation's aim and principles.
As a conclusive note, I will add that I say "moderately" because I do think translators should be serious and competent, but I feel that we (so especially diamant here) might exagerate what is serious and what is competence. I mean, we do enjoy translation don't we (I do), so arguing about translations and correcting shouldn't be so much of a problem as long as arguments based on actual knowledge and rules are provided. Those who don't like it, or who always see (who over-see) incompetence and absence of actual work may question themselves and their very motives.
We shouldn't spend too much time arguing about players, perhaps it's about the game (its rules). The reward policy, the guides, I don't know.
I have a few ideas (mere ideas, maybe they will sound absurd to you), and we may find others: we could find and implement a language game that translators would need to complete, we could (may be hard to program) offer points for any contribution, but allow translators/moderators to vote against contributions that seem against the rules or sth, we could imagine systems to make it more fun or collective like a vote for the best translator… Well, weird ideas but there may be one little thing to pick up in them...
'Hope I haven't been too long and chatty and that I made my point(s).
