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I built an English-speaking website that helps immigrants settle in Berlin.[0] It has been my full time job for a while. Most English speakers know about it, bu

by nicbou 2y ago

I built an English-speaking website that helps immigrants settle in Berlin.[0] It has been my full time job for a while. Most English speakers know about it, but it's nearly invisible to Germans, who would also benefit from the content and tools I have worked on. I'm currently adding an automated AI translation feature to my custom static site generator, so that I can translate the website to multiple languages and reach more people. I'm trying to make the process as seamless and automated as possible, because I'm running this website solo, and there are only so many hours in a day. It's a surprisingly tricky endeavour! As usual, the first 80% are easy. It's getting the last 20% right that requires a lot of work. There are so many small hurdles. For instance, translating the URL structure and translating the URLs within the content, getting the translations to be accurate, getting the SEO right, translating the templates and the JS tools I've built, keeping the costs low. [0] https://allaboutberlin.com https://allaboutberlin.com

bmoxb 2y ago
I recently moved to Germany (not to Berlin, but seems like most of the content is still relevant) and your website was extremely helpful - thank you for working on it.
- blueflow 2y ago
  What were your motivations for moving here?
notpushkin 2y ago
Thank you for building this! I’ve discovered it a while ago and has been showing it as an example of what a good government website should look like. It’s a joy to read and explore, even though I’m not considering moving to Berlin :-) Any suggestions to anybody starting another website like this?
- andrepd 2y ago
  Man, it's an example of what a good website should look like, period. It's clean, fast, readable, accessible, works without js. The information is presented directly and to the point.
- nicbou 2y ago
  A few things off the top of my head: - Only add things that improve upon Reader View. A table of contents, better typography, and that's about it. - Get to the point. I put a lot of effort into writing succinctly and unambiguously. I revise my content time and time again to get it just right. Information architecture is also important. - Sweat the small stuff. Reduce friction for your users wherever you can. Something as simple as a letter template makes a big difference for readers that dread communicating in German. I've been doing this for seven years, so I picked up quite a few tricks along the way. It all comes down to knowing my users, and working hard to reduce their pain.
BabarKhanJaved 2y ago
Thank you, Nic.
mediumsmart 2y ago
very good site - DKB ATM is minimum 50 too I think.
rahulbshrestha 2y ago
damn this is so underrated! u should do one for munich too :)))
homakov 2y ago
(on an unrelated note): I tried to move to Berlin for summer but quickly discovered almost no apartments have AC, I mean strong South Asia-level AC. It was a major no for me as I cannot sleep with temp above 20C, 18C is perfect. Any idea how to find an AC apartment next summer on local estate apps? Any "checkbox" somewhere to tick?
- okr 2y ago
  Maybe a hotel will do? You can also rent an apt and buy a mobile AC yourself. Which i did this summer, for the few days it gets really hot.
  - homakov 2y ago
    A hotel is temporary, i wanted to stay May to September.. Yes mobile AC is the best plausible option but it's quite weak compared to split-AC and requires a partially open window.
    - okr 2y ago
      There are mobile split-AC. I took one meant for camping. And the wiring between the units is small enough, so that an opened window is not a problem. Worked well enough for me.
fourside 2y ago
This is great! You mentioned this is your full time project. How do you make a living off it? I see mention of affiliate links and a call for donations. Is that how you monetize the site?
bwb 2y ago
Super awesome work btw, I was looking to move to Germany and my mind was blown with the weird notary monopoly when it comes to starting a business. I couldn't believe that is how it worked...
gdw2 2y ago
One of the first things I read on the site was about the "church tax"[0]. Very interesting. > You declare your religion when you register your address. The church can also tax you if you were a member in another country. To stop paying the church tax, you must leave the church. [0] https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/start-a-business-in-germany https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/start-a-business-in-german...
gyre007 2y ago
This is wonderful, though I wouldnt want to move to Berlin I find this really useful to learn about Germany. I also find it funny because it epitomises how broken the EU is. It should not be this hard to move within the EU, alas, here we are. Thank you for putting this together for the folks that need it!
- nicbou 2y ago
  That is an entirely wrong takeaway. Mobility is much easier for EU citizens. They skip all the hardest part of the process, the ones that actually make people leave out of frustration or bureaucratic blockade. The problem firmly sits in German hands.
uses_finally 2y ago
Hi! This website is for me! I moved to Berlin about a week ago, and am staying for some months. Fortunately, I have a native friend who has been explaining everything so far, but this is an amazing bridge so I won't have to ask a billion questions. (And this is written from an outsiders perspective, so basically no knowledge is assumed). I'm looking forward to reading it all Thank you! This makes my life a lot easier.
nkunkux2 2y ago
I've moved to Berlin some time ago, and your website helped me very VERY much with navigating all this madness. keep it up!
wonger_ 2y ago
Very cool. I would love to see a writeup of your translation workflow eventually. How long have you been working on this site?
- nicbou 2y ago
  7 years. The translation workflow will become surprisingly complex. Making it simple again will take some time. Usually ai mostly automate something, then let it run for a while before finishing the job. You don’t know how you will work with a tool until you do.
DomStocchetti 2y ago
[dead]

by nicbou 2y ago

bmoxb 2y ago

I recently moved to Germany (not to Berlin, but seems like most of the content is still relevant) and your website was extremely helpful - thank you for working on it.

blueflow 2y ago
What were your motivations for moving here?

notpushkin 2y ago

Thank you for building this! I’ve discovered it a while ago and has been showing it as an example of what a good government website should look like. It’s a joy to read and explore, even though I’m not considering moving to Berlin :-) Any suggestions to anybody starting another website like this?

andrepd 2y ago
Man, it's an example of what a good website should look like, period. It's clean, fast, readable, accessible, works without js. The information is presented directly and to the point.
nicbou 2y ago
A few things off the top of my head: - Only add things that improve upon Reader View. A table of contents, better typography, and that's about it. - Get to the point. I put a lot of effort into writing succinctly and unambiguously. I revise my content time and time again to get it just right. Information architecture is also important. - Sweat the small stuff. Reduce friction for your users wherever you can. Something as simple as a letter template makes a big difference for readers that dread communicating in German. I've been doing this for seven years, so I picked up quite a few tricks along the way. It all comes down to knowing my users, and working hard to reduce their pain.

BabarKhanJaved 2y ago

Thank you, Nic.

mediumsmart 2y ago

very good site - DKB ATM is minimum 50 too I think.

rahulbshrestha 2y ago

damn this is so underrated! u should do one for munich too :)))

homakov 2y ago

(on an unrelated note): I tried to move to Berlin for summer but quickly discovered almost no apartments have AC, I mean strong South Asia-level AC. It was a major no for me as I cannot sleep with temp above 20C, 18C is perfect. Any idea how to find an AC apartment next summer on local estate apps? Any "checkbox" somewhere to tick?

okr 2y ago
Maybe a hotel will do? You can also rent an apt and buy a mobile AC yourself. Which i did this summer, for the few days it gets really hot.
- homakov 2y ago
  A hotel is temporary, i wanted to stay May to September.. Yes mobile AC is the best plausible option but it's quite weak compared to split-AC and requires a partially open window.
  - okr 2y ago
    There are mobile split-AC. I took one meant for camping. And the wiring between the units is small enough, so that an opened window is not a problem. Worked well enough for me.

fourside 2y ago

This is great! You mentioned this is your full time project. How do you make a living off it? I see mention of affiliate links and a call for donations. Is that how you monetize the site?

bwb 2y ago

Super awesome work btw, I was looking to move to Germany and my mind was blown with the weird notary monopoly when it comes to starting a business. I couldn't believe that is how it worked...

gdw2 2y ago

One of the first things I read on the site was about the "church tax"[0]. Very interesting. > You declare your religion when you register your address. The church can also tax you if you were a member in another country. To stop paying the church tax, you must leave the church. [0] https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/start-a-business-in-germany https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/start-a-business-in-german...

gyre007 2y ago

This is wonderful, though I wouldnt want to move to Berlin I find this really useful to learn about Germany. I also find it funny because it epitomises how broken the EU is. It should not be this hard to move within the EU, alas, here we are. Thank you for putting this together for the folks that need it!

nicbou 2y ago
That is an entirely wrong takeaway. Mobility is much easier for EU citizens. They skip all the hardest part of the process, the ones that actually make people leave out of frustration or bureaucratic blockade. The problem firmly sits in German hands.

uses_finally 2y ago

Hi! This website is for me! I moved to Berlin about a week ago, and am staying for some months. Fortunately, I have a native friend who has been explaining everything so far, but this is an amazing bridge so I won't have to ask a billion questions. (And this is written from an outsiders perspective, so basically no knowledge is assumed). I'm looking forward to reading it all Thank you! This makes my life a lot easier.

nkunkux2 2y ago

I've moved to Berlin some time ago, and your website helped me very VERY much with navigating all this madness. keep it up!

wonger_ 2y ago

Very cool. I would love to see a writeup of your translation workflow eventually. How long have you been working on this site?

nicbou 2y ago
7 years. The translation workflow will become surprisingly complex. Making it simple again will take some time. Usually ai mostly automate something, then let it run for a while before finishing the job. You don’t know how you will work with a tool until you do.

DomStocchetti 2y ago

[dead]