Offshoring and localization projects, Part I

"Amid the seeming confusion of our mysterious world, individuals are so nicely adjusted to a system, and systems to one another and to a whole, that by stepping aside for a moment, a man exposes himself to a fearful risk of losing his place forever."

-Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Wakefield"

Not a cheery thought, perhaps, but it has some value in the discussion of offshoring in general, and of offshoring localization projects in particular.

The posts over the next two weeks will focus on the at times uneasy dance between offshoring and localization. Our goal as localization professionals is to ensure that we don't step aside for a moment and lose our place forever; rather, that we work out new ways to practice our existing expertise and learn as much as we can from the offshoring model.