Inbox.lv is an IT platform developed in Latvia, yet for its users it is fully adapted not only in Latvian, but also in Russian and English. Switching the language profile changes not only the language of menus and technical information, but also the content intended for users, including entertainment information, etc.
“At present 1/4 of Inbox.lv users use the Russian-language profile, but we have reason to believe that the number of Russian-speaking users is much higher. Perhaps they do not know or do not remember that this option exists,” suggests Andrejs Čelnovs, Technical Director of Inbox.lv.
Otherwise we would advise people of other nationalities living in Latvia to keep using the Latvian profile, as it is also one way to learn Latvian. Perhaps that is also why many people do not switch to Russian. But with specific internet terms, even though they are written in Latvian, even Latvians do not always understand them. Moreover, these specific terms have been translated into Latvian from English, and the translation is not always successful or easy to understand. Latvians also often use derivatives of English words rather than the Latvian equivalents. We have heard that Latvian users still rarely use the words e-pasts, pārvirzīt, surogātpasts, datne, darbvirsma, etc.,” says Andrejs Čelnovs.
“While the technical information on Inbox.lv is identical in all languages, the same cannot be said about the content offered to Inbox.lv users, including advertising, entertainment, tourism and other offers. Some information is translated into all three languages, but some is published in only one of the profiles. Entertainment offers tend to differ the most. There is a lot in common here as well, but I am sure that Latvians will find it more interesting to learn about events in Latvian, and Russians, accordingly, in Russian,” says Andrejs Čelnovs.
“Admittedly, not all content is translated: for example, if a user has added something to the fun.inbox.lv section in Latvian, it is not translated and will also be visible in the other language profiles. The same applies to comments on foto.inbox.lv, as well as to file names, etc.,” Andrejs Čelnovs clarifies.
“We have also observed a growing number of English-language profile users, but I think this is not yet so much related to growth in users from other countries as to the wish to test one’s language skills. IT terms, as is well known, originate from English, and people who first learned these terms in English find it easier to keep using them in the original language rather than learn their translation,” suggests Andrejs Čelnovs.
Although no special advertising activities have been carried out, a growing use of the English and Russian profiles outside Latvia can be observed. “We have not yet carried out in-depth research into who these people are and what motivates them to choose us, but it is gratifying. We are particularly proud of the work of our e-mail system, as it operates very securely and reliably, and this may increasingly be appreciated by people living in other countries as well,” says Andrejs Čelnovs, recalling that the company also operates in Lithuania, where the popularity of Inbox.lt continues to grow.
