Macrotone Blogs

Macrotone blogs upon Joomla, our products and other matters.

Google translate and Joomla

We have recently placed a new module upon our site to enable page translations using the Google translate service for the benefit of our foreign visitors.

Whilst working fine in Firefox (version 19.0.2), Opera (12.14) and Internet Explorer (10), with the translated page being present with our usual page layout format, we notice that when using Google Chrome browser (version 25.0.1364.172 m), that the information is translated, but the page formatting is completely lost.  This may be a conflict with the inbuilt translation available with the Chrome browser.

There are a few aspects to this.

1. Google translate is not retaining the site 'format' hence the display is not as on the originating site.

2. Being a site in Europe we are obliged to have a message re the use of Cookies upon the site. When the page is translated it then appears to come from our site but in fact is displayed from the 'translate.googleusercontent.com' site.  Since the 'translation site' is using 'our template the request for Cookie acceptance is initiated, regardless of whether the user has accepted cookies previously, since it is effectively 'a new site'.  However even accepting the cookie does not remove the 'acceptance message' since there appears to be some form of page 'caching' upon the translate.googleusercontent.com site.  This cache we have no control over hence the 'cookie' message is still displayed on the translated page.

[See blog post about associate problem with cache and cookie handling.]

Thoughts on the EU data protection regulation and Joomla

In January 2012, the European Commission announced two important pieces of legislation affecting the personal data of EU citizens: the EU data protection directive and the EU data protection regulation.  Of the two, the data protection regulation will have the greater effect on most businesses that collect, hold or share data within the EU. 

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PECR– Cookies and Joomla Part 4

Several new product announcements to add to my growing list.  The JED now even has a separate section for Cookie Control

8. Cookie Choice is a non-commercial JED entry.  It does not block cookies but informs the user, which is what the current interpretation of the PECR regulations is understood to be required.

9. JE Cookies a commercial JED entry.  Details are a little light but it offers various colour options. 

One I have mentioned earlier 6. Cookie Alert does offer the country determination options, something we have in our own version.  We have tested our own version and it works reasonably well, although the impact on checking the country of origin on each screen refresh is something we are giving serious thought to, and would impact this product offering as well.

Our own home grown version is being tested and is working well.  One thing we have found is a small problem where if a visitor does not accept the cookies, and just leaves the banner displayed, continuing to browse the site, IF a separate modal window is opened, we have observed a situation where the model window is also presented with the cookie banner.  Not every modal window, just some, so we are investigating further. 

PECR, ICO cookies regulations

The new Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), announced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2011, comes into effect on 26th May 2012.  In advance of the ICO cookies compliance date, organisations are expected to take appropriate steps to be compliant, which include making proactive changes to their websites.

We have blogged about this topic before and reference should be made to the official EU cookie compliance guide (registration required) which contains news and advice for organisations in Europe and around the world for complying with the cookie law.

The ICO provides specific guidance on PECR compliance.  However this is not all that clear (to me at least), so the absence of clear guidance on cookie compliance, and the range of practical difficulties that will be encountered in determining what to do with each identified cookie, may lead many website operators to struggle with the compliance process.

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