Most of the time its us Americans being given a hard time for assuming that the entire world reads english (or can at least make some attempt). However you can occasionally find small niche suppliers in other countries finding international demand for their products (isn't the internet great), and using their imagination in trying to help their customers.
SuperMagnete of Germany found an international demand for its magnets, and instead of translating its site, instead provided a idiot's guide to reading German. Its full of all sort of useful definitions, like shapes:
Other helpful hints help you check out, including Land ändern ( changing your country ), the code for USA : Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika and checking to make sure something is in stock: Verfügbar.
German Description
English Description
Kugeln
Spheres
Scheibenund Stäbe
Discs
Stäbe
Cylinders
Quader klein
Little blocks
Quader gross
Big blocks
Würfel
Cubes
If you get that far, they do accept Kreditkartes ( VISA ) and PayPal ( PayPal ). Then you just have to accept their terms of sale by clicking: Ich habe die Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen gelesen und akzeptiere diese. ( I have read the terms and Conditions and accept them. ) which of course you haven't because you don't speak German. But you don't care, because nobody reads the terms on websites even when they're in english; so you click Bestellung Senden and your order is sent.
Of course if you use this guide, you might be able to actually order some magnets. But if you use babelfish you can experience the entire site in a dialect of english rarely heard. I was especially entertained by some of the customer letters:
If that was not enough, you can read more customer comments here. Sure shows all those doubters that say machine translation is not ready for prime time.
"my colleagues were very much inspired just like my pupils." P.G. "yesterday I got your first supply. Things are like that geil! Now their me angefixt - and few my colleagues likewise " J.W. "today I received the package with the magnets. But hello! How heisst's nevertheless in the Hustenpastillenwerbung? ' they are too strongly, unbelievable to you too weakly '... simply the Dinger!" B.K. "Our New Year's Eve Party went unfortunately somewhat beside it. Hardly I had the magnets on the table, began nevertheless smoothly all men to play." H.L. "I am also a convinced fan of the magnets, my credit cards useless of course made now, would like however gladly still which to order." R.H. "Best thanks also for the free Proebchen - I can need those always well, if the dear friends sit up over my magnets made and the treuherzigen "give me but in!" R.H. "One can stick it everywhere. And one can thereby charms." C.
