GEMINI.md

Content Adaptation Guidelines

Adopt my writing style

You can assume that all content present is written or vetted by me and you should adapt your writing style to it. Favor more recent pieces over older content.

When asked to create a page or post, parse the given information and then always, this is very important, always ask at least three targeted follow-up questions about the content to allow you to craft the best narrative possible. Questions should dig into:

• Specific memorable moments and interactions
• Technical details that made the event unique
• Personal reactions and emotions during key moments
• Context that adds depth to the story
• Behind-the-scenes details that readers wouldn't know otherwise

Use the writing style given in the answers to those questions, to infer overall writing style of the post. Obviously the answers will be curt and/or have errors, ignore those, it's more about the vibe or certain words that you need to be mindful of. Obviously also integrate the overall writing style of the content into creating the post.

Skip the conclusion

Never create wrap-up, conclusion, or summary paragraphs. End the story at its natural conclusion without zooming out, reflecting, or summarizing what happened. Do NOT create paragraphs that:

• Begin with phrases like "Tegen het einde van...", "While the final...", "As the day ended...", "Looking back..."
• Contain reflective statements about the experience being "special", "memorable", "perfect", or "transcendent"
• Summarize themes or lessons learned
• Attempt to tie everything together with broader meaning
• Use phrases like "I realized", "it reminded me", "this is why I..."

GOOD example of proper ending:

De echte verrassing van de dag was Jasper Udink ten Cate als closer. Waar de meeste sprekers netjes achter het lectern bleven, explodeerde Jasper de ruimte met energie. Hij vertelde over zijn kunstprojecten - sommige gelukt, andere gefaald, maar dat was juist het punt. Het meest memorabele was zijn verhaal over het deconstrueren van voedsel tot basisvormen, die hij vervolgens als keramische servies vormde om hetzelfde eten opnieuw te serveren. Conceptueel briljant, en de manier waarop hij het vertelde - met zoveel passie en humor - maakte dat je begreep waarom hij de perfecte afsluiting was voor een dag vol food innovation.

BAD example - do NOT write endings like this:

Terwijl de laatste beats van Leftfield's set nagalmden door die zes J-subs, realiseerde ik me dat ik net iets zeldzaams had meegemaakt - de perfecte kruising van technische excellentie, muzikale passie, en menselijke verbinding. Soms zijn legendes gewoon mensen die toevallig buitengewoon goed zijn in wat ze doen.

Simply end with the last concrete detail or moment from the event itself.

Create metadata

Craft great metadata for pages, that at the very least contains relevant tags. It should also contain resources with a placeholder for image. (I will place the image manually)

Tags Strategy and Taxonomy

A comprehensive, cross-cutting tagging system has been implemented across all gig pages to enhance discoverability, organization, and SEO performance. The system follows these core principles:

Multi-dimensional Classification:

• Venues: muziekgebouw, hart museum, duinrell, venues across Netherlands
• Locations: amsterdam, kortenhoef, nederland/netherlands (geographic context)
• Genres: klassieke muziek/classical music, elektronische muziek/electronic music, wereldmuziek/world music, jazz, hedendaagse muziek/contemporary music
• Event Types: concert, opera, festival, podcast, musical, bedrijfsevenement/corporate event
• Technical Work: geluidstechniek/sound engineering, podiumwerk/stagework, load-out, live uitzending/live broadcast, a2 werk/a2 work
• Special Features: buiten/outdoor, live filmscore/live film score, yoga, meditatie/meditation, robotica/robotic performance

Language Implementation:

• English pages: Use natural English terminology that resonates with international audiences
• Dutch pages: Employ accessible Dutch terms, avoiding overly academic language (e.g., "geluidstechniek" over "auditieve engineering")
• Consistent overlap: Related pages share common tags while maintaining content-specific uniqueness
• Cultural appropriateness: Tags reflect the cultural context of each language audience

Strategic Benefits:

• Cross-reference capability: Users can discover related content across different event types, venues, and technical specializations
• SEO optimization: Descriptive, searchable terms that improve content discoverability
• Content organization: Enables filtering and grouping by multiple dimensions simultaneously
• Scalability: System accommodates new venues, technologies, and event types as they emerge

Future Enhancement Areas:

• Equipment-specific tags: Potential addition of specific gear tags (yamaha-cl5, meyer-speakers, etc.) for technical deep-dives
• Collaboration tags: Artist-specific or production company tags for recurring partnerships
• Seasonal/temporal tags: Festival seasons, touring cycles, venue programming periods
• Difficulty/complexity tags: Technical complexity levels for educational content categorization
• Format-specific tags: Video content, photo galleries, technical documentation
• Accessibility tags: Marking content with accessibility features or considerations

The current taxonomy provides a solid foundation while remaining flexible enough to evolve with the site's content and audience needs.

File and Directory Structure

For gigs, follow the established pattern:

• Directory: /content/gigs/YYYY/MM/event-name-slug/
• Files: index.en.md (English) and index.md (Dutch)
• Use descriptive but concise directory names that capture the essence of the event

Narrative Elements

Stories should focus on:

• The human side of technical work and artist interactions
• Specific technical details that made the event memorable
• Personal perspective as an audio professional
• Moments that surprised or delighted during the production
• The craft and artistry behind live sound work
• Direct quotes from riders, conversations, or technical specs when they add authenticity

Core Principles for Content Adaptation ("Hertaling")

This document provides guidelines for adapting content between English and Dutch for our website. The goal is not a literal translation, but rather a creative adaptation that preserves the essence, tone, and message while feeling natural in the target language. Above all, the adapted text should never feel translated—it should feel native to the target language.

What "Hertaling" Is and Isn't

• NOT literal word-for-word translation
• IS a creative adaptation that captures the original's essence
• NOT completely divergent from the source material
• IS using equivalent expressions natural to the target language
• NOT bound to identical sentence structure or paragraphing
• IS maintaining the overall flow and organization of ideas

Detailed Guidelines

1. Preserve Core Meaning While Being Creative

Capture the essence and meaning of each paragraph, but feel free to:

• Use different vocabulary than the direct translation equivalent
• Restructure sentences to sound more natural in the target language
• Replace idioms with culturally appropriate equivalents

2. Maintain Tone and Style

• Preserve the emotional tone (formal, casual, poetic, technical)
• Maintain the author's voice and stylistic elements
• Keep specialized terminology consistent across the adaptation

3. Cultural Adaptation

• Adjust cultural references when needed for comprehension
• Consider the cultural context of both source and target audiences
• Adapt metaphors and examples to resonate with the target audience

4. Structure and Formatting

• Preserve headers, subheaders, and overall structure
• Maintain all formatting elements (bold, italics, etc.)
• Keep the HTML comment markers (e.g., <!--more-->) intact
• Preserve paragraph breaks but feel free to adjust sentence breaks

5. Additional Guidelines for Dutch Content

To better match the desired writing style, the following specific rules apply to Dutch texts:

1. Use a Direct and Active Tone:

   • Write in the active voice whenever possible, especially when describing actions (e.g., "We hebben de vloer gelegd" instead of "De vloer werd gelegd").
   • Avoid a formal, almost academic tone. Do not use phrases like "is van aard" or "de potentie verkennen". Be direct and factual.

2. Be Technically Precise, but Accessible:

   • Explain technical terms briefly and simply the first time you mention them, possibly in parentheses. For example: akoestisch (dus niet versterkt) or ...een systeem waarmee je de hele ruimte anders kunt laten klinken.
   • Present technical details as facts ("De zaal beschikt over...") rather than embedding them in a narrative context.

3. Enrich with Context and Authenticity:

   • Introduce artists and collaborators early in the text, including their name, role/instrument, and a link to their website if relevant.
   • When a term has a clear non-Dutch origin (like oed), add the script from the original language (like عود) for cultural authenticity and to avoid ambiguity.

4. Structure and Formatting:

   • Use Markdown headers (##, ###) for section titles instead of only bolded text.
   • Formulate page titles to be descriptive, for example by combining the event name with a relevant subtitle or tagline.

Canonical Example

The 'Harmony in the Load-out' article, found in the content directory, has been carefully translated by hand and represents a "perfect" adaptation. Its concept, jargon, and tone serves as guidepost for future translations. However, it is also important to be creative and bold if the situation calls for it.

Examples of Good Adaptation

This excerpt is taken from the canonical article:

Original English:

As the final applause died down, we moved in. Each one of us knew our part by heart. In a world where efficiency and precision are kings, we were the silent monarchs of the night.

Poor Adaptation (too literal):

Toen het laatste applaus wegstierf, kwamen wij in actie. Ieder van ons kende zijn part uit het hoofd. In een wereld waar efficiëntie en precisie koningen zijn, waren wij de stille monarchen van de nacht.

Good Adaptation (creative but faithful):

Al bij de laatste restjes applaus stonden we klaar op het zijpodium. Elk van ons wist al precies wat te doen. In een wereld waar efficiëntie en precisie koningen zijn, waren wij de stille monarchen van de nacht.

The following is taken from the sidebar. Note that for Dutch, the exclamation point is replaced by a regular period, since Dutch culture does not appreciate baseless optimism.

Original English:

If you're looking for a professional touch to ensure your audience is immersed in crystal clear audio, you're in the right place. Let's collaborate and make your next event an auditory masterpiece!

Poor Adaptation (too literal/academic):

Als je op zoek bent naar een professionele aanpak om ervoor te zorgen dat je publiek ondergedompeld wordt in kristalhelder audio, ben je op de juiste plaats. Laten we samenwerken om van je volgende evenement een auditief meesterwerk te maken!

Good Adaptation (natural and appropriate):

Op zoek naar een vakkundige aanpak die je publiek onderdompelt in glashelder geluid? Dan ben je hier aan het juiste adres. Laten we samenwerken om van jouw volgende evenement iets onvergetelijks te maken.

Language Considerations

Watch for These Common Pitfalls

• Avoid overly academic language when simpler alternatives exist
  • Example: "auditief" → "geluid" or "klank" when speaking to general audiences
  • Example: "visueel" → "beeld" when appropriate
• Be wary of pretentious-sounding terms
  • Example: "meesterwerk" can sound pretentious in Dutch; consider "onvergetelijke ervaring" or similar alternatives
• Reduce exclamation marks for a more professional tone
  • Dutch professional communication often uses fewer exclamation marks than English
• Generalize rather than translate literally when describing quality or impact
  • Instead of directly translating "auditory masterpiece" → "auditief meesterwerk"
  • Consider "iets onvergetelijks" or "bijzondere geluidservaring"
• Apostrophe rules differ between languages
  • English: Used for possession and contractions
  • Dutch: Mainly for plurals and vowel-ending words

Adaptation Checklist

Before submitting adapted content, verify that:

• Telltale AI text is strictly avoided ("Naturally!", "I'd be happy to..", etc )
• The adaptation captures the essence and main points
• The language feels natural, not translated
• Cultural references are appropriate for target audience
• Technical terms are consistently translated
• The emotional tone matches the original
• All formatting and structure elements are preserved
• Overly academic or pretentious language has been avoided
• No content has been accidentally omitted

Special Considerations

Technical/Industry Terms

• Theater and performance terms should maintain industry standards
• It is often okay to retain English in the Dutch version (load-out is an acceptable term for breek), but never okay to have Dutch in the English version
• When uncertain about a technical term, research the equivalent used in the target language's industry. "Stage left" is "Podium rechts" in Dutch, and vice versa. "Input list" is "priklijst" yet "Stage plot" is also "Stageplot". Discover these boundaries and play with them.

Creative Elements

• Poetry, wordplay, and puns require special attention
• Prioritize preserving the effect over literal meaning

Bidirectional Adaptation

These guidelines apply equally to:

• English → Dutch adaptations
• Dutch → English adaptations

Remember that the goal is always to create content that feels like it was originally written in the target language while remaining faithful to the source material's meaning and intent.