Re: [9fans] localization

["Lluís Batlle i Rossell" <viriketo@gmail.com>]

On Wed, Apr 27, 2011 at 07:08:27PM +0200, Gabriel Diaz wrote:
> Hello
>
> We install operating systems in English. Spanish / Catalan localized
> systems are a source of problems like:
> ...

Hello,

I think it's easier to find a programmer that wants to fix a program behaviour,
than to find someone willing to do or fix a translation.

And in the world of open source, most of the programming efforts go towards
getting the programs do de job, and then create or fix something else.

Those knowing how to program well are those who can deal with English easily.
Writing with a latin script without diacritics makes the life easier too. Even
the whole old story about 'char' holds a character can go just fine.

It's also easier to deal with fixed-width fonts than with many typing fanciness,
as it is easier to take types as fixed drawings than combine them as in arabic.

I think programmers will often have an opinion biased towards their skills
(knowing English) and their interests (making programs work and then fix the
next).

I particularly enjoy good translations into my language, both in programs,
books, films, or whatever. I find it, translating, a job to be proud of.

> On Wed, Apr 27, 2011 at 6:14 PM, erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net> wrote:
> > !/bin/upas/marshal -s 'Re: [9fans] localization' -R /mail/fs/mbox/3100 9fans@9fans.net
> > On Wed Apr 27 12:04:56 EDT 2011, dexen.devries@gmail.com wrote:
> >> browsing through uriel's slides from fosdem 2006 [1], i see him mention Plan 9
> >> lacks localization. what are this lists feelings on localization (both
> >> translation of strings and formatting of numbers, time etc.) of user-facing
> >> applications?
> >
> > it's not the implementation that bothers me so much as the
> > theory of operation. �command-line utilities are localized s.t.
> > it becomes necessary to fiddle with the locale if you want to
> > parse the output. �but then you can't present this as localized
> > output yourself easily. �localization can go as far as changing the set
> > of digits, or even the default numbering base! �they also don't
> > choose a character set. �shell scripting becomes impossible.
> >
> > i realize no localization makes life difficult for folks who speak greek.
> > it would be interesting to hear from a non-native english speaker
> > on if they think dealing with the computer in english is something
> > that can be done once and then forgotten, and if this is less work
> > than dealing with the tower of locale.
> >
> > it would be interesting to hear ideas on this. �it's a hard problem.
> >
> > - erik
> >
> >
>