Re: Internationalization

[pinard@progiciels-bpi.ca (François Pinard)]

Per Abrahamsen <abraham@dina.kvl.dk> writes:

| I hate the whole idea, but if it *must* be done I think there should
| be at least these requirements:
| 
| * It must not be Gnus specific.
| 
| * There should be _zero_ overhead for a user of the English version.
| 
| * There should be _zero_ new stuff to learn for an English speaking
|   programmer.

Hi, Per, and everybody.  You do not explain the origin of your
requirements, and they probably proceed from defendable grounds.  But just
to make sure, let me insist at clarifying an important thing.

People should be a bit shy asking for these three points.  It does not
look like an opened attitude to say: "English first, and all others then".
There is no defendable reason why French, Korean, Norwegian, German,
etc. would not deserve to obtain a very good service.  If English people
were to go backward a tiny bit, would it be on speed or on learning
duties, in view of all other nations to get a more equal service, they
should have wide-enough spirit to consider this overall goal as good.

The GNU translation project does reach your three goals.  This for making
the transition more smooth and easy.  But English people do not deserve,
by virtue or by nature, to get that much of an especially golden service.

-- 
François Pinard         ``Vivement GNU!''        pinard@iro.umontreal.ca
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