From kde-i18n-doc Fri May 24 17:58:08 2002 From: Rob Kaper Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 17:58:08 +0000 To: kde-i18n-doc Subject: Re: KDE in latin X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-i18n-doc&m=102226322615363 On Fri, May 24, 2002 at 06:48:36PM +0200, Thomas Diehl wrote: > Come on you are not really comparing Klingon to Latin, do you? Klingon may > have some interest as a linguistic experiment (I won't discuss how much > really) but from what I see on the net it is almost exclusively a Trekkie > thing and by no means a basic requirement for being a Trekkie. I see no > indication that this is going to change in the future either. In > comparison, Latin is the very basis of some of the biggest existing > languages, is still taught to millions of pupils and students all over the > world and -- people may like it or not -- it is one of the main roots of > western culture as a whole. Also the translation the Latin team is doing > here will probably be actually used by them, and I mean seriously. I actually intend to use Klingon as well. If we can get a translation done, we can probably use it as well. :) > A Latin translation is surely a borderline case for KDE but as long at it is > the only item in this class I don't see the necessity for opening an extra > module for "ancient languages" or some such. If we get Sanskrit, Ancient > Greek, or Anglo-Saxon one day we should probably reconsider. A kde-i18n addon in kdetoys or kdeaddons would make sense for Klingon though. Yes, I understand it is not as serious as Latin, even though I was they tought me Klingon in school and not Latin. ;) > Just to recap the reasons for the rejection: > > * Like your stated yourself: Klingon is not meant for distribution any > time soon which is the very basis for even _thinking_ about inclusion of > any language in the first place Well, the intention is based on the current status. I don't have a personal opinion on completeness so I will strictly accept the rules here. > * The minimum requirement for inclusion in _releases_ are fully translated > kdelibs.po + desktop.po + ~75% of kdebase (okay, there are exceptions but > they should offer a good reason why to include them anyway) No problem, we'll get there. > * KDE is based on Unicode. The Klingon glyphs were rejected for inclusion. So > there's no foreseeable end to your "roman" alphabet workaround. Which means > that even as a linguistic experiment it will always remain half-baked. True, although 99% of the current Klingon linguistic communication (the tlhIngon Hol mailinglist, the Shakespeare/Bible translations, the dictionary) used the romanized version. My workaround isn't really mine, it is what has been used ever since the invention of Klingon. > * It is at least worth a serious thought whether the inclusion of Klingon > would make us look so silly as to give us a real image problem with a lot of > users. If we accept Klingon why not "Redneck Language"? (No joke, see > http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-i18n-doc&m=94736760407863&w=2) Or any other > supposedly "funny" dialect? Fair enough. Which is why kdeaddons would be a good place. I can develop a .pot installer there myself and maintain it. > Nothing against fun projects (after all AMOR is still one of my personal > favorites in KDE) but I'd rather keep them away from the main modules. > And, no, I don't think you can compare that to the worldwide Esperanto > community, either. Since you are the i18n coordinator, I'll respect that. But I do hope we can cooperate on finding a way to distribute some more alternative versions, even if that does mean redneck or Elmer Fudd. There is a reason Google has them. kde-i18n might not be the place, but I hope you can assist me creating such a place elsewhere so we don't have to block the possibility. Rob -- Rob Kaper | Gimme some love, gimme some skin, cap@capsi.com | if we ain't got that then we ain't got much www.capsi.com | and we ain't got nothing, nothing! -- "Nothing" by A