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List:       kde-i18n-doc
Subject:    ISO 3166 (ftp://ftp.ripe.net/iso3166-countrycodes)
From:       Xenitellis S <S.Xenitellis () rhbnc ! ac ! uk>
Date:       2000-07-07 18:56:21
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I personally believe that the issue of the country names can be resolved 
in two ways

1. Strictly follow a well-respected standard and delegate the issue of
disputes to the bodies behind the standards
2. Loosely follow a well-respected standard and accomodate the specific
needs of individual countries (and document the change)

For professional software engineering, one must do number 1, AFAIK.
For open-source software it may not be the same. Perhaps one should make a
policy on such issues and follow it thereafter. 

Why do companies that make commercial software choose No1? Because in case
of disputes, they do not want to be in the center of it. The commercial
companies are not international bodies and they are not getting sensational
so easy.

Am I cruel? Is my recommendation derived from personal feelings?
I believe it is not and that would be my position in any similar case.

In a similar case regarding the absence of a two-letter language code for
the papiamento language, my recommendation was to ask the international body
to include the specific language.

Whatever choice is taken, it should be documented and a policy should be
made for similar situations. 

My last 2p on the issue,
simos

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