[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-i18n-doc
Subject:    RE: RFC: Life beyond 2.0
From:       "Thorarinn R. Einarsson" <teinars () humancentrictech ! com>
Date:       2000-08-28 21:17:11
[Download RAW message or body]


> > translate. Also there are absolutely no full-time
> > translators/documenters yet as there are full-time developers. There
> Marko Samastur wrote:
> Sad that, isn't it? I mean, I can understand that this is a problem for
> small countries, but I'd expect that Mandrakesoft in France or Caldera
> and Suse in Germany would find interest in employing at least someone
> for this kind of job.

Or that somebody else sees benefit in supporting that effort, Ministries of
Education (which can then deploy the software in schools in their native
language), non-profit organizations, etc.

On that subject, our team was approached by the ISO people in Iceland last
year.  They basically asked us if we were interested in getting some
funding.  The idea was to use some of it to standardize software
translations and bring all the relevant parties together (Windows, Mac,
RiscOS, and who knows who).  After all, it would quickly get irritating if
the word 'File' is translated as 'Skrá' in one app and as 'Skjöl' in another
on a different OS.  To make a long story short, the language development
fund turned the application down.  Some of our members were probably glad as
money can sometimes make things more complicated but we are still very
interested in this sort of ideas to bring some steadyness to the translation
effort, but the only support so far has been a computer from the University
of Iceland and a hard drive from HP.  However, I have a hard time believing
that none of the other translation teams have gotten some kind of public
funding!?!

Anybody have some brilliant ideas about this?

> > Accordingly, I don't think it's realistic to get translations totally
> > in synch with more frequent releases. I'd say: keep the translators
> > informed about the release dates (ie please remember to CC all
> > important announcements to kde-i18n-doc@kde.org). But don't stall
> > package releases because of unfinished translations. It is difficult
> > enough already to get them in synch for the main releases.
>
> Almost right. I agree it's not realistic to expect to get all
> translations in sync with more frequent releases, but it would be nice
> if translators got at least a week to try. If we don't, there's

In light of the current situation, I would be happy with how we did it for
1.1.1.  The developers can have their fun in the HEAD branch after the 2.0
release and we (translators) then get our own 2.0.1 branch to finish
translations as much as possible.  Then after 2.0.1, we can merge that
effort into the HEAD.

> absolutely NO chance that we'll get in synch and it would
> show what some of my colleagues doubt sometimes. That work of translators
is felt as
> much important as work of developers.

I can see the developer's perspective too so I think that the above is a
good middle way.  It's not perfect like having it all done at 2.0 would be,
but it's ok.

Tony R. Einarsson
- Icelandic Team

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]