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Applying the Golden Rules
These are the Golden Rules applied to the target selection at Translate.org.za:
1) OpenOffice.org
2) Mozilla
3) A linux desktop
4) Installers
Here is the explanation for this choice. OpenOffice.org is a leading Free
Software, End-user focused and cross-platform piece of software and so meats
all of the 3 reaquirements. However, so is Mozilla (and its offspring,
Thunderbird and Firefox). We place OpenOffice before Mozilla because when
using OpenOffice.org you are immersed in the language because you are probably
editing an Afrikaans document while using an Afrikaans interface. While a
web-browser gives you an Afrikaans window frame onto and English Internet. the
argument does not apply as well to an email reader such as Thunderbird in that
you are creating content in an email program. This is when you need to make a
call.
Mozilla is localized before we look at any Linux desktops simply becuase people
use Windows and Mozilla fills a gap in the needs of the end-user.
Translate.org.za has not made any firm decisions about desktops. We have
localized both KDE and Gnome in the past and continue to do various depending
on conditions and funding. The project sees this as an important step in
creating a fully localised Free Software environment but is at a lower priority
while there are still low hanging fruit in the cross-platform area.
We relagate Linux installer and disctibution specific localisation to a lower
rung. Distribution specific configuration programs are problematic in that
they have limited impact to the distribution as apposed to a whole sea of Free
Software users. But they are important for a seemless end-user experience.
Some of them are also once only events for example suring software
installation.
Not listed are the localisation of kernel messages and command line tools.
This is moving far beyond the realm of the average end-user and until a growth
is seen in usage in this area they will remain off our radar.