localization site

[j. Tim Denny]

friends...

I previously installed v1.6   just removed it as  we cannot localize v 1.6   now back to v 1.5.15   Joomla!  hopes we will localize v1.5.15  there is a team building to work on localization...    this is a good step forward for JUGTZ...

It would be good to start periodic face to face meetings so that members can come together and chat about Joomla! issues for Tanzania...  does anyone know of a place to meet that is convenient and free or with minimal costs?

Cheers
T

__________________________________
j. Tim  Denny, Ph.D.  
 Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow
 Consultant - International Development, Education  and ICT
 Joomla! Users Group Tanzania http://groups.google.com/group/jugtz
 SKYPE - jtdenny    Googletalk - denny.jt
 http://www.linkedin.com/in/jtdenny
 http://www.avuedigitalservices.com/VR/drjtdenny

"A lie repeated a hundred times becomes the truth." MAO Zedong

[Salim Khatri]

Hello all,

 

I asked a question sometime back about localization and the advantages we will have once Joomla is localized… In my opinion, I think we should concentrate and work on training on how to configure Joomla and how to customize and create new Joomla templates… This will be more helpful than spending hours on localization by end of the day, nobody will be using it, just like the localization of Windows XP and Linux.

 

Any opinion or suggestions?

 

Kind regards,

Salim Khatri.

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[Jeremiah D.G]

Hi Tim and others,
have few things drumming my mind, its very important to set first formal face to face meeting with JUGTZ to keep clear some issues,
What Salim Khatri is trying to tell us is something need to be very clear, there other things that have been discussed here but no conclusion given,
say sw-TZ or sw-KE, what is next and when is it?
I suggest we see where most members are coming from (probably Dar) and let those members suggest a place to meet.
Cheers  and much luck jugtz!

Jerry Dunstan

[Emanuel Feruzi]

Dear Salim,

To me localization is very very important on the following grounds:-

• Most software users expect that their software be written in their own language. The users that perfectly understand a product can manage it more properly, can use it more efficiently, and are less prone to making mistakes. English and Kiswahili speakers should have an equal chance of using the CMS. By jumping straight to usage of Joomla we will simple continue encouraging the typical usage of software on Tanzania, that is by memorizing the interface instead of understanding what a feature does, and hence utilize it to its full potential.
  
• Kiswahili is a used by at least more than 50mil people, but its usage in the IT industry is growing at a very slow rate. Looking at Norway and its just about 4.8mil people and almost they localize every important software to Norwegian. Microsoft has been force to localize its software suites as users expected it to be in Norwegian. By localizing more and more software, we will help the language to grow, thought at a very little % but we will add 5-10 words at each localization.
• I differ in views about localization of Linux, as for Microsoft I will rather not comment. Ubuntu has become one of the best desktop Linux for many reasons, and one of which is localization. From Ubuntu site: "Accessibility. At the core of the Ubuntu philosophy is the belief that computing is for everyone, whatever your circumstances. Ubuntu is one of the most accessible operating systems around and is fully translated into 23 languages with many more to follow." I think people are not using computers because it speaks a different language. Languages came before computers, so then people should not have learn a new language to use computers, but computers should learn the users' language.
• Lastly is a matter of pride of our language, Kiswahili. If there is one thing that really get to me is when I am installing a piece of software and when I get to languages section, I see a long list of languages and somehow Kiswahili is not there. It is at this  time I remember that we have to do localize the software in order to have Kiswahili on the list and that is why I suggested that we localize Joomla.

I am sure there more reasons for why we should localize Joomla and software in general, but these are all I have from the top of my head.

Regards.
Feruzi EK

[Salim Khatri]

Dear Feruzi,

 

Thanks for your response. Is there any study showing the number of Swahili speaker users increasing because of localization of Linux?

 

As I mentioned in my earlier Email, it is so useless to work hard on something that you know by end of the day will not help in increasing number of users or making the system easy to use to the Swahili speakers. In fact, even the computer wizards who are Swahili speaker don’t understand the terminologies used in such translations (Kiolesura fungasha cha Kiswahili?).

 

The other question, are we here to promote Swahili or promote Joomla?

 

Kind regards,

Salim.

[Emanuel Feruzi]

Dear Salim,

Is there any study showing the number of Swahili speaker users increasing because of localization of Linux?

As far as studies are concerned I am not sure I will have to do some googling, which you can equally do. But to me that is another task that is unnecessary for the following reasons, if localizations what not effective we would not have people adding their languages daily. Look at there two examples Firefox 70 languages and counting and  Open Office more than 80 languages. By the way Joomla count should be around 50+ languages. It not easy to show people immediate benefits of having software in their language. But what drives me to spend hours localizing tools, is this if I teach my mother how to use Joomla, I want her to be able to understand each menus and messages that pop up and this way she will not have to memories anything, because the back-end is in English and she can not is not eloquent in English.

In fact, even the computer wizards who are Swahili speaker don’t understand the terminologies used in such translations (Kiolesura fungasha cha Kiswahili?).

If we do make an effort to make sure that we have IT terms in Swahili the language will not grow in that area. And if we have  30 software using the same word people will eventually know what it means. But if you have one software using that word there is not way people will get used to it. For example  the word "tovuti" was not that popular people where used to using the word "website", but because its usage has gone up, used more than it was when it was invented. It  is the same with "luninga","mtandao" and many other words that where came as a result of technologies. I agree some words are weired, but remember that is why we have TUKI and BAKITA to assist us on this part.

The other question, are we here to promote Swahili or promote Joomla?

I would say we are promoting Joomla to the Tanzanian community, majority of which speak Swahili.

Action suggestion: We can form two team, one for localization and another for template designing. This way we can have both issues tackled at the same time. Salim if you are up to it take the lead on the training and Sebastian Liduke (as he has requested for the Localization lead) can do as us good in taking the leadership for the Localization as he did a good job with the localization of  Firefox.

This should work.

Regards

[Emanuel Feruzi]

Dear Salim,

You have sparkled a very interesting curiosity in me to start looking for studies on this subject. Here is some info from on company that does localization.

Extract: "What do major software and hardware companies around the world do? Just taking a look at the websites of Microsoft, Adobe, Apple, HP, Cisco and other companies proves that these companies address their customers in their own language exclusively. Their websites have been translated into the dozens of languages of the target markets in which they operate. The products have been translated in their entirety, including technical specifications and documentation as well as the company's promotional materials."

Source: http://www.net-translators.com/safot/articles/software_localization_articles/Localization_the_Key.asp

Regards.
Feruzi EK