Bug#215205: language-chooser: Language order shouldn't be alphabetical

[stappers@stappers.nl (Geert Stappers)]

On Sat, Oct 11, 2003 at 06:04:32PM +0200, Osamu Aoki wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 11, 2003 at 05:02:50PM +0200, Bernd Eckenfels wrote:
> > On Sat, Oct 11, 2003 at 03:18:46PM +0200, Javier Fernández-Sanguino Peña wrote:
> > > From my point of view, languagechooser should base its ordering in a very 
> > > simple metric
> > 
> > Alphabetic on eighter the locale or the official language name for
> > default debian.
> 
> Sounds OK (but what is eighter?).

I assume a typo,  "either"

> 
> > If debian is rebranded and possible localized, it makes sense for them to
> > reorder those. In that case the package could support this. But it is no
> > requirement for the stock distribution.
> > 
> > > So, in the event of the debian-installer being available fully-translated 
> > > in the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese 
> > > and Japanese, the order would be: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, 
> > > German, French.
> > 
> > It is a good idea to list for the installer only the languages which
> > are available.  In that case they fix on one screen.
> > 
> > Personally I hate it if lists are not sorted in an easy to scan way.
> > Ordering items in a most-preferred way only works if it is a short list of
> > items, separated by the rest (which needs to be sorted alphabetically)
> 
> Please do not forget default "C" environment is (basically) English.
> Others are all optional feature.
> 
> > And this will not increase the combined "scan time" from all users, because
> > you can much easier go down a list of entries where you know you can skip
> > hundreds (by first letter) compared to a list which you have to go down and
> > match entry by entry.
> 
> Realistic solution of situation shall be follows:
> 
> 1.  The list order shall be easily configurable to address localized
>     distribution with following type of information.
>       * Priority order list
>       * Local limitation list
> 2.  Debian (official) should ship language chooser with:
>       * Priority order list: C
>         List C (en_US) as top and the rest alphabetically listed
>       * Local limitation list: none
>         All available locale listed.
> 3.  Localized Debian distribution may choose as follows:
>    ASIA:
>       * Priority order list: C, zh_CN, zh_TW
>       * Local limitation list: C, zh_CN, zh_TW, ko_KR, ja_JP, fr_FR
> 
>    AMERICA:
>       * Priority order list: C, en_US, fr_FR, es_MX, pt_BR
>       * Local limitation list: none
>    ...
> 
> Just a thoughts...
> 

And here an other (crazy????) idea:

Sort the lang. list on international telephone country code.
People do known their country code, that makes skipping easier.

 1 U.S.
 31 Dutch
 33 French
 34 Spanish
 35 Portuges
 4* scandinivian countries, which I don't known by heart
 49 German 

It can make 1, 'C' or 'en_US', the default.
French, Spanish and Portuges are on the first page. 


Just thoughts...



Geert Stappers