Re: [OT] Translation issues (was: Re: None)
> > So let's happily change $HOME to $HEIM, $SHELL to $SCHALE,
> > $DISPLAY to $ANZEIGEGERAET (or should I use Umlauts?):
Oops, I forgot to replace $ with the Euro-symbol...
> That english terms are used in such places is indeed problematic
> because it makes it harder for people who don't understand english
> well. I have heard (german) people saying that ``if one does not
> understand english well, one should not use computers anyway'', but I
> don't think I can agree with that. Unfortunatly, translating terms
> like the above has even worse practical problems, otherwise I'd be all
> for it.
Just imagine the fun maintainig a dozen or so different
shell scripts. That's what I've meant with SINIX "universes":
a managerial nightmare. Yet they had only three of them: "att",
"bsd" and "sinix". Ugh...
For end users, I18N is a Good Thing(tm). Yet, programmers should
IMHO use only one language; at least if they write open source
software. Or write a universal translator (guntrans, GNU Universal
Translator [not Gun Transporter]) that understands (!!) and reliably
translates one natural language into another. I wished NLP (natural
language processing) research were that far... :-)
-Farid.
--
Farid Hajji -- Unix Systems and Network Management
farid.hajji@ob.kamp.net
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." --Edgar Allan Poe.
Reply to: