Re: Language is a barrier for children of all ages
On Tuesday 28 November 2000, at 11 h 47, the keyboard of Ben Armstrong
<synrg@sanctuary.nslug.ns.ca> wrote:
> automatically. Also, language is an issue for Debian as a whole, not just
> Debian Jr (although it is one of our stated goals).
Some people say that you can require a basic knowledge of english to use a
Debian system (after all, I don't define LANG=fr in my own environment...).
this is obviously false for children.
> What mechanism is there in place within Debian for developers to obtain
> translations to put into their packages?
There is no formal mechanism. i18n and l10n have to be done at the upstream
level. But Debian people can submit patches, try to lobby, find would-be
translators, etc.
> and convey to us your findings. Without this guidance, I don't know where
> I would begin with my own packages.
1) Find if they are internationalized (i18n). If yes, go to 3, else go to 2.
2) Suggest the upstream maintainer to i18n the package. You can explain that it is specially important for children. You can direct him to documentations like GNU's gettext ('info gettext'). i18n does not require any knowledge of a language besides yours.
3) Localize (l10n): submit translations or updates to existing translations which were broken by the evolution of the software. Obviously, it requires good skills in the target language.
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