Subject: Re: TODO icons and labels (was Re: how should we localize localenames?)
From: Joaquín Cuenca Abela (cuenca@celium.net)
Date: Sun Mar 11 2001 - 13:01:30 CST
Tom Briggs wrote:
>
> On Sun, 11 Mar 2001, [iso-8859-1] Joaquín Cuenca Abela wrote:
>
> > For instance, I'm the maintainer of the spanish translation, and when
> > I see a TODO label or toolbar item, it only gives me a reason to
> > change the LANG to en_US.
>
> Then I submit to you that you shouldn't be maintaining the Spanish
> translation.
> Maybe falling back to English works for you, but what about those
> people that don't speak English?
So do you want as spanish translator a dude that don't speak english?
The fact that I can fall back to english, only means that I can
translate.
> TODO icons are as incomprehensible to them as English icons
that's stupid. Suppose that I don't read english, and that I search an
option named "Documento..." in the menu. Now, suppose that the item
"Document..." has not yet been translated, well, "Document..." is not as
incomprehensible as "TODO". You can find some (not too many) english
names that are only a bit more comprehensible than "TODO" to a spanish
user that don't read english, but... why do you want to do all the non
translated labels *ABSOLUTELY* incomprehensible?
If the translator is so lazy, or if the translator don't have the time
to translate all the menu & toolbar items, at least give the user an
oportunity to understand the menu item. That's specially true for the
toolbar icons, when usually even the english user don't care about the
text (status bar text), and foreign users only need the original icon to
understand the meaning of the icon.
> - why place the burden on the user when we should be
> placing it on the translator?
you can not place the burden in the translator. As I said, TODO labels
or icons don't force the translators to translate ANYTHING. Free time
helps the translators, but not TODO icons.
and if you change a absolutely comprehensible icon by a TODO icon, I
will say that you're placing the burden on the user.
Cheers,
PS: Think about the users that don't read english AND about the users
that read english (but that use mainly another tongue).
-- Joaquín Cuenca Abela cuenca@celium.net
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