[Foundation-l] Fwd: Localisation of MediaWiki

Tue Jan 15 12:09:24 UTC 2008

I certainly don't want to sit between you guys but just want to highlight
something that I think I understood (but might be wrong) from Gerard's
writings and that you may have missed:

It seems to me that the Greek project has been under examination before the
change in policy that creates this new stronger requirement, whereas the
Japanese has been examined after this change.
It's not that the two projects are considered differently under the same
rules, it is that they are considered with different rules because the rules
have changed (for every project that has not been examined yet, including
any additional Greek project that may come after that one) between the two
requests.

Now, I might be wrong; This is not very well mentioned in Gerard's mails but
I think it is hinted.

Not taking any position for or against that change in rule :-)

Kind regards,
Jerome

2008/1/15, Aphaia <aphaia at gmail.com>:
>
> On Jan 15, 2008 8:25 PM, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Hoi,
> > I tried to point out to you personally how the policy is consistent in
> time.
> > I also explained why the policy is reasonable. As I have said the same
> > things now several times, I do not want to repeat the things publicly
> again
> > unless there is a new point to clarify.
>
> It is your wishes not mine. And if you think it is enough to persuade
> me to cover your inequity for all Japanese people involved into
> Wiversity sorry I disagree.
>
> There is no reason to hide it in a cupboard. And I esteem transparency.
>
> And if there is any new point - you still haven't provide why inequity
> between Greeks and Japanese justified.
>
> > Because of my respect to you I have
> > endeavoured to word things differently and more personally. I do not do
> that
> > for many others. :)
>
> 1. I don't have an interest to discuss with you as individual. I ask
> Langcom for their opinion as Wikimedia Committee. Not you individual.
> Hence your wish for private conversation is irrelevant.
> 2. As a committee member, I rather wish you esteem the all Wikiversity
> people, not your preferring individuals. And as a committee member you
> should do, imo.
>
> > PS my name is Gerard not Gerald :)
>
> Sorry, it is hard for native Japanese speaker to distinguish  them.
>
> > Thanks,
> >     Gerard
> >
> >
> >
> > On Jan 15, 2008 11:45 AM, Aphaia <aphaia at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Back to foundation-l.
> > >
> > > Gerald, I have no idea why you mailed me privately and in that mail
> > > you didn't respond any of my specific questions.
> > >
> > > I think I tried to ask politely LangCom for the inconsistency in
> > > GeraldM's messages and ask GeraldM himself to clarify what is his
> > > standpoint?
> > >
> > > In this context what means a privately sent mail?
> > >
> > > In both points a reasonable public clear response in an appropriate
> > > manner will be appreciated.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Jan 15, 2008 6:55 PM, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > > Hoi,
> > > > The policy was recently changed. All the languages that were at that
> > time
> > > > approved or were in the process of being approved do not have to
> comply
> > with
> > > > the new standard. The process of being approved starts when a member
> of
> > the
> > > > langcom asks other members of the langcom for approval for a
> project.
> > This
> > > > is often communicated privately with people representing the new
> > project.
> > > >
> > > > We need full localisation for all languages. For Greek, for Japanese
> ...
> > > > without full localisation important messages will not be available
> and
> > > > consequently when new software is introduced there will be a lot of
> > > > uncertainty. The messages for Single User Logon are in an exension.
> They
> > are
> > > > extremely relevant when SUL goes life. We do not require any
> extension
> > > > messages for a first project in a language because we trust the
> > community to
> > > > do well and translate them in BetaWIki. Often these messages are
> > translated
> > > > in the local project.
> > > >
> > > > With a second project in a language it becomes even more important
> that
> > the
> > > > localisation is done centrally and this is the reason for the new
> > > > requirement. It is hard work to maintain the localisation. When the
> > > > localisation is only done in the biggest project. The smaller
> projects
> > lose
> > > > out.
> > > >
> > > > I hope you will appreciate that this policy only aims to improve the
> > > > localisation in all languages for us all. If anything the policy and
> the
> > > > hard work at BetaWiki have shown to have a good effect. Things have
> > already
> > > > improved quite substantially over the last few months.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > >      Gerard
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > >     Gerard
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Jan 15, 2008 10:40 AM, Aphaia < aphaia at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > On Jan 15, 2008 4:26 PM, Gerard Meijssen <
> gerard.meijssen at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > > Hoi,
> > > > > > Several members of the language committee are extremely unhappy
> with
> > > > > > Pathoschild's sorry show of doing this on his own accord. They
> have
> > > > > > indicated that they will block final approval for any project by
> > going
> > > > back
> > > > > > on this necessary part of the policy.
> > > > >
> > > > > Unless one other member of Langcom gives their understanding, I
> think
> > > > > it wise not to comment to this part of your statement.
> > > > >
> > > > > And I take it strangely you speak without clarification as whom
> you
> > > > > are talking. I don't want an opinion of certain individual on his
> > > > > individual basis. I asked opinion of Langcom.
> > > > >
> > > > > Do you speak here on behalf of Langcom based on consensus?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Again, there are two parts to the policy.
> > > > > > * When a language is starting it only needs to do the most used
> > messages
> > > > of
> > > > > > MediaWiki. This provides basic support for a language.
> > > > > > * When a project request is a subsequent project for a language,
> all
> > > > > > MediaWiki messages and the messages of the extension used by the
> WMF
> > are
> > > > > > required.
> > > > >
> > > > > [snip]
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > It is exactly for languages that use a different script that it
> is
> > vital
> > > > > > that the localisation is done completely. For these languages
> there
> > is
> > > > no
> > > > > > chance that the English word is the same or similar.
> > > > >
> > > > > Your argument here again become pointless. "A different script" is
> > > > > unclear and a-certain-but-not-clear-language-centric. Even if I
> assume
> > > > > you wanted to mean "a different language from MediaWiki default =
> > > > > latin script", it is still pointless and give no insight of
> > > > > differences Langcom set between Greek (Greek script, not latin)
> and
> > > > > Japanese (Kana and Kanji). And I would politely add Greek is not
> > > > > English word.
> > > > >
> > > > > Shortly your argument doesn't provide any good reason for your
> favor
> > > > > to Greek project.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > MediaWiki is an integral part of how we provide our information.
> It
> > > > needs as
> > > > > > much tender loving care as we give to our content. MediaWiki
> > receives a
> > > > lot
> > > > > > of tender loving care from the developers. We can show our
> > appreciation
> > > > by
> > > > > > making sure that their software is properly understood and
> > appreciated
> > > > by
> > > > > > all its users not only for the people that know English and get
> > > > everything
> > > > > > by default.
> > > > >
> > > > > Again I should ask you: who are we? Specially if Pathoschild
> pointed
> > > > > out flows in your wording?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > >     GerardM
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Jan 15, 2008 12:08 AM, Jesse Martin (Pathoschild)
> > > > <pathoschild at gmail.com >
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Aphaia, I'm sorry; I looked at the localization for Japanese,
> and
> > it
> > > > > > > seems that this problem is caused by a change that happened a
> few
> > days
> > > > > > > ago in the requirements. I've reverted them and brought them
> up
> > for
> > > > > > > subcommittee discussion again (I hadn't commented on them,
> because
> > it
> > > > > > > didn't seem from the proposal that they'd make much
> difference).
> > I'll
> > > > > > > keep you updated off-list.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Yaroslav, as far as I know (I don't participate on that page)
> > those
> > > > > > > numbers are only there to give a general idea of the
> discussion.
> > Since
> > > > > > > they're manually updated, they're probably outdated most of
> the
> > time.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > Yours cordially,
> > > > > > > Jesse Martin (Pathoschild)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > > > > foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
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> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > KIZU Naoko
> > > > > http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Britty (in Japanese)
> > > > > Quote of the Day (English): http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/WQ:QOTD
> > > > >
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> > >
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> > >
> > >
> > > KIZU Naoko
> > > http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Britty (in Japanese)
> > > Quote of the Day (English): http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/WQ:QOTD
> > >
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> --
> KIZU Naoko
> http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Britty (in Japanese)
> Quote of the Day (English): http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/WQ:QOTD
>
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