[Web-trans] address@hidden: Re: Suggestions about GNU translations]

[Richard Stallman]

Some responses to those suggestions.
It would be useful for you to talk with all these people
about these issues.

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Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 16:15:37 -0600
From: "D. E. Evans" <address@hidden>
To: b&f team <address@hidden>
Cc: Richard Stallman <address@hidden>, Derek Chen-Becker <address@hidden>,
        John Paul Wallington <address@hidden>
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Subject: Re: Suggestions about GNU translations
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On Tue, Sep 21, 2004 at 12:10:30AM +0200, b&f team wrote:
> 
> The following are some suggestions about GNU translations (some of
> those discussed in the GNU Italian translator mlist):
> 
> 1. The translation list should stay only on the original English page
>    and all the translation list links on the translated pages should
>    point to the translation list on the original English page this
>    way:
>  
> <p><a href="Original_English_Page.html#translations">Translations</a>
> of this page</p>
> 
>    so the page updates should be easier.

The MultiView function of Apache should automatically display the
appropriate language based on the default of the browser client
(which often pulls from the system default).  Maintaining an
index of the other translations allows for easy reference from
clients that may be misconfigured.  Keeping the index on the
language of origin (usually English) is fine, as long as it is
clear that a particular translation identifies the language of
origin that it is translated from, and what version (or date) of
the page of origin was translated.

Derek, John Paul, what do you think?  

> 2. A link to the English version should be added to all the translated
>    pages this way:
> 
> <p><a href="Original_English_Page.html">English version</a>
> of this page</p>

It would be nice to maintain the format for translations that is
in the boilerplate, namely, a single link at the top left.  I
don't see a problem with this link directly to the
page-of-origin's 'Translations of this page:'  

> 3. The "English" link in the translation lists should be taken away as
>    "English" is the original page/text, not a translation.

The removal of redundancy seems reasonable.
 
> 4. The server should be set up in order to let users read the pages
>    immediately in their language (the one set up in the browers) by
>    default.

This is the MultiView configuration in the Apache configuration
file, as specified above.  Only our sysadmins have access to
this.  I've pestered them periodically for over a year now to fix
this, to no avail.

> 5. The translators (or who did the revision and update of the
>    document) should be indicated in the header of all the translated
>    pages this way:
> 
> <meta name="description" 
>       content="Originally Translated by 'Name/s-of-the-translator/s'
>       Later changes by 'Name/s-of-the-updater/s' " />
>    
>    so far, we have done it this way in the Italian translations. (Can
>    we continue to do it?)

This is clarified in the translation documentation, or should be.
Basically, the footer in the boilerplate should point to the
translation team/coordinator, not webmasters.  I think
maintaining the current code syntax of the boilerplate is best
for this.

> 6. The above should be added in the README.translations.html and a
>    link to this page should be added in all the GNU pages.

Agreed.

- -- 
D. E. Evans <address@hidden>
<http://www.deevans.net>
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