[Slackdocs] we need mainstream

[Eric Hameleers]

On Thu, 23 Aug 2012, Didier Spaier wrote:

> Hello everybody,
>
> On 23/08/2012 09:09, asteroid wrote:
>> Imho we need a clear way :
>> 	- 1st en english
>> 	- then translate (keeping the _same_ page name). That give us
>> 	  http://docs.slackware.com/pt-br:slackware:install and this is
>> 	  the portugal translation of the slackware:install page.
>
> I disagree.
>
> What is the rationale here?
>
> Why pages in languages other than English would need to be a translation of 
> existing English pages?
>
> Granted, before a page be included in the documentation it should be checked 
> from sort of a QA assurance,
> as are slackbuilds @ slackbuilds.org, in whatever language they be written.
>
> But I don't think that would need to match the new page against an existing 
> one, written in English.
>
> What we need is:
> 1) Some basic rules to be followed, as for slackbuilds sumissions. I will 
> make proposals.
> 2) People volunteer and able to check that theses rule be applied in new or 
> edited pages, whatever the language used.
>
> I am confident that we can find enough skilled people to review pages written 
> in their native language.
>
> For instance I guess that Alien Bob would be able to review pages written in 
> Dutch ;)
>
> IMHO one of the main goals of the documentation is to encourage adoption of 
> Slackware Linux by as many people as
> possible all over the world. Having to say people not speaking English "You 
> should either learn English first",
> or "wait until somebody condescend to translate an Official English Page for 
> you" will not help to reach that goal,
> let alone "wait till English version be complete before we begin to translate 
> anything" as I have seen posted on LQ.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Didier

English is the primary language of the Wiki. That is a given.

in order for the Wiki to determine if a page is available in multiple 
languages (which will be visible in the language selection drop-down in 
the left sidebar) a page must have the same name in all languages - only 
the language prefix is different (prefixing fr: for instance).

I think iti s acceptible if someone writes a page in his own language 
first, on the condition that he creates a (possibly empty) english page 
as well. The english page could be a placeholder, informing that a 
localized version exists and that an editor is needed. Ideally the author 
of the localized page asks the co-operation of one of our editors to get a 
decent english translation into the Wiki. Google Translate service will be 
an essential tool in achiving that.

Se http://docs.slackware.com/slackdocs:styleguide#translating_a_page where 
I tried to summarize.

Eric