discuss: Re: Suggestion for i18n Coordinator role
Subject:
Re: Suggestion for i18n Coordinator role
From:
David Lawyer ####@####.####
Date:
19 Jun 2005 06:33:03 -0000
Message-Id: <20050619063242.GA1583@lafn.org>
On Fri, Jun 17, 2005 at 08:27:22AM -0700, Edward Cherlin wrote:
> On Wednesday 15 June 2005 06:59, Javier Fern??ndez-Sanguino Pe??a
> wrote:
> > The following is a improvement suggestion for the i18n
> > coordinator role definition in the TLDP pages.
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> >----
> >
> > i18n Coordinator
> >
> > The i18n coordinator helps TLDP reach a wider audience by
> > overseeing the translation of documents into multiple
> > languages.
> >
> > [NOTE: Shouldn't there be a coordinator per language? That
> > would make more sense ]
>
> And one coordinator for the language coordinators. There are
> tasks that don't divide well, and can't be done effectively by a
> coordinator for a single language.
We just don't have the people to do this. The translation projects in
various countries handle this. I would state that "The i18n
(=internationalization) coordinator tracks the status of various translation
projects and works to expand and improve the translation effort.
>
> > Responsibilities
> >
> > * Act as a liason between TLDP in the United States and
> > Linux documentation groups in other countries.
> One person.
>
> > * Keep track of the translators for the languages he
> > coordinates to.
> One per language.
Each translation effort needs to do this.
>
> > * Keep track of the status of translations for
> > TLDP documents and translators (or translator teams) in charge
> > of the translation.
> One per language.
A lot of effort would be wasted if one were to keep track of the
translation of individual docs. I you think the LDP has a lot of
out-of-date docs, the translated docs are often even more out-of-date.
The above might mean this so to clarify it I would remove "TLDP
documents". Then keeping "track of the status" doesn't mean to
track (or list) each translated doc, although one could do this if
time permits. The i18n coordinators needs to determine the best use
of their time.
> > * Keep track of translations that are
> > finished but out of date, ask translators in charge to update
> > them or ask for new translators to review and update the
> > translation.
In many cases there are new docs that need translation and they may be
a lot more significant than the topics of the out-of-date
translations. In some cases there will be no translator in charge,
and if there is, he likely knows about the situation but can't find
anyone to do the translation work. Also, another task is to follow
the status of machine translation.
> I didn't understand that clearly enough. Does "translator in
> charge" mean the same as "coordinator for a particular
> language"? We need people to keep track of out-of-date documents
> per language, and somebody to keep track of out-of-date or
> abandoned languages.
>
> > Commitment
> >
> > The amount of time depends on the number of languages
> > coordinated. Since the i18n coordinator does not translate the
> > documents himself he need to dedicate time in a monthly basis
> > to ask for new translators, detect out of date translations
> > and enroll new translators into the TLDP translation effort.
>
> There is rather more to the job of language coordinator. Somebody
> has to manage the translation memory system and somebody has to
> manage QA on incoming translations. They can be the same person,
> but they don't have to be.
>
> > Qualifications
> >
> > Coordinators should have good inter-personal skills and be
> > profient in the languages they coordinate to. Having good
> > bonds with the language-speaking free software community he
> > coordinates to is a plus since that would enable him to find
> > new translators when previous translators of documents for a
> > given language are not available.
>
> The over-coordinator has to have better interpersonal skills, and
> a wide knowledge of language issues in general and document
> localization in particular.
>
> > Supervision
> >
> > Peer feedback is obtained from TLDP's general discussion
> > mailing list. The i18n coordinator is overseen by the chief
> > coordinator.
> >
> > Training
> >
> > New coordinators are encouraged to read the Author-Guide so
> > that they can adapt it and translate it to the languages they
> > coordinate to. Any specific questions can be brought up on
> > TLDP's general discussion mailing list.
I think that there are many docs with higher priority to translate.
> A Translation-Guide would seem to be needed.
I don't think so.
>
> > Policies Affecting Assignment
> >
> > ???
> >
> > Benefits Of The Position
> >
> > The i18n coordinator has the opportunity to interact with
> > members of the Linux community throughout the world.
> and provide essential tools for fighting poverty and creating a
> better society. Among other benefits to the world at large and
> to specific language communities.
Are you kidding? If we were to bring all people out of poverty, the
world's natural resources would be depleted much faster thereby making
poverty even worse in the future. We do need to reduce world
population. But LDP isn't the organization to propose this.
>
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> >----
> >
> > Hope you find this useful
>
> Thanks. I might apply for this position.
>
> > Javier Fernandez-Sanguino Debian GNU/Linux developer and
> > coordinator of the spanish translation team
>
> That reminds me. I just got the Sinhala Linux distro from Sri Lanka
> and the BanglaLinux distro from Bangla Desh and Bengal. I need to
> bother the developers about documentation. -- Edward Cherlin,
> Simputer Evangelist Encore Technologies (S) Pte. Ltd. The Village
> Information Society http://cherlin.blogspot.com
>
> ______________________ http://lists.tldp.org/
>
>
>
David Lawyer
