http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiktionary Re: Translators needed?

[Robert Michel]

Salve Vincente!

On Sat, 03 Feb 2007, Vincente Aggrippino wrote:
> I'm coming into this conversation late, as I just joined the mailing
> list, 
Then welcome to our openmoko community :)

> but I think I can offer a more general perspective on
> translation.
:)

> My enthusiasm towards Open Source Software has at least piqued their
> curiosity and I've brought up the idea of translation.  Some of them
> would be willing to consider doing voluntary translation for products
> that would benefit less-advantaged kids.  The context for my
> discussion was OpenOffice.org, but would easily apply to other
> products.

The advantage of opensource is that good solutions could be used
on other plattforms/project. I think solutions from 
http://www.laptop.org will be used with OpenMoko and vice versa.

I like your ambition to give children support - software, tutorials
books not in their mother language is a disadvantage...

 But somebody could replay why supporting a luxury device, a mobil
 with big screen, AGPS, ...
 Well I think you are good in charing, when you do something with
 your full heart and is a pleasure for your itself. So this 
 "luxury" device could enthuse many people to develop solutions
 for an embedded device. Comparing the price for the Neo with
 other small embedded starter kits is low and the Neo is powerfull.

Back to translation - several projects are now caring about
translation - this hour, I found a news about this project:
http://translatedfiles.netbeans.org/

> The point I'm getting at is that I don't think there are many
> professional translators, but there are many people with the same
> qualifications.  They just didn't choose to become translators.

Good point. I was not speaking against professional people,
I just tried to encourage everybody (with good skills) to be
courageous to start a translation themself.

I was active on the German Wikipedia for a while and their
slogan for new peole was "Be courageous!" (Sei mutig!)

BTW I once thought for myself it is not important if I can
speak 3 or 4 languages, to know the 100 improtant words in
more then 50 languages would be better than just another
lauguange - why? Because saying some words in somebody mother
language is respectfull and polite.
So having the wikipedia article, but also a welcomeside about
OpenMoko in as many as possible languages would IMHO motivate
people to join the international community of OpenMoko.

So welcome, thank you for your perspective - there is no
"comming late.." :)

Greetins,
rob