Ubuntu Dutch translation team is closed. Solutions?

[Milo Casagrande]

Hello,

Adi Roiban ha scritto:
> Hi,
> 
> Via the following question :
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/rosetta/+question/64194
> I found out that the Ubuntu Dutch translation team is somehow closed and
> is asking new translators to work upstream.
> 
> I don't know what to think but in my opinion Ubuntu translators team
> should be opened for new translators working both upstream or
> downstream. Many upstream projects accept new translations only for
> development version, and for example it is hard to push upstream a GNOME
> translations from Hardy. There are also a couple of packages only
> available in Ubuntu.
> 
> In the thread, Bert Van de Poel  states that "all the (dutch team)
> members think that translating on launchpad isn't useful and that I
> should translate upstream (but that isn't always possible so)."

This is rather unfortunate. As you said, there are Ubuntu specific 
packages plus Ubuntu customizations of some packages (debian-installer, 
fusa applet, gnome-control-center, probably synaptic too but I'm not 
100% sure about it) and the Ubuntu documentation.

Translating through Launchpad is useful for Ubuntu users, as all those 
specific translations will not be done otherwise, resulting in a 
half-baked user experience.

Yes, it is not easy to know which are the packages that have 
customizations or that are only specific to Ubuntu and is also easy to 
change upstream coming translations usually by new people approaching 
translations and not knowing the difference and all the implications 
that lay behind.

Promoting upstream collaboration is absolutely a good thing, but there 
is also the necessity to help new comers and explain them what they can 
translate and what they should do if they find errors/typos in 
translations, talking with and within the team is absolutely necessary 
in these cases.

If inside the team there are also upstream contributors, from my POV, 
thanks to their experience, they should try to help new translators 
approaching the team. I'm not saying it's easy (actually it's kind of 
hard), but documenting all this aspects is a good start.

> What do you say? Do you have any suggestions about how we could help
> him?

I don't know why the Dutch team reached an agreement to close the team 
down, but I think it would be better to contact them privately first and 
talk to them, trying to understand their motivations.

> Maybe Bert Van de Poel could have sent the translations upstream, and
> maybe they are not Ubuntu specific, but I feel like we could find a
> solution and encourage his contribution as a Ubuntu translator.

Indeed, but first I think it's important to contact the Dutch team.

Cheers.

-- 
Milo Casagrande <milo at casagrande.name>