Translation (was: Re: [ubuntu-women] introduction)

[Clytie Siddall]

On 08/03/2006, at 11:14 PM, Diane Gonzales wrote:

> Since everyone seems to be introducing themselves, I might as well
> introduce myself too.
>
> I'm Diane Gonzales, from the Philippines.

Mabuhay Diane :)   (Welcome!)

(I hope that is correct.)

> I'm a Computer Science
> student and discovered Linux back in 2003. I've been booting back and
> forth between Windows and Linux until I got DSL since net surfing was
> really slow when I was still on Winmodem and I always had to use
> Windows to surf the net.

I think it's taken quite a while for open-source systems really to  
offer a complete computing "solution". Being able to do that should  
make a big difference.
>
> Anyway, I started to use Ubuntu on its first release, but due to my
> internship where the office uses Fedora and CentOS, I had to go back
> to Fedora (formerly Red Hat). Went back to Ubuntu again when 5.04 was
> released. I haven't been around much, but I'd like to help with the
> Filipino translation of the distribution.

<grab>

It's always great to meet another person willing to translate, and  
another woman translator is extra special. :)  I really hope to  
encourage more women to try translation.

Strangely enough, Ubuntu is one of the few translation projects where  
I'm not yet embedded in the woodwork ;), so I can't give you specific  
URLs. However, the project is bound to have an Ubuntu Translation  
Project page, plus Howtos, Language Team list and contact details.

The usual procedure is to find that info, join the i18n [1] mailing  
list, email your team leader and offer your services. S/he will be  
able to tell you how they do things, and where your effort can be  
best used.

I would also recommend the Translate Wiki, a central resource for  
Open Source translators:

http://translate.sourceforge.net/wiki/

especially the Localization Guide.

If you have more time to contribute, the Translation Project :

http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/translation/HTML/index.html

would be very happy to have you. It accepts files from any OSS  
project, and handles most of the GNU application files. I'm working  
on it handling manpages in the future. They don't have any Tagalog  
translations yet. (Will you be translating into Tagalog? I know there  
are other Filipino languages, so sorry if I got that wrong.)

Christian Perrier <bubulle at debian.org>, Debian Translation Project co- 
ordinator, could also put you in touch with Eric Pareja, Tagalog team  
leader for Debian. I can't find his address, sorry. (Please feel free  
to mention my name to either or both if you would like to.)

Eric and I are currently both in a state of mingled exhaustion and  
excitement, because shortly the Debian Installer will be released in  
our languages for the first time (currently being tested). This is a  
huge step for both our language groups. :)

Welcome to this group, and to OSS translation! :)

from Clytie (vi-VN, Vietnamese free-software translation team / nhóm  
Việt hóa phần mềm tự do)
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/vi-VN

[1] Internationalization, because there are 18 letters between the i  
and the n, and we use that word so often, we get sick of writing it!  
Also l10n, localization.