[Typo3-doc] [Translation]

[JoH]

>>> So I would say that the main documentation should be in english,
>>> translations are optional. Why not setting up a doc_matrix page for
>>> each language? That would shorten the main (eng) page too?
>>
>> Well - at least in Germany you are forced by law to deliver German
>> manual when you sell a piece of software or something based on a
>> piece of software to your customer.
>
> When "I" sell something than it is "my" task to document something,
> but not the T3-teams task. BTW: I believe it was in the last CT where
> there was an article about this, pointing out that it is even not
> defined what documentation is...

So when you sell MS-Office to your clients it's your job to write the German
manual?

>> So in case you want to earn money with TYPO3 a translation is
>> anything but optional.
>
> Couldn't see that documentation has to be in local language, but even
> if, isn't is the sellers part to take care about it?

No - it's the producer's part to do this. If there is no adequate manual the
seller might choose another product. And this is the problem we have with
TYPO3. We are losing the financial power and sponsoring abilities of many
big players just because there is no adequate documentation.

>> And IMHO it's not about taking care of these "not english reading
>> guys" but about stopping these "not english writing guys" from
>> polluting the documentation with crappy manuals that don't help a
>> user any further. Any documentation should be written in the native
>> language of the writer. If this is not English, the document has to
>> be translated afterwards by someone who is a native speaker _and_ is
>> able to write a good English documentation.
>
> Your are right, but when can we welcome you back in reality? ;-) That
> is what I alway complain about our marketing guys, they are also
> right many times, IF they would have the resources to do so. Do you
> have these resources? If not, your writing turns to a situation where
> you have a number of docs that are waiting for translation, and
> nobody knows when and whether it will happen. There I prefer english
> docs much more.

The reality is that many people are writing English docs that have to be
reviewed and rewritten by others to meet the minimum requirements of a good
documentation. So when you are talking about resources and manpower you
should be aware that we are wasting a lot of these just for getting as many
English documentation as possible. Taking a closer look at the people who
joined the doc-team you will notice that most of them are no native speakers
of the English language. In fact we have many French and German people. IMHO
most of them are able to write adequate docs in their native language but
there are very few that could produce the same quality in English.

>> If the programmer of the extension is not able to write good
>> documentation in his native language he should leave it to someone
>> who is able, handing over a draft that can be used as a working base.
>
> Again, to whom does he hand over. If you have that person it is fine,
> but I doubt that.

We hand this over to people who are able to understand at least two
languages. If there is someone who is able to understand German and write
English this someone can join with me, since I am able to understand English
and write German. Both of us can produce at least two manuals available in
German _and_ English in the same time you would need for two English only
manuals if this job was done the way you described it.

>> If we want to lift TYPO3 docs to a higher level it's all about
>> quality and not quantity and a good manual in another language is
>> worth much more than a crappy one written in English.
>
> Your are right, but not taking care the resources at all. With what
> you want to have you need two things:
>
> - many people who contribute OR/AND

> - much money
> Which one do you have? ;-)

As I described above we needed less people if we did it in native languages
only with the additional advantage that we would have much more translated
manuals available.

Maybe we should set up a list where any member/contributor of the doc-team
can tell us about his/her abilities to understand and/or write different
languages. This could help the team leader to hand over the right jobs to
the right people.

Joey