#Firefox Bahasa localization? – discussion at #BarcampKL

There was an interesting discussion about #Firefox Bahasa localization at #BarcampKL held on 4tha nd 5th of April, 2009.

Gen, who is director of Mozilla, asked the barcampers if they want to have Bahasa or Malay version of Firefox. It was one reason why he joined #BarcampKL.

The answer from the campers there was “NO”. Everybody there uses Firefox or other applications in English.

Contents can be any language but UI should be English

Many people said like this.

I do understand them, because I myself use English version of Firefox, Twitter, Facebook, OS or whatever even if there were Japanese localized version.

It’s not because I don’t understand Japanese, I’m a Japanese and my first language is Japanese, my english is just for living, not like native. I just got used to use those applications in English, when I see Japanese version, sometimes it’s too much for me or annoy me.

However, it doesn’t mean Japanese version UI annoy everybody, most of my Japanese friends use Japanese version of anything.

Firefox localization projects in ASEAN

Thailand

In Thailand, most of Thai geeks understand English, they tweet in English often, even between Thai people, they tweets in English, but offline, everybody speaks Thai, English here is not common language like which is in Malaysia or Singapore.

There is Thai localized Firefox which was done by Keng, molek and some more Thai geeks. They even fixed a bug on Firefox which is related to Thai script (Thai doesn’t have space like English has, so Firefox understands whole sentense as a word, which often broke the layout).

Cambodia

There were 2 Cambodian guys joined Gen’s session. One of them called Chantra, he localized Firefox into Khmer, but Gen didn’t know it Because the way Chantra did is he used Firefox source code and named different name, which is 100% regal, but he hasn’t sent the source code to Mozilla, that’s why Gen didn’t know it.

Firefox localize

You can use firefox source code and localize, then change logo and launch as another browser, but also you can send the source to Mozilla to be listed as Mozilla’s official localized version.

Also there are many localized Firefox, you can see the list of fully localized version here.

Why was the answer “No”?

I talked with Gen about it.

Everybody joined #BarcampKL speaks English, all sessions were done in English. I know most of them speaks Mandarin or Cantonase, Malay or Bahasa etc. It seemed like their common language is English, but is it?

Too many language in the country

In Malaysia, there are many different races, different religions, everybody has different background and defferent level of education.

As a foreigner myself, I get only English and all of my friends there speak perfect English. However, there must be many people who doesn’t get English well, and those kind of people were not there at the #BarcampKL.

See something invisible

As I wrote above, for myself, English version is enough, I don’t need Japanese version. Hoewver, I know many of Japanese people feel uncomfortable with English UI.

If someone asked me “Do YOU want Japanese localized application?”, the answer would be “NO“, but if I’m asked “Do you think it NEEDS TO BE localized?”, then the answer would be “YES“.

I’m sure many people need localized version, but we barcampers don’t. So sometimes non-techie people are invisible for us.

Localize for people need it

A guy at Gen’s session said he did localization of some applications, because HE needed it. This is the first reason why people localize applications.

However, people really need localizad version doesn’t have enough skill to localize it, or they don’t even think of localization.

Think about people who doesn’t have computer at home, who doesn’t get English. They go to internet cafe to use computers, but everything in the computer is English, it’s not accesible for them.

Other localization examples

Django in Thai

Python users group in Thailand is lead by foreigner who doesn’t need Thai version of it. One day at #Beercamp in Bangkok, they made Django Thai localization team and localized it in few weeks.

Now Django Thai shows error massage or anything in Thai. People involved in the localization team was not only techie. Because some of foreigners can’t read and write, so their girlfriends helped to translate it.

Web services

Now Facebook is localized to many languages. Before Japanese version of facebook launched, there were only some Japanese users, but now there are many.

Twitter as well. For myself, I don’t need Japanese version of Twitter, but many people needs it.

OS

Someone who developing ubuntu eee contacted me via @proteusguy to help them to localize ubuntu eee into Japanese. They are in Oslo and they don’t need Japanese for them selves. However they want to localize it.

The reason to localize applications

These might be done with the same reason Gen has, Django group in Thailand they want more people to use  Django, ubuntu eee team want Japanese to use it more.

Gen, himself, or techies ourselves don’t need localized version, but we want more people to use, we want it to be more accessible.

Developing something WE need is fun, but also developing something for SOMEONE needs it is also fun.

Multi-language platform would help world to get connected more and more. It’s kind of exciting things happening these days.

If anybody needs me to localize something into Japanese, just let me know :)