[kde-edu]: trading place for translations - for open source projects and schools

[Thomas Templin]

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Moin Sebastian
On Sunday 16 November 2003 21:09, Sebastian Stein wrote:
> Hartmut Meyer <hartmut.meyer at web.de> [031116 21:01]:
> > How about a trading place that could be used by open source projects
> > looking for translators on the one side and teachers/pupils/schools
> > looking for real-world transaltion jobs on the other side? I believe it
> > can be a good motivator to know that the work done will actually not be
> > binned (after beeing read by the teacher) but be really useful.
> >
> > Does something like that already exist?
> >
> > If not: what do you think would be a good place for this? I don't imagine
> > the kde-edu project as such is the right place. It's doesn't even
> > necessarily need to be a KDE thing (though I would like it).
>
> Sometime I get some mails from people asking me what they can translate as
> an university project and such things. The main problem in KDE context is,
> that translation isn't that easy. Of course you can just send the people
> the po file and say they should use kbabel, but to do it right, they need a
> lot more knowledge. I also tried to guide someone through the process of
> setting up KDE CVS download, to do some proofreading of documentation, but
> I think he gave up, because it is just to complicate.
>
> So I'm not sure how to lower the technical border. If you find a good
> solution I like to hear about it!
You are absolutely right. Translating applications needs a professional work. 
But translating WEB pages might be a way to involve people who are not very 
familiar with GNU/Linux and to use this to do information work in press and 
other media. This might be a way to find other, more professional people, 
which are interested in translating applications.

Due to my experience there is a must to establish a way to bring non 
developers closer to Free Software projects. Translating is a good point to 
start with, professional press work and fundrising will be other fields.

And I think that there is a need to establish people who can do this job on a 
professional fulltime base. But I also know that in the moment it's not 
possible for a single projekt to do so, there is'nt enough money at all. So 
my idea is to look for some fields where it might be interesting for three or 
four projects to establish this together.  Press work, fundrising, group 
motivation - group management, and local information work (I don't like to 
call it lobbying :o) are jobs which have to be done in most all projects.
Big software companies stil do this in the field of governmental lobbying in 
Germany, the EU and the UN. You know that two big UN summits on Free Software 
and copy right (WIPRO Summit) and the UN eGovOS Summit  on eGovenment with 
Free Software have been torpedoed by big software companies?

Bye,
Thomas
- -- 
Thomas Templin - Paul-Hug-Strasse 60 - 26382 Wilhelmshaven
Fachkraft für Agitation und Propaganda im Dienste Freier Software
Tel: +49 (0)4421 779 25 25 - PoBox 2519 - 26365 Wilhelmshaven
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