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Linux Localization And E-governance
BhondaiPola writes "The Telegraph has an interesting article about the works of a Bengali Linux localization group. The article speaks of the potential areas in which localization can be implemented, especially, E-governance. Most of the stuff is known to us, but the article should serve as a nice introductory article for anyone new to the issue.
And I liked the screenshots of the localized GNOME in the website of the group."
Here's the article's text:
Bengali crosses desktop lingo barrier
ALOKANANDA GHOSH
Thinking global, going local
Calcutta, Dec. 7: You can now use the computer to chat, e-mail, browse the internet, access an archive of public domain works by Bengali writers and read the almanac (ponjika) in Bengali.
In the first successful project of localisation of Indian languages, Ankur, an initiative of a group of academicians, students, professionals, linguists and techies -- all volunteers and without any financial backing -- from India and Bangladesh, will bring Bengali to the desktop, based on Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS).
A downloadable version of it that can present a basic-level desktop designed to perform functions equivalent to Microsoft Windows, will be posted on the Net tomorrow. The localisation efforts by Ankur will help millions of Bengali-speaking population access computing benefits through low-cost means.
Localisation is the process by which software and computing systems are adapted to a particular language and the specific cultural habits of a region. However, before the process of localisation can begin, the software has to be internationalised to support multiple languages and local customs.
"The local language framework makes it easier to take e-governance initiatives to the grassroot levels," Ankur member Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay said. "Government machinery and protocols can be best utilised through the local language and nuances, which can reach the largest number of people. The Ankur Bangla project covers all aspects of localisation. It aims to provide a 'Bengali computing experience', while creating a standard framework and infrastructure which makes computing scalable and economically deployable," he said.
Defined broadly, e-governance is the use of IT, communications and telecommunications to promote an efficient and effective government, facilitate access to government services, allow greater public access to information and empower people by making the government more accountable to citizens. The project may involve delivering services over the internet, telephone, community centres, wireless devices or other communication systems at reduced cost and increased productivity.
Ankur has been in talks with the Bengal government for the past six months. The group, however, did not get any projects from the state government.
"We have been approached by CBSE officials to use the project framework for digitisation of the syllabus to Bengali, using which they will tap the Bangladesh market," Indranil Dasgupta, founder of the Linux User Group in Calcutta, said. "Jadavpur University and the Forum of Scientists, Engineers and Technicians (Foset) are also in the process of adopting the Ankur framework for localised low-cost computers."
This, despite the fact that the government's much-flaunted government-to-citizen effort - Banglar Mukh (the face of Bengal) - has fallen flat on its face.
It is the official language of the Indian State, West Bengal and has produced some great indian poets including Tagore who won a nobel prize for his poems Geetanjali".
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
Bengali/Bangla is the language of Bangladesh.
See the CIA Word Fact Book for some information about Bangladesh.
Did you know that Bangladesh is the 8th largest nation on the world (note: "World" is the first in this ranking) ?
Bengali is spoken by some Indians as well, India being the second largest nation on the world.
I wouldn't call a software economy that's worth roughly $30/billion year, with $10 billion being outsourcing, to be merely "nascent." Unless, of course, you consider that in 2008, the Indian IT Ministry plans to have $50 billion in outsourcing (meaning: your students' jobs, and possibly yours as well) and $90 billion overall.
Indian Economy Report
Indian IT Plans
I'm surprised such Indian localizations weren't done sooner. Perhaps one day, we'll have to navigate them -- at its current growth rate, India will dominate the world in software roughly by the time this year's new CS students graduate.
Has an article on this. Good article exposing the availability of different applications in local languages. It seems that one of the benefits of open source software is it's ability to be modified in this manner. Open Office in Gujarati, anyone?
The article is online for premium users only. For some reason the Economist wants you to pay for content. I got it in the old-media form; good old paper.
IMHO, as per.
J:)
Oh well, no point in steering now.
Projects like this are really important. There is no Bengali support in Windows and so we are looking at this to provide Bengali in our environment.
Kinda like Zulu and Xhosa in South Africa - its not financially viable for Microsoft to write those locales in Windows.
Just another sign of the goodness in software freedom.
No. As the article stated, this is the first complete localization of a desktop OS to any Indian language. There has not been a lot of pressure on software companies to localize their software for the Indian market, because the common language of communication for middle and upper class Indians across the subcontinent is English. This is fine for business and education users, but for home use of computers to take off in India, they need to be able to write letters to Grandma who only speaks the local languages. This could potentially be a big win for Linux, as the home market which is not yet big enough for Microsoft to bother with could influence choices for business systems in the future.
naDev... tlhIngan Hol ngaq (Klingon language support)
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.