Microsoft Plans to Create Local Language Software

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Microsoft Plans to Create Local Language Software

Posted by simoniker on Wednesday March 17, 2004 @02:39PM from the xp-language-docious dept.

zensufi writes "CNET News has a story stating that Microsoft has announced plans for a program to help governments produce local language versions of key Microsoft applications, giving the software giant a hedge against a growing international threat from open-source software." The piece explains: 'The Local Language Program will provide local and regional governments with "language interface packs" that government and academic developers can use to produce localized versions of the Windows XP operating system and Office 2003 productivity package.'

38 of 480 comments (clear)

Wow translating their software to other languages? by stratjakt · 2004-03-17 14:40 · Score: 5, Funny

What antimonopolistic evil behaviour!

Actually customizing their products to different markets. UN FRICKIN BELIEVABLE.

Now throw yer tantrum kids.

--
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Northern Californian Localization by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-17 14:40 · Score: 5, Funny

The NorCal local language pack will add the words hella and and shit in as many places as it can.

"Ah man, now I get it. The help files are hella easy to understand 'n shit. So if you wanna shut down, click the start button, and select Shut Down And Shit"

Meanwhile, the Southern Californian Localization will feature such items as "Shut Down - It's Just Called Shut Down"
1. Re:Northern Californian Localization by Eberlin · 2004-03-17 15:00 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  SoCal could use a stereotypic smattering of "Dude" and Valleyspeak's "Like" and "Totally" if not the "Foshizzles" and "Shizznits"
  
  On a "Help" tab that nobody uses, I wrote:
  
  "You, um, push buttons and like stuff happens. Sometimes it's like totally cool stuff but sometimes it's like 'oh man, there's no undo button? Mega bummer!'"
  
  Not sure if anyone has noticed it here yet.
2. Re:Northern Californian Localization by prockcore · 2004-03-17 15:38 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Sweet! And I tried to open a file that didn't exist and XP said "Dude, where's my file?"
right.. by SillyNickName4me · 2004-03-17 14:41 · Score: 2, Funny

Heh.. that sounds liek them wantign the OSS kind of workforce without payign the price...
Now there's a job I wouldn't want... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-17 14:41 · Score: 5, Funny

...the schmoe who has to translate all the stupid shit Clippy says into other languages.
Has to be asked: by irokitt · 2004-03-17 14:42 · Score: 4, Funny

Where can I get my hands on these development tools so that I can start on a ROT13 version of Office?

Vg nccrnef lbh ner gelvat gb glcr n yrggre. Jbhyq lbh yvxr zr gb uryc?

--
If my answers frighten you, stop asking scary questions.
1. Re:Has to be asked: by el-spectre · 2004-03-17 14:52 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  V'z na naablvat navzngrq cvrpr bs gva. Jnag zr gb trg orag?
  
  --
  "Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
2. Re:Has to be asked: by J-B0nd · 2004-03-17 15:59 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  For the lazy: It appears you are trying to type a letter. Would you like me to help? I'm an annoying animated piece of tin. Want me to get bent?
3. Re:Has to be asked: by Idarubicin · 2004-03-18 03:38 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Vg nccrnef lbh ner gelvat gb glcr n yrggre. Jbhyq lbh yvxr zr gb uryc?
  That's not ROT13; that's the Welsh localization.
  And everyone knows there are two ells in 'gllcr'. :D
  
  --
  ~Idarubicin
Can't resist..... by the.jedi · 2004-03-17 14:43 · Score: 5, Funny

How Do you say General Protection Fault in swahili?
EEEEeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

--
ThunderBird. Nuff said.
1. Re:Can't resist..... by Maserati · 2004-03-17 15:17 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  [image of computer flying out an upper-story office window]
  
  Australian for "reboot".
  
  --
  Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951
2. Re:Can't resist..... by G-funk · 2004-03-17 15:24 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Windows has detected a balls-up in kernel32.dll. Would you like to:
  
  (Fuck it)
  
  (Avagoyamug)
  
  (email the lousy poofters that wrote this software)
  
  --
  Send lawyers, guns, and money!
Re:Well by kdb003 · 2004-03-17 14:49 · Score: 3, Funny

So now they can pirate copies in their own language!
Re:What Gall by irokitt · 2004-03-17 14:54 · Score: 3, Funny

Government and Academic institutions would be more than happy to pay extra. It isn't their money.

--
If my answers frighten you, stop asking scary questions.
Dialectizer Office? by PetoskeyGuy · 2004-03-17 14:58 · Score: 5, Funny

Dialectizer Wizard

Please choose a language...

( ) Elmer Fudd
( ) Redneck
( ) Jive
( ) Cockey
( ) Sweedish Chef (my favorite)
( ) Moron
( ) Pig Latin
( ) Hacker

(BTW, this is from The Dialectizer site - Microsoft currently blocks them - no sense of humor)
Re:open source challenges?? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-17 15:06 · Score: 1, Funny

>>Please, like it or not, MS is already light
>> years ahead of OSS in terms of localization
>> and supporting foreign languages

I'm sorry. I can't figure out if you are trying
to be a troll or are trying to be a paid shill.

Can you throw me a clue which one it is?
BSOD by enrico_suave · 2004-03-17 15:08 · Score: 3, Funny

pantalla azul de la muerte!

e.

--
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
What languages? by tuxlove · 2004-03-17 15:10 · Score: 4, Funny

Their language packs wouldn't be complete without these languages/alphabets:

- Ebonics
- Pig latin
- Esperanto
- Elvish
- Klingon
- Linear B

I guarantee you Microsoft won't support any of these. But the open source community is certainly not above it, and will surely be the only recourse for anyone needing to localize software in those languages. And I'm sure there's more I haven't named here.
1. Re:What languages? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-17 15:41 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Don't forget the translations into MS-speak:
  
  monopolistic = innovative
  insecure = trustworthy
  We own you = EULA
Because, like EF Hutton... by smittyoneeach · 2004-03-17 15:14 · Score: 2, Funny

...when the market speaks, even BeelzeBill listens.

--
Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
Re:open source challenges?? by stephanruby · 2004-03-17 15:15 · Score: 4, Funny

FYI: KDE now supports 49 languagesand the list is actively growing.
I don't think it's fair to count Elvish and Klingoln.
Translate Everything Except.... by ptelligence · 2004-03-17 15:17 · Score: 2, Funny

The BSOD. It's universal.
1. Re:Translate Everything Except.... by EndlessNameless · 2004-03-17 15:48 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Not so... in Spanish, WinXP's IRQ_NOT_LESS_THAN_OR_EQUAL bluescreen would be QIR_NI_MENOS_NI_EGUALDAD (I think).
  
  Even for the newest, most stable version of Windows, it is very important for users to have equal access to the content of their error messsages. Really, you ought to be more culturally sensitive.
  
  --
  
  ---
  According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
Finally, Mi|Xro$0f7 31337 5P34k by rock_climbing_guy · 2004-03-17 15:24 · Score: 4, Funny

joo MU57 4CC3PT teh T3RM5 0f 7hIs 4GR33M3N7 B4 537U9 wi11 C0N7INU3. 913453 S313C7 "I AGREE" 70 1ND1C473 joo 4CC39T teh T3rM5.
[ ] I AGREE.
[ ]I DO NOT AGREE.

--
Wh47 d1d j00 541, 31337 15n't t3h r0xor5 ne m0r3???
How do you say "security hole" in Swahili? by Anubis333 · 2004-03-17 15:29 · Score: 5, Funny

What about languages that don't have direct translations for key words like "security hole", "patch", "bug", "unstable" and "hotfix"?
1. Re:How do you say "security hole" in Swahili? by ghakko · 2004-03-17 20:44 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  You could do what the US Army did with Navajo.
  besh-lo (iron fish): submarine
  dah-he-tih-hi (hummingbird): fighter plane
  atsah-besh-le-gai (silver eagle): colonel
  tsidi-ney-ye-hi (bird carrier): aircraft carrier
  So ...
  (laxative medicine): hotfix
  (soccer ball): support request
  (durian): in-house helpdesk staff
  (mongoose trap): upgrade program
  (Jesuit missionary): Microsoft Sales
Re:Wow translating their software to other languag by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-17 15:36 · Score: 2, Funny

Yay! now we can get the:

pantalla azul de la muerte

(Blue Screen of Death - Spanish from the fish)
Re:Freeloading by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-17 15:37 · Score: 2, Funny

I've done translations for open source projects and I'll be happy to do translations for Microsoft. My hourly rate is simply 0.1% of Bill Gates' income last year.
Yes, so what's up with this announcement? by Politas · 2004-03-17 16:00 · Score: 3, Funny

Is this MS saying "We're sick of all your complaints about incorrect rtranslations, so we're going to let you do your own translations, so we don't have to pay these translators any more."

MSS: Microsoft Support, how can I help you?
Non-US User: Hi, there are three buttons on this dialogue box I'm getting which translate to "Next", "Yes" and "Ok". How do I know which one to press?
MSS: I'm sorry, we don't support foreign language issues. Please call your local technical support and talk to your translation team.

--
Politas
Re:open source challenges?? by Trejkaz · 2004-03-17 16:32 · Score: 3, Funny

Klingon software is not released, it escapes! Leaving a bloody trail of quality assurance testers!

--
Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
Re:Wow translating their software to other languag by hdparm · 2004-03-17 16:38 · Score: 4, Funny

Can I still hate Microsoft, regardless?
tlhIngan? by starphish · 2004-03-17 16:54 · Score: 2, Funny

DichDaq pa' taH tlhIngan?

--
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The story is a dupe, the topic is boring, the facts weren't checked. WE GET IT!!
Re:Your sarcasmometer is broken by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-17 17:40 · Score: 3, Funny

Sarcasmometer? Oh, that's a useful invention...
Re:Wow translating their software to other languag by Black+Parrot · 2004-03-17 18:17 · Score: 5, Funny

> Can I still hate Microsoft, regardless?

Yes, in more languages than ever before.

--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
They will sell only one copy !! by haritn · 2004-03-17 18:22 · Score: 1, Funny

rest will be pirated !!
Re:Linux forced it. by hplasm · 2004-03-17 22:51 · Score: 3, Funny

Linux supports Apache, yes.

--
...and he grinned, like a fox eating shit out of a wire brush.
Re:Wow translating their software to other languag by gnu-generation-one · 2004-03-18 01:35 · Score: 2, Funny

"In the case of Hebrew, they declared there would never be Hebrew language versions of their software even though the Israeli government offered to pay for the development and ultimately even to supply the developers if that is what it took. Microsoft said NO."

In some of the better software products, you can just take the messages file and translate it yourself, without any need to request that the vendor enables that feature for you.

"Free Software", I think they call it. Hey, you even get freedom of language thrown in...