Microsoft Plans to Create Local Language Software

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.'

Comments

Wow translating their software to other languages?

[stratjakt]

What antimonopolistic evil behaviour!

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

Now throw yer tantrum kids.

Northern Californian Localization

[Anonymous Coward]

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"

Re:Northern Californian Localization

[Eberlin]

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.

Re:Northern Californian Localization

[prockcore]

Sweet! And I tried to open a file that didn't exist and XP said "Dude, where's my file?"

Now there's a job I wouldn't want...

[Anonymous Coward]

...the schmoe who has to translate all the stupid shit Clippy says into other languages.

Has to be asked:

[irokitt]

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?

Re:Has to be asked:

[J-B0nd]

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?

Can't resist.....

[the.jedi]

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

Re:Can't resist.....

[G-funk]

Windows has detected a balls-up in kernel32.dll. Would you like to:

(Fuck it)

(Avagoyamug)

(email the lousy poofters that wrote this software)

Re:Well

[kdb003]

So now they can pirate copies in their own language!

Re:What Gall

[irokitt]

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

Dialectizer Office?

[PetoskeyGuy]

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)

BSOD

[enrico_suave]

pantalla azul de la muerte!

e.

What languages?

[tuxlove]

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.

Re:open source challenges??

[stephanruby]

FYI: KDE now supports 49 languagesand the list is actively growing.

I don't think it's fair to count Elvish and Klingoln.

Finally, Mi|Xro$0f7 31337 5P34k

[rock_climbing_guy]

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.

How do you say "security hole" in Swahili?

[Anubis333]

What about languages that don't have direct translations for key words like "security hole", "patch", "bug", "unstable" and "hotfix"?

Yes, so what's up with this announcement?

[Politas]

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.

Re:open source challenges??

[Trejkaz]

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

Re:Wow translating their software to other languag

[hdparm]

Can I still hate Microsoft, regardless?

Re:Your sarcasmometer is broken

[Anonymous Coward]

Sarcasmometer? Oh, that's a useful invention...

Re:Wow translating their software to other languag

[Black Parrot]

> Can I still hate Microsoft, regardless?

Yes, in more languages than ever before.

Re:Linux forced it.

[hplasm]

Linux supports Apache, yes.