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Microsoft Office's New Language

Posted by Hemos on from the cool-ideas dept.

Gots_Hussies writes "Stuff.co.nz has an article about Microsoft trying to extend its influence by creating "skins for Office and XP" in other languages, including New Zealands native Maori. "It is one of a series of translations carried out by Microsoft which is creating skins for Office and Windows XP in more than 40 indigenous languages, such as Basque and Catalan." The program changes words in Office programs Excel, Word, and Powerpoint, and also created "2500 terms" for words not in the indigenous language."

5 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. No, the submission isn't biased at all.... by Quarters · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Only on a Slashdot story would you see Microsoft's work of making a program useful to a larger number of people refered to nefariously as "extending their influence."

    How often do you hear about a language pack for (insert OSS program of choice) being created spoken of in such evil terms?

  2. So how do you... by MyOtherUIDis3digits · · Score: 2, Funny

    So how do you say, "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." in Maori?

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    Ignore anything I said above, I actually agree with everything you believe - mod accordingly.
  3. This is news? by jb.hl.com · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Microsoft makes program in native language. Big fucking whoop. Attempting to read some kind of monopolistic landgrab into this is stupid.

    Extending its influence? Pah.

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    By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
  4. indigenous languages by vierja · · Score: 2, Insightful

    BTW, calling Basque or Catalan indigenous languages would certainly piss off quite a bunch of politicians around this part of the word..

  5. Like this: by leonbrooks · · Score: 2, Funny
    "Yer wull be ussumulatud. Rusustunce us fewtul."
    /ME waves from across the Tasman. And the Nullarbor.
    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing