Using native speakers is definitely a good idea. I have worked as a professional translator and even at that level there are tons of mistakes to be found from people who overestimate their skills in the target language.
Exploit your user base. Kinda obvious, eh? have people work in groups so that they can check their work. The suggestion about students was good, but, once again, native speaker students.
The Microsoft Glossaries are ready-made lists of terms for various messages and menu items. You could take these and adapt them and, ooooh, imagine the irony of using MS stuff for a free software project!
From my experience, most late-onset Internet addicts started off with some specific task in mind. From my experience, I would do a survey of their interests on the first day, then show them how to categorize specific things in a way that a search engine would understand.
Most beginners don't really have so much trouble with the interface (and if they do, there's the old solitaire trick, as some have mentioned); what is really problematic is the frustration felt by trying to wade through masses of information generated by a search with either too-general or ambiguous terms.
Show them the two major types of Web searches: with a search engine (like Google or AltaVista), and then with a pre-categorized listing (like Yahoo or Excite). The more structured the information is at first, the easier it is to learn.
Slashdot Mirror
More like ``Attack of the Clowns'' (obvious pun, I guess...)
- The software was free when downloaded off his site.
- The software is free from any clauses limiting its distribution.
French and many other languages have two words: gratuit and libre.This serves to remind us that even native speakers have to keep this sort of problem in mind.
There's a lot of good advice above:
What are you waiting for?
From my experience, most late-onset Internet addicts started off with some specific task in mind. From my experience, I would do a survey of their interests on the first day, then show them how to categorize specific things in a way that a search engine would understand.
Most beginners don't really have so much trouble with the interface (and if they do, there's the old solitaire trick, as some have mentioned); what is really problematic is the frustration felt by trying to wade through masses of information generated by a search with either too-general or ambiguous terms.
Show them the two major types of Web searches: with a search engine (like Google or AltaVista), and then with a pre-categorized listing (like Yahoo or Excite). The more structured the information is at first, the easier it is to learn.
And good luck!
damon