Messages in this thread | ![/](/images/icornerl.gif) | | Date | Wed, 16 Apr 2003 14:34:44 -0400 | From | Timothy Miller <> | Subject | Re: kernel support for non-English user messages |
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Bruce Harada wrote:
>Suggestion: Chop your CCs. I sus pect Linus gave up on this topic a long time >ago, as (most likely) have the majority of the others. > >On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 10:28:31 -0400 >Timothy Miller <miller@techsource.com> wrote: > > > >>The Japanese are taught to read and write English as school children. >> They also are taught how to write their own language in Romanji, which >>is an adaptation of the Roman alphabet. >> >> > >No, they're not (taught to write Japanese in Romaji, that is). > > Perhaps I was mistaken on that.
> > >> How much you want to bet that >>the Japanese use English when they write error messages? >> >> > >Well, it rather depends on the person... try setting your locale to >ja_JP.eucJP, and you might be surprised by the applications that give you >Japanese messages. Certainly, some Japanese people prefer messages in >English, but that can hardly be generalized across the entire userbase. > > Applications. Far more people work on applications than on the kernel.
I'm not saying I don't think Japanese would benefit from Japanese messages. I'm saying that, in my humble estimation, i18n kernel messages would lose in the cost-benefit analysis.
> > >>Linus Torvalds isn't the first Finn I've encountered who speaks, reads, >>and writes English impeccably. >> >>I've also never met a German who didn't speak English. >> >>When we have Asian vendors from various countries come visit where I >>work, even the ones who need a translator speak English better than we >>speak their language. >> >> > >My only answer is, you have only had the opportunity to meet people from >overseas who have some English ability... really, your argument is on the same >level as "I've got lots of foreign friends who all like <whatever>, so all >foreigners must like <whatever>." > You make a good point.
> >Bruce > > >PS: I'm against translating kernel messages, but for technical reasons (simple >== good) rather than some wild idea that everybody else in the world can >understand English. > I agree that an objective technical analysis, not personal opinion, should be the basis of our decision on this matter.
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