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| <h2> Spotlight: On Developers |
| and Technology </h2> |
| <p>The International Discussions, I & II</p> |
| <p><i><b>Posted, 3/22/01</b></i></p> |
| <p>The most important issue dominating the "<a href="//www-discuss/current/">discuss</a>" |
| mailing list has unquestionably been the debate over the "internationalization" |
| of OpenOffice.org; it is also the subject of <a href="ec15Mar.html">this |
| week's Open Views column.</a> The term, "internationalization," does |
| not mean here that OpenOffice.org should be international in its composition. |
| It already is, with most of the developers located in Germany and support staff |
| in the San Francisco Bay Area and Ireland. No: what the term refers to is making |
| available elements (these are still being defined) of the project in languages |
| other than English. The debate has been vigorous and is important. On the one |
| hand, members <a href="//www-discuss/current/msg02156.html">argue</a> |
| that by allowing the creation of mailing lists and sections of the site in languages |
| other than English (e.g., French), more developers who primarily communicate |
| in those languages will want to join the community. Or, at the least, feel less |
| intimidated about joining, for they will be able to communicate more easily. |
| Opponents point out, however, that the project site might end up <a href="//www-discuss/current/msg02185.html">balkanized</a>, |
| with ultimately <i>less</i> and <i>not</i> more communication. The debate is |
| ongoing. Interested readers can read the original messages on the <a href="//www-discuss/current/">discuss |
| list archives</a>, and if you wish to intervene in the debate, we welcome you. |
| But to post a message, you must first subscribe to the mailing list, and doing |
| so is easy. </p> |
| <p> </p> |
| <p><i><b>Posted, 3/29/01</b></i></p> |
| <p>For the second week in a row, "internationalization" has dominated |
| the "<a href="//www-discuss/current/">discuss</a>" |
| mailing list. It is also the subject of this week's "<a href="ec27Mar.html" target="_blank">Community |
| Article</a>." The term refers to creating a version of the project's website |
| and at least one mailing list in languages other than English. The debate has |
| been vigorous and is important, with broad implications for Open Source. On |
| the one hand, members <a href="//www-discuss/current/msg02156.html">argue</a> |
| that by allowing the creation of mailing lists and sections of the site in languages |
| other than English (e.g., French), more developers who primarily communicate |
| in those languages will want to join the community. Opponents point out, however, |
| that there very might be <i>less</i> and <i>not</i> more communication. You |
| can read the original messages on the <a href="//www-discuss/current/">discuss |
| list archives</a>, and if you wish to intervene in the debate, we welcome you.</p> |
| <p> </p> |
| <p><b>Previous Spotlights</b></p> |
| <p><a href="./spotlight3.html">Allchin and Foot-in-Mouth |
| Disease</a></p> |
| <p><a href="./spotlight1.html">Groupware</a></p> |
| <p><a href="./spotlight2.html">Jörg Brunsmann</a></p> |
| <p> </p> |
| <h3> </h3> |
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