From:	 Dwayne Bailey <dwayne@obsidian.co.za>
To:	 <lwn@lwn.net>
Subject: Translate.org.za Project newsletter
Date:	 Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:38:36 +0200 (SAST)


Translate.org.za is a project to translate computer software into the
eleven official languages of South Africa.  Current languages include
Xhosa and Zulu.  Visit http://www.translate.org.za for more details.

If you do not wish to receive our project updates then please send an
email to announce-unsubscribe@translate.org.za.  Please feel free to
forward this newsletter to your friends.  You can subscribe to this
newsletter by sending an email to announce-subscribe@translate.org.za

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News Headlines
==============
o Plans for 2002
o Progress on Mozilla translations
o KDE 3.0 beta1 released
o Recruitment drive
o Zulu translation begins


Plans for 2002
==============
In brief our main aims for 2002 are to:

- Get translators for every language
- Release a South African version of the Mozilla browser containing all
  11 official languages
- Continue translation work on KDE hopefully having all languages included
  by the end of 2002
- Begin work on the OpenOffice suite


Progress on Mozilla translations
================================
The Mozilla web-browser has shifted to be our most important target
because of its cross-platform nature (runs on Windows, Linux and Mac) as
well as the fact that it is easy to install and use as apposed to
installing KDE and Linux.

However progress has been slowed because Mozilla uses its own format to
allow strings to be translated.  One of the problems we have found is that
our translators may be computer literate but are not guru computer users.
We would like to prevent them having to learn how to use a different
translation tool for each translation project.  We also feel that the
tools that are part of KDE are the best we have found.

We have therefore standardised on the PO format used by the KDE project.
Our programming volunteer, David Fraser, has been working on creating
tools to allow Mozilla files to be converted to PO files.  The added
advantage of these tools is that they will be used when we start work on
the OpenOffice project later this year.

We hope to have the translation tools ready before the end of January to
allow us to make good progress in translating Mozilla.


KDE 3.0 Beta1 released
======================
The next generation of KDE was release on 19 December 2001.  This version
has a number of improvements and will include Zulu translations.  The
Xhosa translations of KDE 3.0 will be close to fully complete (some 20,000
plus strings).  Well done to our translator, Antoinette Dekeni.  We will
also expand the current documentation to include manuals for many more
applications.


Recruitment Drive
=================
We conducted a recruitment drive at the University of Cape Town which was
very successful considering that it was conducted after final exams.  We
received enquiries from many interested people and a few fly-by-nights.
This work netted or Zulu translator.

We are in the process of conducting this campaign again at UCT and will
expand it to other campuses in Cape Town.  If you are able to hang posters
in any other campuses in South Africa then please contact us and we will
forward posters to you.


Zulu translation begins
=======================
Our Zulu translator, Thobile Mhlongo, started work on the Zulu version of
KDE near the beginning of December.  Work is progressing well and we are
already tentatively part of the KDE 3.0 languages.  We hope to have
translated the most useful end-user components of KDE in time for release
in late February.



2002 looks like a very exciting year for Translate.org.za - our targets
cover the bulk of our project and we are working hard to meet them.  Thank
you to all our volunteers and thank you to all those who have offered
support and encouragement.  This project, I beleive, will make a dramatic
impact on South Africans.  If you can offer assistance then please contact
us.

Interesting links:
http://www.linulab.org.za - an initiative to place Linux diskless labs in
	schools.
http://www.tsf.org.za - The Shuttleworth Foundation.  Producing the
	schooltool Opensource shool admin prject and assisting with
	funding for the translation project.

-- 
Kind regards
Dwayne Bailey

Translate.org.za - Opensource software for all South Africans
dwayne@translate.org.za   +27-21-448 9265 (work)
+27-21-448 9574 (fax)     +27-83-443 7114 (cell)