Just
consider this, there are more than 200 functioning Wikipedias and
this is only possible because people localise the MediaWiki software
in over 280 languages. It makes translatewiki.net,
the website where all this work happens a strategic resource
to the Wikimedia movement.
Internationalisation
(i18n) and localisation (l10n) are an integral part of software
development. It is an integral part of a continuous process and it
requires constant attention. The day to day jobs are well in hand.
The localisation itself is a community effort and with developers
continually expanding the software base a continuous effort is needed
of the translators to keep up with their language. This is hard and
for many languages it is a struggle to keep up with even the "most
used messages".
Managing
this effort is a continuous effort, it is essential to maintain the
i10n and the localisation optimally. It follows that it should be obvious
what messages have the biggest impact first on the readers and then the
editors of a Wikipedia. What should be in the "most used
messages" changes over time and when it is considered strategic,
such maintenance is to be considered a Wikimedia/MediaWiki
undertaking.
Translatewiki
has always been an independent partner of the Wikimedia Foundation
and it has always been firmly part of the Wikimedia movement.
Given that partnerships are a key part of the strategic plans of the
WMF, the proof of the partnership pudding is very much in how it
interacts with a translatewiki.net. TWN does not need to be part of the
WMF organisation for it to fund TWN, it is clearly a quid pro quo.
The WMF should even encourage TWN and other partners to collaborate
for their i18n and l10n and enable this for strategic purposes,
strengthening these partners globally.
Thanks,
GerardM
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