Re: Evolution 2.0 and GNOME 2.6

[Danilo Segan <danilo gnome org>]

JP Rosevear <jpr ximian com> writes:

>
> In order to ensure that Evolution meets the GNOME project's standards of
> quality and usability, we'd like to propose that the Evolution client be
> included in GNOME 2.8 and not GNOME 2.6.  The whole proposal is as
> follows:
>

Just one point which should be taken into account.

Modules have already been announced.  Translators have already devoted
their time to translate Evolution, because it's a big component of
what was supposed to be Gnome 2.6 D&DP (it itself amounts to around
17% of translations, which is HUGE!).

With this step, lot of those who don't have much resources will now
suffer: their chances of getting into "supported" list of languages
are now much worse, if they spent the time between the Murray's
announcement and today translating Evolution (and nobody even
bothered to let gnome-i18n list know about the withdrawal).

What this actually means?  It means that they'll be discouraged, some
may even give up.  This is bad, it hurts the community and it hurts
the Gnome project.

The work is not really "lost", but the goal which has driven some of
the translators is now surely harder to achieve.


So, what I ask for here:  establish a policy that any significant
module (in terms of work for other Gnome subprojects, such as
documentation, UI review, translation, etc.) must guarantee not to
withdraw once final module list is announced.  This will probably
make maintainers think twice before really dedicating themselves to
be in the "official" Gnome, and something like this won't happen
again. (Though, I don't expect us to have any such large-scale module
proposed in the near future, comparable to Evolution.)

Free Software development goes around such rewards such as
mentioning a language in the Release Notes for the Gnome D&DP. And to
deserve that, one must translate at least 80% of a desktop -- now
it's probably pretty clear what effect this can have.


Cheers,
Danilo