Re: [gnome-cy] Windows in Welsh, at public expense?

[Dewi Jones <dewi jones gwelywiwr org>]

Helo!

Ysgrifennodd Kevin Donnelly:

> On Tuesday this week, there was a meeting of the Advisory Panel for ICT.  This 
> was set up by Jane Davidson to keep a watching brief on ICT in schools (ie 16 
> and under - ELWA deals with 16+).  
>
> One item at the meeting was a presentation by Steven Uden of Microsoft.  MS 
> had approached the Assembly suggesting that it join MS' Partners in Learning 
> programme, under which MS would donate �350m of licenses to the schools 
> sector.  Only about 10% of schools will benefit from this, and the meeting 
> was asked to decide on how this donation should be distributed (in the event, 
> they came to no conclusion).  
>  
Well, that's a bargain. First 10% of the cost of deploying Longhorn for 
free. Buy 9, get one free, though having to buy new kit to be able  to 
run it on is a bummer.

> During the meeting, Mr Uden noted that MS had now recognised that Welsh was an 
> official language, and that as a result it intended to offer all OS versions, 
> along with MS Office, in Welsh within two years.
Where as a completely Welsh (?) Linux desktop already exists in a 
commercially available distribution already - Mandrake 9.2 (?)

> However, it is my understanding that MS is not going to pay for this 
> conversion itself.  Apparently, an application has been made to Bwrdd yr 
> Iaith for funding to do the translations.
Don't forget, after it's consultation during the summer BYI will produce 
a ICT policy document or something like that for the it and the Assembly 
to follow in considering Welsh and ICT issues. I can't imagine anyone 
has said during that time they want their Microsoft software to be in 
Welsh as much as those who've said they wanted more open source software 
in Welsh.

Besides I doubt very much that BYI and the Welsh assembly has got such 
amounts of money to pay for the translation and new licenses afterwards.

Let's wait and see what that report will say.

> I have no objection at all to a Welsh version of Windows - so much the better 
> for Welsh. 
Good for Welsh OSS also perhaps. When people hear that Microsoft are 
proposing Welsh versions of Windows and Office then it'll give the whole 
notion of Welsh language software added validity. I mean, it's a bit 
difficult to 'create the market' on our own.....

> But I do object to it being funded by someone other than MS, and 
> I'm prepared to spend a fair bit of time raising some noise about this.
>  
...though I object to the way they intend to fund it also. As you noted, 
unfair competition - why not Sun make an application for a Welsh Java 
Desktop System (which is making big inroads already) to be deployed to 
schools. It's mostly done already. Just needs packaging and a name/brand 
behind it. btw Sun already have a scheme in place where a school can 
sell a copy of  StarOffice to pupils to use at home for �5.

Dewi.



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