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

[Dewi Jones <Dewi Jones gwelywiwr org>]

Helo,

Ysgrifennodd Chris M. Jackson:

> On Thu, 20 Nov 2003, Dewi Jones wrote:
>  
>
> > Ysgrifennodd Kevin Donnelly:
> >    
> >
> > > 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 (?)
> >    
>
> Not to mention the fact that AFAIK we have the core of KDE and GNOME 
> available in Welsh, as well as Mozilla and OpenOffice.  Within the two 
> years, we'd be likely to face a Welsh Fedora, considerably more of GNOME 
> and KDE translated, and (hopefully) OpenOffice to be even better than it 
> is now (to the point of "actively" competing with MS Office - FUD 
> permitting).
>
> All of this, assuming that nobody puts together a specialist Linux 
> distribution targeted at Wales in the meantime.
>  
Might well happen if the O1 bid from Mercator from Aber to startup a 
venture around a completely Welsh OpenOffice (manuals, help an' all) and 
associated services is successful.

I guess within two years as well, our terminologies will be well 
accepted and standardised across all the applications and the leaders / 
innovators would have seen to have been the Welsh themselves and not 
Microsoft (not that they've ever been innovators)

>  
>
> > > 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.....
> >    
>
> I agree.  If you see something as insignificant, and then put vast efforts 
> into denouncing it, you'll only give it credibility.  Clearly MS seem to 
> have difficulty in grasping this point :)
>
> Anything that does give validity and credibility to markets for 
> Welsh-language software AND free/OS software can be a very good thing.
>
>  
>
> > > 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.
> > >      
>
> I think the gesture may have been seen to be more sincere were they 
> willing to stump up the cash for it themselves.  It's not as if they can't 
> afford to do it 8)
>
>  
There can't be that many languages out there that would make a serious 
dent in M$ cash pile if they were all supported by Windows and Office.

What might happen if the Assembly is clever (which I dount) they'll 
behave like the Norwegians did - use their Bokmal and Nynorsk OSS 
alternatives to threaten MS, who in the end paid for Nynorsk support 
themselves. (Nynorsk has 300,000 speakers - less than Welsh, but has a 
stronger more equal legal status in its own country)

Dewi.





--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Gwe-lywiwr Mozilla Cymraeg *
Porwr  *|* E-Bost *|* Cyfansoddwr *|* Llyfr Cyfeiriadau
http://www.gwelywiwr.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------




_______________________________________________
gnome-cy mailing list
gnome-cy pengwyn linux org uk
http://pengwyn.linux.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gnome-cy