There is actually a STRING FREEZE

[Christian Rose <menthos gnome org>]

Ok, we're more than two weeks into the string freeze for GNOME 2.6, but
the current total amount of string change requests and unannounced
freeze breakages is alarming.

String freeze is crucial in order to give translators a fair chance of
producing a fully translated desktop in as many languages as possible,
and at this time there are so many string change requests and freeze
breakages that it's very hard to keep track of them for most people and
translators, even though several weeks have passed since we entered a
state where there shouldn't even be any more of those.

If you would like to change or add a translatable string, always follow
the procedure for getting approval first:
http://developer.gnome.org/dotplan/tasks.html#ApprovingFreezeBreaks
Please always include a link to a bug report containing the proper
patch, make sure the mail is clear on *what* module is affected and
*why* you think this patch needs to go in and break the freeze(s), and
always cc: release-team@gnome.org.
If you should get permission to add the patch, make sure you send
another mail to gnome-i18n@gnome.org afterwards, so as to give the
translators a proper notice that translations should now be updated.

However, since over two weeks has passed of the string freeze, expect
permissions only to be given as *rare* exceptions for show-stopper bugs
now. Bugs of the kind "I forgot to fix this random bunch of
string-affecting bugs before the string freeze" are most likely to not
be considered at all. They should wait until you create branches for
gnome-2-6, as you then can apply them to HEAD without worrying about
freezes. In other words next release material.


For bugs of the kind "I forgot to mark this existing message for
translation", you still have the possibility to fix those, provided that
you give translators at gnome-i18n@gnome.org a notice that you've done
this afterwards, so that translators are informed and know when to
update translations accordingly.


For string freeze breakages, i.e. not properly in advance announced and
approved commits of new or changed translatable strings that breaks the
string freeze, expect to have the offender's name exposed publically on
d-d-l from now on, with no exceptions. You have been warned.


Christian