Re: Turkmen Team

[Baris Cicek <baris teamforce name tr>]

> Again as we mentioned before our main aim is not only developing a
> national operating system but also making this OS widely used. We
> believe that for this to happen the governmental organizations of
> these contries must first begin using it. Computer usage is very
> limited among the private end users in Turmenia and Sudan and first
> the governmental organizations must begin using it and then it will
> spread to the private users. It is a fact that the first OS with
> native language entering a country and succeeds to be accepted by
> great number of users continues to be the national operating system no
> matter if it is free or not. Turkey is a good example for this but an
> unfortunate one where public and private organisations pays millions
> of USD to the licence fees. As all the systems and all the softwares
> depend on this system, organizations or private users trying to use an
> other OS face with great problems to be entegrated to this existing
> system.

That's not the case of only Turkey, but almost every european or north
american country. It's not only the language problem actually, if it was
the case in USA or UK linux would be the most common OS at home users
for example, but unfortunately not. There're lots of other factors that
affect linux use apart from the language support.

> 
> In the light of these purposes we are building business setups with
> several investors that are allready investing in different areas in
> these countries and willing to expand the magnitude of their business.
> The aim of these investors is to strenghten their existing
> relationships with these governments. They do not have any commercial
> interest on this project and definately they do not intend to develop
> an OS and providing comercial gain from the sales of it. They have
> high level governmental contacts and they will have great effect
> convincing the governments and making these operating systems the
> national OS. As for us we may or may not gain a commercial gain from
> these investors and if there will be a gain it will not be from the
> sales of the OS. Even if there is no financial gain we will also have
> a great reference in these countries which we developed solutions and
> continue developing. Also fullfill our purpose of existance in
> "Teknokent" consept.

Blah blah blah.


> 
> “While providing these services (including development, training,
> construction of test labs etc.) to The Turkmen, Sudan and Albanian
> Governments, the cost of these services will be covered by the
> investors using our investment incentive certificate or funds they
> will acquire from financial organizations (like World Bank). So again
> these governments will not contribute to the costs even at the initial
> phase.”
> 
> The reason why we don't focus on Turkey is, as we mentioned we have
> the support of investors willing to invest in these countries. An
> other reason Mr. Fatih Demir and Mr. Görkem Çetin is continuing their
> efforts and doing a great job on this area for the Turkish team.
> However unfortunately we beleive that because of the above mentioned
> situation in Turkey it may be a little late for our country in the
> context of widening the use of the outcome. And we are ready to work
> with any individual or organisation that will have a contribution to
> this project.

I'm checking the stats now and for Gnome 2.4 Albanian essenssial stat is
100% however Turkish stat is 66%. I wonder how did you decide that
Albenian team doesn't do great job, but Turkish team does. Of course
Gorkem Cetin and Fatih Demir have done lots of things for making Gnome
to support Turkish, but it's obvious that Albanian team did also much
more better work. Thus your claiming that 'We didn't want to support our
own country because it has already good support' is just failing.
Turkish team has always need as other teams contributions. Of course not
in terms of funding but as human power. And the other point of view of
yours about 'we're late for Turkey'. We're not in fight w/ M$ or any
other commercial software makers. We just want to offer our nation or
anyone actually an option to choose his own language. That's not a case
for one unique national OS but all the projects, commercial or non-
profit, that use Gnome. Lots of people in gnome translation also work
with KDE translation, GNU translation etc. For this very reason. To be
honest, i didn't find your offer to Albenian team to take over (or
coordinating whatever) the translation project so as to enforce your
standing against the government acceptable, in terms of volunteering and
development works. If you had any intention to help w/o gaining profit
you would at first want to work w/ Turkish team. But you didn't. 

> 
> As for the investment incentive certificate granted to us by Turkish
> Republic Undersecretariat of Tresury; it covers not only developing
> this OS but also accomodating Turkmen people in the development
> process, construction of test labs/classes in different parts of
> Turkmenia in which teams of 20 people will test the outcome on every
> lab/ class, training of people on the usage of this OS, informing the
> people about the existance of this OS. Turkmen localization process
> will be followed by a committee determined by Ministries of Turmenia
> Like Education, Science and etc. and academic organisations. This
> committee will determine areas from different parts of the country in
> which 25 testing laboratorys/classes will be constructed. In these
> classes testing environment and educational activities will be
> performed as it must be in such a project. And most probably depending
> on the decesion of the investors at the and of the project these 20
> computer labs will be donated to the related Governmental
> Organisations for public interest. The numbers of labs and computers
> may change according to the decision of investors.
Blah blah blah.

> 
> Turkish Governmet also wants to strenghten relationships between the
> two countries and supporting companies and organisations taking action
> in this direction. We may send a copy of our certificate and the
> components of this certificate to Mr. Tavakkoli if he finds it
> necessary.

Why anyone would need a certificate? You didn't understand the point
that Translation teams are not in need of money bad. We don't hire ppl
(indeed nothing wrong w/ that but it's not the way we do it) to
translate modules or something. Those are all volunteer work. So money
is the last thing that's needed. And that certificate as far as I
understand is just grants you to get loans for this kind of projects.
Which is not necessary i hope.

> 
> So as a summary we want to catch an ideal for the developing countries
> that yet didn't become a market for Microsoft, by using the cash money
> of the investors, their creditibility in organisations granting funds
> for countries like World Bank and their high level governmental
> contacts.

If M$ sees any benefit from those countries it'll get that, one way or
another. As i told you that's not fight b/w Linux vs. M$. If you think
it is then you should find some supporters in /. or somewhere else.


> We first convinced The Turkish Republic Undersereteriat of Treasury to
> give support to us and the probable investors on this ideal. Then at
> the moment we are trying to convince investors who are willing to
> invest in these countries and build good relationships in these
> countries. Finally and at the same time with the support of the
> investors who believes in indirect profit we are trying to convince
> the related countries governments.

Invest on what actually i wondered that. Invest on Linux? or invest on
translation projects. :)

> 
> This is the reason of our demand for being the coordinator. To become
> stronger during the convincing effords. Not for personal reasons. Or
> not because we find anyone inadequate in their effords. We will
> continue to work for the realization of this project in Turmenia as a
> part of GTP if possible or some other way if it is not. 

How come being a coordinator makes you stronger? Will you tell the
governments that 'We're in control over everything, so don't worry' or
similar woves? 

> 
> We highly appriciate the effords of all the developers trying to
> develop open source, free OS for people in their countries, in their
> native languages in Gnome Translation Project and share their spirit.
> We hope that these information will make the subject clearer and
> expose our intensions.

And GTP highly appreciates any support for its work. I think best thing
you should do is to help Albenian and Turkmenian teams in translating,
then get the strength of saying 'Most of linux projects are supporting
these languages'. 

Baris.