Re: Translating Powerfolder !

[Yavor Doganov <yavor doganov org>]

Jean-Christophe Helary wrote:
> 
> So besides for Debian and non-Java, the world of free computing does  
> not exist ?

The world of free computing is based entirely on free software, no
matter the programming language or the GNU/Linux distribution.

There is nothing wrong with Java itself -- there is GCJ/GNU Classpath
and a few free virtual machines.  A program may be completely free
only when its dependencies are free as well.  I even participate in a
free Java project (as a doc writer, though) -- but the priority No.1
of the developers of that project is the program to run with GNU
Java.  We don't even test it with Sun's Java as naturally, we don't
have unethical software installed.

> As a translator who contributes to the free computing world while  
> having to use non-free applications professionally, I urge  
> translators to not react with sectarian guts and do what they  
> consider is right...

Using non-free software is a personal problem, but developing,
enhancing and distributing it is a social one.  I consider
translations as considerable improvements of the program, so a person
who translates such software is no different from a programmer who
develops it.  Having this program translated in more languages will
clearly enhance it and might seduce more users to install Sun's Java,
so that is a bad thing.

If the developers of Powerfolder care about users' freedom, they
should try to escape from Sun's prison.  Perhaps instead of
translating it, we ought to try to persuade them to do this.