[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #28197: Fallback Languages

[WordPress Trac]

#28197: Fallback Languages
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 Reporter:  downstairsdev  |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement    |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal         |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  I18N           |     Version:  trunk
 Severity:  normal         |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                 |     Focuses:
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Comment (by cvedovini):

 Replying to [comment:13 vanillalounge]:
 > Replying to [comment:12 cvedovini]:
 > > ...but eventually to consider one of the locale to be the default for
 one given language, like es_ES would be the default if a es_MX file is not
 present.
 >
 > I'm sorry, but this is a recipe for disaster. Who gets to decide which
 one is the default? The es_ES translators? The es_MX ones? Whichever
 option you choose will inevitably raise a (probably nasty) discussion. Who
 will moderate that discussion (keeping in mind that it would be someone,
 who a)is qualified for that language and b)inevitably more familiar with
 one of the declinations)?

 First I meant "may be" not "eventually" (typical French speaker error),
 sorry for that. Now, like I said several times before:
   a. I know it's going to be a political issue (despite the fact it's
 detrimental to the end user experience and that other organisations
 actually manage to do it )
   b. The core translators don't have to do anything if they don't want to.

 > > ...including that fallback mechanism would allow me (and others) to
 provide a unique language file for all locales of that language...
 >
 > Again, how will you provide that? Whose translation will it be? Will you
 be the one deciding which es_* is the generic one?

 I am the one who provide the Spanish translations for my plugins, and I am
 using the translations that have been done by an American guy who happens
 to speak Spanish. I don't know which locale this is and I don't care,
 that's the point, I am practical, those translations are good enough for
 the Spanish speakers who use my plugins

 > Look, I don't mean to sound irascible and unwilling to compromise, but
 you are approaching this from an angle that's completely irrelevant to
 translators or native speakers of another language. I may be wrong, but
 this ticket seems to aim to solve a problem of the developers, **not** of
 the translators or native speakers. We couldn't care less about fallback
 languages; from our point of view, meaning no offense, it's a solution
 looking for a problem to solve.

 it may be irrelevant to a translator but not to a Chilean who will have
 the core translated in his own locale of Spanish but none of the plugins
 or themes he is using despite some of them having an es_ES or es_MX file.
 If you let plugin and theme developers provide an es file (instead of
 forcing them to choose a locale or provide all of them) then that Chilean
 user may have more of his Wordpress in his language (or close enough)

 And you are right about one thing, that solution does not aim at solving
 any translator's problem. But you're blind if you can't see the problem (I
 just explained it again in the previous paragraph)

 > I would much rather see these efforts directed towards a procedure where
 a translator can easily and readily supply a **current** translation to a
 developer (instead of "oh, I'll include it in the next release", which is
 flawed), that we can trust that the code is properly gettexted and that
 .pot files are current with said code. Sadly, in 90% of the code I look
 at, this is most definitely **not** the case.

 I don't think this is relevant here, my plugins are "properly gettexted"
 and I don't see translators rushing to offer their services. I have to
 chase after my friends who have a command in another language or accept
 translations from plugin users, any of those being hard enough to keep up-
 to-date so that I end up with a Mexican volunteer who will create the
 first Spanish version, have a Argentinian maintain that file for the next
 version and a Colombian for the one after that.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/28197#comment:15>
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