Re: Themes to include into next release [message #160387 is a reply to message #160367] |
Sat, 29 August 2009 07:14 |
The Witcher
Messages: 675 Registered: May 2009 Location: USA
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naudefj wrote on Thu, 27 August 2009 14:21 | BTW: Themes without buttons or help files will use the English equivalents. We should actually define fall-back languages (we currently assume everything falls-back to English). However, it will probably have to wait for a release after the one we are busy preparing.
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Thanks, you are quite welcome.
I pretty much figured that everything not included in a theme "fell back" to the default (basically English) but that clarifies it somewhat,
Having thought about this, and worked with it some it occurs to me that there is more than one way around an obstacle.
I am a Forum user 1st and foremost and have no background or training in coding or programming, in fact up until 4 years ago I had no idea what went into running a forum beyond reading and posting on one occasionally. Like most computer users I depended entirely on people like you who have the knowledge and training I don't have; and I still depend on your sharing your knowledge to use the FUDforum software effectively.
And I am not alone in that, most people in my experience shy away from using FUDforum because they think it's too hard, they turn to phbb, vbulliton etc because it is familiar and there is plenty of help, information and add-ons readily available or for sale not because its better software.
This brings me back to language. You are right that "We should actually define fall-back languages" but why wait? Why not make it easier for less knowledgeable FUDforum admin types to define their own fallback language which best suits their needs?
If I understand it correctly the help files are pretty much interchangeable with a minimum of effort, simply copy the appropriate files from one language to the next. So why not provide some simple instructions on how to do so if it is feasible?
Japanese is a good example, where English is a good choice as a fall back language it has no help files of its own but in my experience English is widely taught in their schools and widely used among the general population.
However Slovak or Czech might benefit more by having Russian or Polish help files instead of English, Danish or Norwegian might benefit more from French or German help files etc. etc.
Or am I way off base and wrong about the whole concept?
"I'm a Witcher, I solve human problems; not always using a sword!"
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