Re: [gentoo-user] Using LINGUAS on a per package basis like with USE

[Boyd Stephen Smith Jr.]

On Wednesday 22 November 2006 13:06, Fernando Canizo <conan@××××××××××.ar> 
wrote about 'Re: [gentoo-user] Using LINGUAS on a per package basis like 
with USE':
> BTW, if someone gets curious about why I'll want to do something like
> this, I'll explain: I get very annoyed by the translation teams. They
> not only translate menus, which is ok, but also hotkeys! So if you're
> accustomed to use english version of openoffice, the day you switch to
> spanish version you're doomed, you have to learn everything from scratch
> because they screwed hotkeys.
>
> I don't know why they do that. Maybe they will reply that one associates
> function names with hotkey combination so ctrl-o for english "open" and
> ctrl-a for spanish "abrir".
>
> But I think that given the ammount of possible bindings is just a waste
> of time. In the end one just learn the bindings and don't care about if
> it has something to do with the function name.
>
> Please drop that policy. Get programs translated but left hotkeys alone
> in the name of portability. (portability of my knowledge).

IMHO, you are wrong.  Translating hotkeys increases usability for new 
users, by reducing the semantic distance between the name of the action 
and it's hotkey.  However, such translation doesn't not reduce usability 
for experienced users, since they can remap the hotkeys.  (I'm assuming 
the application provides a method it remap hotkeys.)

Unfortunately I think your situation (having learned the hotkeys for 
another language, but being unwilling or unable to remap the hotkeys) is 
rare enough to be discounted.

-- 
"If there's one thing we've established over the years,
it's that the vast majority of our users don't have the slightest
clue what's best for them in terms of package stability."
-- Gentoo Developer Ciaran McCreesh