[imp] PATCH: compose.php delocalization

[Steve Stavropoulos]

On Sat, 9 Nov 2002, Eric Rostetter wrote:

> Quoting Steve Stavropoulos <steve@math.upatras.gr>:
>
> >  This is a small patch that removes some localization from
> > imp/compose.php in the sake of better communication between people with
> > different languages.
>
> And for worse communication between people who all speak the same (other
> than English) language.
>

 Why is that? This patch doesn't prevent anyone from writing to whatever
language he wants. The only thing it does is keeping the standard
notation in english. For example the "Fwd:" in the subject is pretty
standard and I feel that it shouldn't be localized. A similar change was
done to imp-3.1. The "Re:" in 3.0 was localized, but in 3.1 isn't.
 Besides the "Fwd:" delocalization, I delocalized the messages that get
put when you forward a mail. For example the "Mail Forwarded from <>"
and the other info about the forwarded mail. I think that these messages
have nothing to do with the language the user has chosen for imp
interface.


> >  Email is about communication between people. People from every corner
> > of the world, people with different languages.
>
> That may be how you see it, but a lot of people use email only within
> a single group which all speak the same language.  So your patch forces
> them to use a non-native language for no reason.
>

 The patch doesn't force anybody to use any language. Just keeps the
standard notation in english and the user can write in whatever language
he wants his email.


> > The one language that is
> > chosen to be the one language that everyone should speak is english, so
> > when an imp user wants to sent an email we _shouldn't_ assume that he
> > wants to sent it in the language that he has chosen for the imp
> > interface.
>
> If that is the case (which it isn't) you better start practicing your
> English, because the above is riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes,
> verb tense issue, and is a really long!
>

 Please forgive my english writing. I 'm a lot better in reading :)


> And which English should we use?  US English?  British (Queen's English)?
> Canadian English?  Or some others?
>

 Standard Notation. I'm not talking about the language that the user
will write in, but just what imp will fill in.


> > For example Jan Schneider's replies start with a line like
> > this:
> >
> > Zitat von Chuck Hagenbuch <chuck@horde.org>:
> >
> > How many people in here know what "Zitat von" means? I don't.
>
> I do.  Maybe you should learn?  Or maybe you should not generalize your
> feelings for a world-wide mailing list (this one) to *all* email sent
> anywhere by anyone for any reason?
>

 I think that IMP shouldn't assume that the user wants to write the
email in his language. The user should be free to use whatever he wants.
IMP should just use the (in)formal standards for whatever it puts in the
mail.


> Not all email is international.  Some never leaves a company for example
> (internal use only), some may be departmental in a department where the
> native language is not English.
>

 Some mail is international, some not. IMP should deal with both I
think and keep the standards were applicable.
 Maybe there should be a config option for this issue...


> > In general
> > I think that ALL the lines that get put in an email by imp when a user
> > chooses to compose a mail should be in english, so they can be
> > understood by all.
>
> Or not understood by all, if not everyone speaks/understands English.
>

 and not everyone speaks mantarini/greek/japanese/whatever.


> >  Localization is a very good thing, but there are limits!
>
> Yes, but this is not one.
>

 Can you reconsider that?


> For the record: I agree, this mailing list is supposed to be an English
> only list (when/if possible) but that doesn't mean all email sent by
> IMP is meant to be English only, or even partly in English.
>

 IMP already did the delocalization of "Re:" in 3.1. I 'm just asking
for more!


> >  And this is the patch:
>
> I really hope this does NOT get included, or is included only as a
> configuration option or as a preference.
>

 I think at least there should be a config option and a preference
setting for that.