Your claims that people who care about computers in general (in Egypt or the Arab world) know English is false. Only a minute percentage who are lucky to get education in Egypt are even luckier to have a good grasp in English. And lots of young people are getting computers. If they get the documentation that helps them do more tricks with it other than playing Fifa, it will be a great step. People that I met and interacted with in the MayInstallFest or on other random occasions complained that their feel difficulty in using linux because the documentation is in English.

"Do or die" events will not only translate documentation. We are still thinking of lots of other stuff to do. An example would bug hunting.

Oh, and BTW we have set an example to the whole GNU/Linux community on how to organize an InstallFest. We were swamped by 3000 individuals asking lots of questions on a large spectrum. And we ever since this feel in debt to all those people. That we should help them help themselves in all matters. From bug hunting, developing, translating, writing documentation, teaching or interface translation.

Finally, attacking and describing a constructive initiative taken by 33 individuals as futile, is really depressing.

I used to think arabizing interfaces was the most stupid thing to do (I still think it has many negatives), but I was always a firm believer in translating documentation.

however I even changed my mind about arabizing interfaces (although I'd never use them).

yes I met lots of people who know very little english and use computers on daily basis and for tasks critical to them, I met people who without arabized interfaces would not be able to use computers at all.

I'm currently working on setting up a GNU/Linux based lab to train young underprivileged kids and youth on computer usage, both the students and the trainers would not be able to take one single step without arabized documentation and interfaces.

and being able to catch the drift in english is one thing, being able to rtead complex technical documentation is totaly different, its harder than what you think (and its easier than what many think I know).

but even if you're correct translation would still be important because by saying anyone who is interested in computers already knows english well enough you put a barrier in front of people, you tell them you can't know computers unless you know english well enough, you effectivly block anyone who doesn't know english (a highly superficial requirement at least when it comes to basics) that you're out of the interested in comuters club.

but even worse, computers are a nessecity, if you don't know them you're practicaly illeterate, so it doesn't realy matter if you're interested or not, you should be able to use them, you have the right to it, and it will help society greatly when we can all use them effectivly.

so to summerize the goal of translating computer documents and interfaces is the same goal for translating any form of culture to give access to more people.

cheers,
Alaa

http://www.manalaa.net

"u know i once dream that the office of mobinil is from el 7`os :S and the one that answer u and tell u rasidak a girl called ghada"

{quote=Alaa} I'm currently working on setting up a GNU/Linux based lab to train young underprivileged kids and youth on computer usage, both the students and the trainers would not be able to take one single step without arabized documentation and interfaces. {/quote}

Kids ? Linux ? Under-priviliged kids? Linux?

Under-priviliged kids that don't speak english ...mmm... okay that makes sense

but linux? pourquoi?

Okay so please make em dual-boot so that them kids can play pirated PC games, and chat in MSN

This is very controversial in my opinion

Good luck anyway :)

you my friend is not keeping up with the news, projects like this are being done all over the world (brazil, spain and india had very good pilots).

whats wrong with kids using GNU/Linux, hell there are teenage kernel hackers out there you know, and KDE and Gnome are as easy to use as windows.

as for pourquoi? WTH?? its Free Software its cheaper, and it gives them more oppertunities to profit from, its more suitable for a development project in a developing country.

say we're building a lab with 15 computers, this is no informal thing it has to be legal, and the funds we have are not for the lab only they cover other project plus cost of training the trainers and the fees they'll recieve.

do we waste precious money on licenses?

and whats the big deal, browsers, email clients office suites are practicaly the same on both platforms, basic file operations too.

I think you guys need to start looking beyond your elitism, thats what the poor and those who don't know english deserve freedom, accessible and affordable technology and a chance to be more than just passive consumers just like you do.

cheers,
Alaa

http://www.manalaa.net

"u know i once dream that the office of mobinil is from el 7`os :S and the one that answer u and tell u rasidak a girl called ghada"

by the way, it was me systems i had forgotten to log in when i made that post :)

i was kinda messing with u, mostly just for the sake of being silly

i really wish u good luck :)

but imagine the poor kids -

poor kid: weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee compouterz me wana play games weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeek :( linux

as if being poor isnt enough , you have to torture them with education

and for the arabic thing i am all for it

on debian sarge, it's almost very hard to get arabic working i still didnt figure it out yet

big disadvantage

my major need for arabic is to write arabic documents that need to be availble in soft and hard copy

so far can't do that in sarge and heh emacs for example even on windows arabic in vim is a hack (even if it's not a hack, it feels just like a hack which makes it a hack, i never knew what a hack is until i met arabic in vim)

this is not arabic docs and interfaces this is not even being able to write arabic docs and interfaces

arabic is like the best lang i know it's not just that some ppl cant read english

it's that even if i know english arabic is really cool and we should not stop using it

really arabic is super cool

your messing with me can turn this into an off topic discussion, why not use your blog for messing with people instead.

cheers,
Alaa

http://www.manalaa.net

"u know i once dream that the office of mobinil is from el 7`os :S and the one that answer u and tell u rasidak a girl called ghada"

Sure not. I love being tidy and opeying rules. Again, as I said before, I shall need time to cope with these new regulations.

Max.

I am a lousy learner :)

I suggested to NewComer that he come up with an alternative non-translation Do or Die session for next week; how about you do the same? Act based on belief :)

-- Linux Egypt Lice Resident

Good idea!

But, I just did that in my first post. I said we need to do other things mostly programming and to help in developing the OS itself and make new packages for it, so our name can be there all the time and people can take us for granted as an active Linux Group to the whole community of linux.

This, I belive does not eliminate the need for an ARABIC forum for people to ask their questions and get their answers in Arabic. Only in this case we should use the arabic language. I do use english- and most of us do- just because I type fatster. But believe me, we should use it in our ususal conversations.

Max

You type English faster simply because you use it not the other way around.