Language Pack vs. Official Localization
After shipping Firefox in ~75 localizations on release day, someone might ask if there are any more languages we could add? Of course there are. In fact, the Mozilla L10n-drivers team continues to receive a lot of requests to launch official translations of Firefox as new locales. Coordinating the release of 75 locales takes sizable human and machine time, and managing the outreach can seem like a full-time job for more than one person.
Because we field many requests by volunteers interested in becoming an official localization, we have to find what is best for us and them. That can mean promoting smaller localizations as language packs on our addons website. Oftentimes, we find that a language pack might be the best possible solution for a new localization.
To make that determination, the l10n-drivers will work with the volunteer to assess not only how many users there might be, but also what productization elements might be included. By productization elements, I am referring to things like
- embedded search providers such as Wikipedia, Amazon, etc.,
- web protocol handlers like Yahoo as a “mailto:” option, or 30 Boxes as a “webcal:”, and
- “live bookmarks“, which is an RSS feed for a local news provider that will be included in the bookmark toolbar.
Among many other things to do around release time, localizers are responsible for selecting each of the above for the localized version based on what they believe is best for local users.
Now, for new localizers who request that we add a version where Firefox already has prominent usage, it is important to determine if the services they are suggesting will be measurably different from what is already included in the predominant version in the region. For instance, I recently asked a Breton localizer if his productization pieces would be dramatically different from what our French version already provides. If the answer is no, a language pack might be the best best to serve this niche user base. In this scenario, users download the dominant regional version, and then install the language pack to change the strings to the niche locale. They use the productization pieces from the dominant version since those were determined to be the same for the niche user base. (As an added bonus, with an addon like Locale Switcher or Quick Locale Switcher, a user can switch between language packs that are installed on his or her profile.)
In closing, it’s not bad to be a language pack! I get the sense that somehow contributors might think it is. We don’t diminish someone’s contribution to an arbitrarily lower level if they are not an “official” localization. But, for the resource and demand reasons mentioned above, we often like to promote language packs as a solution.
Hi Seth,
some of the items of my wish list I think that they are already in Bugzilla (sorry for not finding them myself), and others maybe I should fill myself…
In any case, these would be:
* Official language packs should be automatically included in addons.mozilla.org language pack list.
* en-US langpack should be available as well.
* Locale Switcher functionality should be integrated by default in Firefox and Thunderbird.
My two cents!
Hey Toni:
Great ideas. You know that we were talking about getting those official language packs on addons.mozilla.org. In fact, I think I was trying to spearhead the effort in this bug:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=485617
Locale Switcher would be nice to include in Firefox and Thunderbird. Have you ever thought of nominating that again as an idea in “.planning” newsgroup? The Firefox team might like to see that again…
As reference, en-US langpack bug is:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=485860
I would go to planning group and try to nominate this.
Thanks Seth!
The problem with the two suggested add-ons are that they are not intelligent.
One of them I know that it offers you locales that you don’t have installed and if you switch to that nonexistent locale it will crash your browser.
The add-on should show the user which official langpacks are available (the ones in FTP) and list the nonofficial langpacks living in AMO.
Seth, that still leave a number of reason why people feel that being a language pack diminishes their contribution :
- They will *not* be listed on the “other language” download page
- They can not give people *one* link to download a version of Firefox that directly speaks their language
- After install the language pack, the GUI does *not* change to the newly installed language. The user must either invoke some about:config black magic or install yet another extension to switch more easily.
When you add the three, that begins to make a lot.
Now, if you’d correct the three :
- created a language pack section on the “other language” download page,
- created pre-packaged language pack included firefox download (letting the language pack team choose the adequate base version),
- had the newly installed pack become the defaut at add-on install as well as had a “use the language” button in the language tab of the add-on manager, to select easily whichever of the installed language must be active
then I think they then would all easily agree to use a language pack instead of a new localization.
- They will *not* be listed on the “other language” download page
I’ll try to dig up some stats to show you that the bounce rate on that “other language” download page showing that it is pretty high. If I remember correctly, that data shows that if a user hits it, they don’t know why they got there, so they hit the back button right away. People who do go there, arrive with specific intent to sift through 75 locales (with 3 platform options for each). One could argue that an AMO language pack page presenting languages would be as effective, if not more since there is a lot of meta data describing what the language pack is on AMO.
- They can not give people *one* link to download a version of Firefox that directly speaks their language
How is one AMO link to a language pack download different from one link to an official build, especially if this is for a language where the active user base could be under 200 people? One might conclude that if surfing the web with the user interface translated in a language is important to a niche group of users, then an AMO install is something those users would find and understand. After all, they are seeking out a language UI that might not be translated in other, if any, client software applications.
- After install the language pack, the GUI does *not* change to the newly installed language. The user must either invoke some about:config black magic or install yet another extension to switch more easily.
There is not really black magic here. With collections on AMO, you can bundle a language pack for download with the Quick Locale Switcher, which presents very reasonable UI on how to switch languages. Please feel free to test the idea with this example in Swahili:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collection/kiswahili.tzlug
Personally, I don’t think your reasons are compelling enough not to recommend language packs as a solution for a locale that might have a very small user base.
I’m not saying language packs are not a solution for locale that have a very small user base.
I’m saying they need some enhancements.
Two clicks is two clicks. The AMO solution is probably in fact quite adequate for the case of breton, but probably not always for other languages. A collection is a step forward, but a collection is still one click per add-on in the collection.
Last, the second part of my final point is exactly the same thing as what bsmedbergs is saying here :
http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.planning/msg/f7f8b5f37a15f26e
It is difficult to find up-to-date information about how to switch the UI locale in Firefox. I am developing an extension which I’d like to test in two locales, say en_US and de_DE.
I am unable to find out how to a) install the German language pack and b) how to activate it. I spent ca. 20 minutes searching the web and Firefox documentation, but most information is out of date.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/language-tools/ does not list a German language pack. I tried the “Quick Locale Switcher” which however doesn’t change the UI language (e.g., menus etc. stay in English).
It would be nice if you could point out how where additional language packs can be found (if they exist).
Hi GB, we don’t publish a German language pack on our AMO site since it is an official localization. But, you would be able to find a language pack here:
http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/nightly/latest-firefox-3.6.x-l10n/
Out of curiosity, what are you trying to do?