Free Software Better At Welsh: Microsoft to Catch Up
Jan 28th, 00:15 UTC
Work over the past few months by a group of free software volunteers has forced Microsoft to offer an official version of Windows XP and MSOffice in Welsh to head off the threat of huge defections from its software.
The Welsh Language Board (www.welsh-language-board.org.uk) has
announced that Microsoft is to fund Welsh versions of Windows XP and MSOffice
2003. This is good news for Welsh, and long overdue, but it is not purely
coincidence that it is the end of a year which has seen tremendous
growth in the provision of free software in Welsh.
The list of free/open-source software in Welsh is impressive, and can already
meet the needs of most computer-users, whether at home or at work. For
example:
- Mozilla: web browsing and email;
- OpenOffice.org: word-processing, spreadsheets and presentations;
- Scribus: highly-capable desktop publishing;
- GNOME, KDE and Linux: the underlying operating system, offering CD and mp3
players, image editors, games, etc.
The translation work has been going on for some time, but picked up
momentum in 2003. Upwards of 90,000 phrases have been translated so far by
unpaid volunteers, working either alone or in a loose team, and there is now a
firm base for a home-grown Welsh desktop running Welsh applications.
Microsoft has never offered an official version of Windows in Welsh (600,000
speakers), let alone of MSOffice, even though the Welsh Language Act, giving
Welsh official parity with English, has been law for 10 years. Microsoft's
decision now parallels that in other minority language areas which have
decided to produce their own versions of free/open-source software.
In Norway, Microsoft, after refusing to provide a version of MSOffice in the
minority Nynorsk (400,000 speakers) for many years, agreed to do so last
year. Nynorsk is supported in GNU/Linux, and a version of OpenOffice.org has been
produced by Norwegian group Skolelinux.
In Catalunya, Microsoft initially produced localised versions of Windows 95
and 98 in Catalan (6m speakers), but reportedly failed to update them. The
Generalitat (Catalan devolved administration) then paid for a translation of
WindowsXP, but apparently only the business version was translated. Requests
for a Catalan version of MSOffice fell on deaf ears until last year, when a
forthcoming Catalan version of MSOffice was announced. Again, Catalan is
supported in Linux, and a version of OpenOffice.org is produced by Catalan
group SoftCatala.
In the UK, Microsoft has yet to offer a version of either Windows or MSOffice
in Scots Gaidhlig (60,000 speakers), even though a recent consulation exercise
on a Gaidhlig Language Act for Scotland may possibly, according to Comunn na
Gaidhlig, result in a stronger legal status for the language.
It remains to be seen whether Microsoft's new commitment to the Welsh language
is real, or merely a ploy to take the steam out of the growing
free/open-source software movement in Wales. In particular, will the
localised versions be kept up-to-date, and will Microsoft continue to pay for
that itself? The key question for policy-makers is: who is more likely to
show continued commitment to the Welsh language - Welsh speakers themselves,
or a multinational which has been forced to belatedly support the language
or die?
Notes:
- Free/open-source software offers a compelling package of benefits
(flexibility, security, stability, responsiveness to local needs), as is
increasingly being recognised worldwide. Further information is available
from www.kyfieithu.co.uk and at sites
such as the Association for Free Software (www.affs.org.uk), the Free
Software Foundation (www.fsf.org) and LinuxToday
(www.linuxtoday.com).
- Welsh translation projects:
KDE (Kevin Donnelly, Owain Green and others) - www.kyfieithu.co.uk;
GNOME (Dafydd Harries and others) - http://muse.19inch.net/~daf/gnome-cy/;
Abiword, Mandrake (Rhoslyn Prys) - www.meddal.org.uk;
Mozilla (Dewi B Jones, Rhoslyn Prys) - www.gwelywiwr.org;
Scribus (Kevin Donnelly) - www.kyfieithu.co.uk;
OpenOffice.org (Rhoslyn Prys, Dewi B Jones, David Chan) - www.meddal.org.uk
- Nynorsk and Catalan:
General - theRegister.co.uk (bottom of
the page);
Skolelinux - www.skolelinux.org;
Softcatala - http://linux.softcatala.org
- Scots Gaidhlig:
Some initial work on a Gaidhlig OpenOffice.org has in fact already been done.
The consultation exercise on a Gaidhlig Language Act has just been completed,
and attracted some 2,500 submissions.
(Submitted by MJ Ray of Turo Technology LLP)
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