In Your Own Language

The latest to join the local language computing bandwagon is the open-source
community that has been trying local language versions for the past two years or
so. Consider the recently released IndLinux Milan v0.37, with a Hindi interface
by Mumbai-based Netcore Solutions. Says Prakash Advani, Co-founder, IndLinux.org,
Netcore Solutions, "Hindi is the third largest language in the world, yet
there are no operating systems available in this language. IndLinux.org
therefore decided to make Hindi support available for free to create a
revolution in Indian language computing".

IndLinux Milan allows the user to make a choice of language from all 11
Indian languages following which-the item/menu names of the applications would
immediately convert or translate into the user-specified language. Apart from
IndLinux, there are also smaller companies and individual Linux developers who
contribute language interfaces to enhance the base of available Linux
applications. In that sense, the IndLinux announcement is nothing revolutionary
in its ability to popularize local language computing.

The elementary but persistent problem occurring here is the conflict over
standards that the interfaces are based on. To circumvent the problem of
standards, companies are beginning to develop packages on a single, largely
accepted standard Unicode for greater feasibility to users and easier exchange
of codes within the OSS community. This would further help users to be able to
send emails from their Linux-based interface-email client to a Microsoft one
both being supported by the Unicode.

Another issue that poses a hurdle in the process of localization is the
non-acceptance of uniformity in the use of English-Hindi translated words. While
the open-source community offers to give away localized interfaces for free,
there are problems related to grammatical errors that can jar the user. The
promise of Linux interfaces being developed by various organizations is that any
software based on GTK (GNome tool kit-a mandatory tool-kit for any application
to be installed on Linux) will automatically undergo language conversions once
the user specifies his choice of language. However, such customization in spite
of extensive code support will inevitably cause problems related to grammar and
proper sentence construction. It is this sector that needs to be worked on for
it to reach the level of sophistication wherein it becomes useful and handy for
the

user. Says Vinay Chhajlani, founder and CEO of Webduniya, "Products need to
be validated extensively before reaching a user".

The companies actively involved in developing localized packages have a wide
spectrum of users in mind. The primary application areas are the desktop users,
banking sectors, e-governance sector, projects for the visually impaired, the
illiterate and developers not conversant with English. One way of promoting
localized interfaces for e-governance in rural areas is by developing localized
kiosks for the village folk, the illiterate and the visually impaired with the
text-to-speech (TTS) technology implementation. A developer not conversant in
English can benefit from these localized interfaces by getting the required
exposure to a non-English programming environment and reap the same benefits and
services as that of a developer working on an English platform.

Other notable players in the field of localizing interfaces are Bharatbhasha
with their Internet translation services; portal Webduniya with their online
translation services and offering solutions as one of the partners for Microsoft’s
Office 11 development; Simputer with their inexpensive GNU/Linux computers and
text-to-speech system for Indian languages; and CDAC with their slew of products
in the multi-lingual area. Windows XP already offers a text-to-speech interface
developed by Vaachak in collaboration with Microsoft India.

TEAM DQ