🚀 go-pugleaf

Over the past few weeks the discussion seens to have turned on the idea of
localization as if were an _optional_ extra ...

I am a member of a Dutch standards commission which has been
addressing the subject of documentation for Consumer Products. Faced with
a rapidly increasing influx of 'foreign' products we were concerned about
the standard and nature of the documentation accompanying them. After two
years of hard work we have now started to circulate the final draft of a
new standard covering 'instructions for use'. Like a lot of other European
countries (we have sourced most of the international and Common Market
standards), we are stating it as a mandatory requirement that any product
appearing on the Dutch market MUST have its documentation written in Dutch.
[We will shortly be starting work on a new standard to cover software in
which a similar demand will appear.]

I would therefore like to address a (semi-hypothetical) question to all the
representatives of software companies subscribing to this list: just how
much longer do you think you can continue to avoid localizing software ?

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein do not represent those of either
            my employer or the NNI.


==========  Translation's like a mistress; beautiful and unfaithful,  ==========
==========                                 or faithful and ugly ....  ==========

 Simon JJ North BA EngTech FISTC                 Quality Group, Software R&D
 north@hgl.signaal.nl                            Hollandse Signaalapparaten BV

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