🚀 go-pugleaf

We are not always consistent in applying these rules,
but we find them useful:

Can the user fix the problem?
  Then tell him what it is in his language.

Will the problem end up being referred back
to headquarters' customer support, qa or development?
  Then keep the error message in English, you'll only
  lose meaning in round-trip translating.

Are you in a desperate hurry, or have you already
gone over budget?
  Then focus on getting the major part of the user interface,
  where the user spends 95% of his time, perfect.  Take the
  gamble that obscure error messages will never be triggered.
  If anyone cares passionately enough to complain, translate
  the messages for the next release.

We often precede the actual error message in English with the
word "Error" in the local language.

It sometimes varies language to language whether we translate
these messages or not. This is weighted partly by social/political
considerations (Swedish and Dutch users are pretty tolerant of
English) and partly by the technical savvy of the individual
translator.  Sometimes we don't translate something because we
just don't have a clue how to express it in the target language!

Not a very elegant policy, but I hope this is helpful!

Althea Bertrand
Interleaf, Inc.