i'm still a little unsure, as to how much can be done and by whom here, nor how the database for the site is set up (if some God wants to give me access ;-) maybe i can come up w/something more refined) but some thoughts from the outside...

1. Language preference option up top, where it gives our login options, SOPW, and the myriad of other choices. (That's where i'd first look for it.) Once selected, you're taken to a page, which says "here's the situation: We don't have a lot translated yet, but if you select an langauge from the menu - whenever something is available in that language (or selection of languages) - we'll give you those.

2. User preferences option - as others have mentioned. (I would include an "all languages" option too)

3.node organization: The indexing scheme for the site uses matches =~/node_id=\d*/. This discussions node is...node_id=346332. I'd adjust the filing system to include...

node_id=346332_de
node_id=346332_fr
node_id=346332_ru
node_id=346332_etc...

for the various languages. (I'd leave english w/no extension - saving us from having to redo 30,000+ file names.) This system has the advantage of keeping the same nodes (but in dif languages) together, as well as allowing for expanding beyond just the PerlMonk FAQ. Since there are so few non-english posts, now would be the best time to revise this.

i'd also add a drop down menu on the "create a post" screen. (Default, english.) Whenever someone posted a comment, they could select from the drop-down menu, which language it should be associated with (so the system knows how to append the id number.)

Whenever a search or retrieval of a doc was requested by a user, the sys would check the user's preferences (or default to either "all" or "english") and retrieve those with the appropriate extension -> like the appropriate language FAQ.

this will also make things fairly seemless to the user, i should think.

again, i don't know, how much control "we" have here - but those are my initial thoughts.

other thoughts along this line ~
Thought for a poll: asking what language perlmonks speak. (Would give us a better idea of what were the most important languages to start with.)
Having a sign up list or a wish list for those interested in translating stuff. (So as to avoid duplication.)

In reply to Re: Translated PerlMonks FAQ by wolfi
in thread Translated PerlMonks FAQ by demerphq

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