WHAT ABOUT ENGLISH FOR EVERYBODY?

Privet! I hope I won’t disturb anyone with this post.

I’m totally new to Calculate Linux, but I’m already enthusiastic about it. I believe it’s a great project; the first Gentoo-based distribution I’ve liked so far: easy to install, working, and extremely elegant in design-artwork. I can’t but congratulate the people behind this nice distro, and anyone contributing to it!!

BUT…!

But I’m afraid that WE (I already consider myself a Calculate member), we have a big obstacle if we want this project to be as popular as it could be, and if we want to multiply by ten the number of Calculate users: we need to drop the Russian forums and move to the English one. Really. Have you, my Russian speaking friends, noticed how many entries are there in the English forum, and how many are there in the Russian forum? Ten to twenty times difference!

Guys, we have to face it: most people in this planet who could use Calculate don’t speak nor understand Russian, whereas (I’m sure) most Russians here can speak and write in English. And, as there are much more knowledgeable members here using the Russian forum than the English one, this means that most non-Russian-speaking people who need help in Calculate forums will not find it, because the English forums are almost desertic.

So, may I make a suggestion to the Calculate crew, the moderatos and the members? What about everybody start using English? This way, we’d make this community MUCH MUCH friendlier and helpful, therefore bigger and more successful. Actually, in my opinion, I think that there should not be three different categories divided by language (Russian, English, French), but just one, and everybody trying to use English as far as we can…

Now that I’ve finally found a distribution that I like, I would be extremely sad if I had to drop it for lack of help.

Again, I hope nobody will get annoyed by my suggestion. I’m convinced that it would be for the benefit of the whole Calculate community.

Spasibo!

(And would it be too much to ask the moderators to make this post sticky?)

Hi Pabster!

The problem is spreading Calculate Linux among English speakers is that the developers from Russia. Knowledge of English is weak. PR distribution and to do with spelling mistakes, it is to reduce the work to an end. I know it, I did it, it’s a nightmare.

Despite the fact that most users Calculate Linux only know the Russian language, the default load distribution in English. Together with the Russian language, we have added full support for several popular languages.

To find out what will happen to the forum, I can give the example of the IRC channel #calculate, which originally was international. There were many people from different countries. Unfortunately, the English-speaking people do not stay on the channel for a long time. Hard to be where 90% of the text can not read … As a result, the channel was divided.

P.S. Let’s see if you get the answer to the Russian-speaking forum :slight_smile:

Hi Pabster,
Your idea would be great… should I not be the only one English-speaking person among the CL crew :slight_smile: though non-native as I am Russian too, like Alexander and the rest. And being a translator rather than a developer doesn’t make it easier to solve all issues by myself: thus the problem you were speaking about. What we need is to build a community, like it is happening now, or at least I hope so, with the French.

Anyway, I will try to be more active on EN forums than I have been lately, thank you for your remark.

Thanks to you both for your replies, Aleksander and Elena.

Of course, I know that it’s not easy! Perhaps trying to make Russian members use the English forum (or use English in the Russian forum) was not a good idea, but maybe it would be a good idea to “melt” both forums (well, actually also the french) in just one could be a good idea?

Please, don’t take me wrong: I don’t pretend to be discovering the hot water. But the truth is that most of the computing-IT forums that I know of, stick to English as the common language. Building “walls” between different languages (using different forums for each language) makes knowledge remain into small compartments, therefore unefficient.

In any case, I don’t think I’m being too idealistic, or a dreamer: the fact that the main pages of this website are in English (which I appreciate a lot) is the evidence that CL wants to be an international distribution, global, known world wide and used by as many people as possible; which is absolutely normal, like every other distribution. But, as you know, the forums are perhaps one of the most important sides of any technical-programming-computing-knowledge website. The forums are the places where the real, updated, interactive and actual interchange of communication and knowledge takes place. Most of the “workforce” in CL, I’ve realized, are Russians. If the rest of the potential users, like me and 3/4 of the planet, can not “access” your knowledge, we’ll never be able to properly profit CL, and CL will never be a big global community. Actually, I’m so enthusiasted about CL that the only thing that could make me drop it in favour of Sabayon or Gentoo itself would be the lack of support because of my ignorance of Russian.

And I know you folks: I’ve been traveling in Russia for two months and I know that young Russians (as most computing developers are) know English, but you’re way too modest! :slight_smile: Every time I asked a young Russian if he/she spoke English, they always told me: “no”, or “just a little”; but then they speak quite well! Much better than we Spaniards do (I’m Spanish, by the way).

So, to sum up: maybe not demand everyone to use English, but maybe merge the English, the French and the Russian forums in just one, and ask people to use English whenever they can?

Whatever. I’m just giving my ideas for trying to make this more international-friendly, and my opinions on the project. I hope I didn’t open the Pandora’s box with my post.

Poka!

As for merging all forums in just one… that’s what the case with the English and the French ones, as you can see: not because we wanted to happen it so, in fact, but because the site engine doesn’t support switching between multiple page versions. Of course, it’s too soon to tell, but the French seem to be in favour of getting answered in their native language… just like our countrymen do :smiley: But it would be nice, actually, if the English forums could be seen from the main Russian page, as was suggested in the Russian thread where you posted.

I’m with you here: this is an annoying fact that CL forums should mainly stick to Russian. I personally am trying as hard as I can to promote our distro elsewhere, but I don’t see how the situation could be reversed for the time being.

I don’t know much, well any French or Russian, but i can tell you Gentoo has great support. As its really, just tools to build / modify / configure / sustain a Linux install and use portage for a package manager. Building a stage 3 is also something I would strongly suggest before using any source based portage distro. Just my oppinion. Anyway awesome job with the installer, took me 5 min to setup this install along win 8 using a SSD and a SATA with lots of mount points, had no problems and grub 2 works like a charm. Good stuff.

From my experience, I’m able to get quick responses from the English forums. I’ve used ALT Linux long back (2009) and I had some difficulties with the documentation part. It was also difficult to use the less updated English website. Compared to that, I think Calculate Linux is in good shape as far as language is concerned.

In my opinion, Calculate should concentrate on developing a working GUI package management tool and reduce business oriented features in desktop.

The installer that comes with CLD is great and I hope the team will come up with a package management tool as easy and efficient as the installer.