[Zope-dev] Open Letter to zope-dev

Robert Rottermann robert@redcor.ch
Sat, 1 Dec 2001 10:49:43 +0100


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Friends,
first thing I want is to express my huge gratitude to have something =
like Zope and its community.
=20
I have read all the all the mail that has been stirred by "that" open =
letter.
I agree very much and I am willing to contribute as much as I can that =
zope should grow 10x.
I found two things missing in the discussion so far that are crucial to =
attain this goal:
=20
- documentation
To start using Zope doing something more than trivial is an incredibly =
frustrating thing. Hunting for the right piece of documentation is very =
very hard. The community is very helpful I agree readily. However asking =
it should be the last resort and being forced to use it as an important =
part of the developement effort is very cumbersome and time consuming. =
And does not really take the frustration out of the process.
Bruce Eckels postings to this list show that even a developer of his =
statue is prone to the same effect.
I am a seasoned programmer that started to deal with Zope exactly one =
year ago. It is only now that I learn where to look for what piece of =
information and to decide which one is relevant and which one is not.
=20
- translation support
Internationalisation is crucial. English in the user interface is just =
not tolerated in a non English speaking part of the world. It is 10 =
years ago something like that would have been acceptable. I am from =
Switzerland where we pride ourselves to be multilingual (6 Million =
inhabitants 4 major languages, English being the fifth). However nobody =
would think of having anything like English on a public website.
There are a number of efforts towards translation support. However to =
have any of them to succeed it needs the support of ZC which just does =
not exist.
=20
Now I have to hurry getting breakfast
(or I get into troubles)
=20
Robert
=20
=20




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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Friends,<BR>first thing I want is to =
express my=20
huge gratitude to have something like Zope and its =
community.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>I=20
have read all the all the mail that has been stirred by "that" open =
letter.<BR>I=20
agree very much and I am willing to contribute as much as I can that =
zope should=20
grow 10x.<BR>I found two things missing in the discussion so far that =
are=20
crucial to attain this goal:<BR>&nbsp;<BR>- documentation<BR>To start =
using Zope=20
doing something more than trivial is an incredibly frustrating thing. =
Hunting=20
for the right piece of documentation is very very hard. The community is =
very=20
helpful I agree readily. However asking it should be the last resort and =
being=20
forced to use it as an important part of the developement effort is very =

cumbersome and time consuming. And does not really take the frustration =
out of=20
the process.<BR>Bruce Eckels postings to this list show that even a =
developer of=20
his statue is prone to the same effect.<BR>I am a seasoned programmer =
that=20
started to deal with Zope exactly one year ago. It is only now that I =
learn=20
where to look for what piece of information and to decide which one is =
relevant=20
and which one is not.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>- translation =
support<BR>Internationalisation=20
is crucial. English in the user interface is just not tolerated in a non =
English=20
speaking part of the world. It is 10 years ago something like that would =
have=20
been acceptable. I am from Switzerland where we pride ourselves to be=20
multilingual (6 Million inhabitants 4 major languages, English being the =
fifth).=20
However nobody would think of having anything like English on a public=20
website.<BR>There are a number of efforts towards translation support. =
However=20
to have any of them to succeed it needs the support of ZC which just =
does not=20
exist.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Now I have to hurry getting breakfast<BR>(or I get =
into=20
troubles)<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Robert<BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
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