FaceBook is currently available in over 65 languages and currently has little or no consideration to offer minority languages such as Māori an option to be available as an alternative language. A sad fact is that there is a language option in FaceBook to have English characters backwards and even a Pirate language. Genuine daily spoken languages are ignored. I am uncertain why the successful Google Translation model could not be utilised. The Google model relied on community input. If a community did not translate Google, then Google was not offered in their language but the option to translate was always available.
FaceBook announced today that it will support applications and FaceBook Connect to be made available in any language a user wants. It is a simple process of installing an application and following some instructions. You can then either translate your applications yourself or seek public translations.
I am currently familiar with several FaceBook applications including Maori Kai and Tino Rangatiratanga. I hope the developers of these popular applications will choose to translate their applications and share the new terminology. There is of course the free Māori ICT words on my site at
https://www.taiuru.co.nz/publications/dictionary/ICTDictionary.pdf.
I do plan on making the publication fully searchable. If i am made privy to the new terminology used for FaceBook applications then i will add them immediately and update people via my Blog.
If there are enough applications translated and enough people using FaceBook connect in te reo Māori then this will create a case for FaceBook to offer Māori as a new language interface.
Details of the FaceBook translation tool are here at: http://developers.facebook.com/news.php?blog=1&story=308
.
.
.
Leave a Reply