Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[David Dixon]

I have had experience of working with a EU project called Mercator (a 
group that promotes accessibility and inclusion of minority and regional 
languages).


I know from various meetings with them, that the whole "use a flag icon" 
method of determining a language is considered to be discriminatory to 
regions that speak a language but are not associated with it (how many 
people here from the UK or Australia get miffed when "english" is 
associated with a US flag??). They consider the whole concept of using 
flags as a description of language bad practice and non-descript.


The preferred method of language selection is what has been mentioned 
before, to inform the user of a language option using their own language 
(eg. option link that say "English", "Francais", "Cymraeg").


My own thoughts are that it the showing the language choice simply by 
showing the language should be more than sufficient as a description of 
what functionality of link does. Using whole sentences such as "View 
this Page in English", is fairly redundant as the native language itself 
(one french word in a whole page of english) should be quite descriptive 
enough as to what the expected function is.


Thanks,

David.

Matthew Pennell wrote:
On 6/30/06, *Steve Olive* <[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> wrote:


I agree - another option is to use small icons that are flags of the
nations
associated with the destiny language


But (as per the link I posted above) languages are spoken in more than 
one country. The name of the language, in that language, is the easiest 
way of communicating the language options you have.




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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Jan Brasna]

too tired to hunt for it...


"... but have slaves to that for me" ;)

Servez-vous:







--
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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Patrick H. Lauke]

Gaspar wrote:


Change to english

or continue in portuguese

Mudar para Inglês

SHould the link stay in the some language of page or in the language
that gonna change?


Think of this scenario: I'm english, I come to your site, but don't 
speak portuguese. I look through the available links, but can't spot the 
link to the english version because your link text is in portuguese...


So, definitely the first of the two.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke
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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Patrick H. Lauke]

Steve Olive wrote:

I agree - another option is to use small icons that are flags of the nations 
associated with the destiny language 


Flags are not a good indicator for language, as certain countries can be 
multi-lingual, and the same language can be spoken in a variety of 
countries (e.g. UK/US, why give preference of one over the other?).


I seem to recall a recent article about this not so long ago, but I'm 
too tired to hunt for it...


P
--
Patrick H. Lauke
__
re·dux (adj.): brought back; returned. used postpositively
[latin : re-, re- + dux, leader; see duke.]
www.splintered.co.uk | www.photographia.co.uk
http://redux.deviantart.com
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RE: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Ted Drake]

This is a bit of a tangent, but……

 

I put together a test page for using the hreflang attribute selector to display  the language a targeted web site is written in and the flag for the country next to the link. Does that make sense? Essentially, you would put something like this in the code:  hreflang="fr-ca">foo. The CSS would add (IN FRENCH) after the text and the Canadian Flag in front of the link. Here’s the link to the post: http://www.last-child.com/attribute-selectors-to-provide-language-information/ And to the sample page: http://www.last-child.com/international.html  Tedwww.last-child.com 

 









From:
listdad@webstandardsgroup.org [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Matthew Pennell
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 3:13
AM
To: wsg@webstandardsgroup.org
Subject: Re: [WSG] LInks
Multi-language



 

On 6/30/06, Steve Olive
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:





I agree - another option is to use small icons that are flags of the
nations
associated with the destiny language






But (as per the link I posted above) languages are spoken in more than one
country. The name of the language, in that language, is the easiest way of
communicating the language options you have. 



 





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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Matthew Pennell]

On 6/30/06, Steve Olive <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I agree - another option is to use small icons that are flags of the nationsassociated with the destiny languageBut (as per the link I posted above) languages are spoken in more than one country. The name of the language, in that language, is the easiest way of communicating the language options you have.


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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Steve Olive]

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 07:18 pm, Martin Heiden wrote:
> Gaspar,

> From a user perspective it would be more useful to describe the link
> in the language of links destiny. If I were on your site and I
> couldn't understand Portuguese, I would definitely prefer a link with
> text in a language that I understand... Don't you agree? ;-)

I agree - another option is to use small icons that are flags of the nations 
associated with the destiny language - English uses UK/US flag (I've even 
seen this as a combined flag), German the German flag, French the French 
flag, etc. Most web users associate these flags with the correct language 
even if the linking text is in another language or they are from another 
country like Australia where the predominant language is English or 
French-Canadian use the French flag.


-- 
Regards,

Steve
Bathurst Computer Solutions
URL: www.bathurstcomputers.com.au
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mobile: 0407 224 251
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RE: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Frances Berriman]

 
I agree. On language versions I've done, we've presented selections with either 
the language or country presented in the native language (and twice, if there 
are two languages in a country), so you'd easily be able to spot your own 
language in a listing.  For example - would you recognise "English" written in 
Chinese? :)




Frances Berriman
http://www.fberriman.com
 

-Original Message-
From: listdad@webstandardsgroup.org [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of 
Carlos Rincon Sanchez
Sent: 30 June 2006 10:16
To: Web standards group
Subject: Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

> SHould the link stay in the some language of page or in the language
> that gonna change?
> -- 
> http://www.artideias.com

Hi,

i think that is better to put the links in its language (English,
Español and so on)

If i only speak Spanish and i'm in an English web page i will not know
what "Change to Spanish" means. 

-- 
Carlos Rincón Sanchez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Neurotic, SCP - www.neuroticweb.com
Tel: 938 492 028 | Fax: 938 403 568
C\Can Cabatx s/n 08520
Les Franqueses del Valles



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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Matthew Pennell]

You may find this article helpful:http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200604/indicating_language_choice_flags_text_both_neither/


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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Martin Heiden]

Gaspar,

on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 10:52 wsg@webstandardsgroup.org wrote:

> for me the only mean useful for this page it's teh 3 links
> but i thing it's better take retire this page, dont't u thing the
> same?

Yes, definitly!

> My big question it's the in body i will tell what language or in the
> head but should I in link put In this case i am in the PT page the
> link to the version in english should be

> Change to english

> or continue in portuguese

> Mudar para Inglês

First I would try to determine the preferred language of my users by
analyzing the request-headers, hoping that the links to different
languages won't be needed by anyone...

But you should give the user a choice by placing such links anyway.

>From a user perspective it would be more useful to describe the link
in the language of links destiny. If I were on your site and I
couldn't understand Portuguese, I would definitely prefer a link with
text in a language that I understand... Don't you agree? ;-)

regards

  Martin

 





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Re: [WSG] LInks Multi-language

[Carlos Rincon Sanchez]

> SHould the link stay in the some language of page or in the language
> that gonna change?
> -- 
> http://www.artideias.com

Hi,

i think that is better to put the links in its language (English,
Español and so on)

If i only speak Spanish and i'm in an English web page i will not know
what "Change to Spanish" means. 

-- 
Carlos Rincón Sanchez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Neurotic, SCP - www.neuroticweb.com
Tel: 938 492 028 | Fax: 938 403 568
C\Can Cabatx s/n 08520
Les Franqueses del Valles



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