localization planning 2021 02 05

SecureDrop + LocalizationLab goals for 2021

Agenda, 2021-02-05

• SecureDrop release dates (https://github.com/freedomofpress/securedrop/wiki/Development-Roadmap)
• changing the translation period before releases -- lengthening it, or decreasing the string feedback section, to allow translators more time; and merging translations before release day
• a better translator engagement/outreach strategy, to include user stories/global use cases
• making reviewer teams language-specific (just Weblate setup, this shouldn't take long)
• updating the glossary (we should probably discuss both the Weblate glossary and the one in the SecureDrop documentation)
• translation of the workstation UI (https://docs.weblate.org/en/latest/formats.html#qt-linguist-ts)
• translation of documentation (https://docs.readthedocs.io/en/stable/guides/manage-translations.html)
• switching to continuous translation (which may solve the translation period crunch? https://docs.weblate.org/en/latest/admin/continuous.html)

SecureDrop release dates

• more advance notice of release dates will help planning
  • localization managers should be updating dates everywhere immediately after release
• mention in Mattermost as well as forum
• anything that will generate email notifications is good

Making reviewer teams language-specific

• just need list of team members from Erin

Updating the glossary

• go through source strings and highlight common phrases, menu items, terms and put them in the glossary
• engage existing translators in preparation for recruiting new contributors
• check permissions so that ideally reviewers are the only editors of their languages' glossaries

Continuous translation

• poll translators first
• nail down potential workflow to help decide
• might be best to adopt a hybrid model where strings can be continuously translated in advance, but we still have the predictability of our release schedule

Translator engagement/outreach

• be present on IFF Mattermost
  • create a SecureDrop channel?
  • hang out in language-specific localization channels?
• write up new languages/sites: securedrop.org, L10nLab articles
• translators can forget about SecureDrop due to infrequent releases
• swag?
  • Tor sends shirts to most active contributors
  • people are even happy about stickers

SecureDrop Workstation localization

• no known users of desktop-specific approaches like Qt Linguist
• so probably same workflow and tooling as SecureDrop core would be best
• translation memory, ideally glossary should be shared

Hosted Weblate

• would give us more visibility, more engagement
• need to look into roles, permissions, glossary, translation memory

Translation of documentation

• smaller chunks are better
• content order is very important, to give translators context
• there's a lot more work:
  • incremental discrete chunks can be completed and published
  • maybe latest can be full of partial translations, while stable must meet some threshold
  • break up by section:
    • dev docs don't need to be translated
    • source, journalist, admin guides are individually useful
    • source may require more thought: jurisdiction-specific changes