Jeroen Vermeulen wrote: > In Launchpad, however, the assumption is that the starting language is > U.S. English. No! The starting language may also be any language (including British English). Launchpad can support a separate translation for English when needed. It's up to each package maintainer to decide which is the start language to translate, but it's true that most maintainers will find that it will be easier for them to find translators if they create their root package in English, but that's not absolutely required. You may for example start a package in Russian, for helping the translation of an open-source software whose usage will only be useful within Russia, and may still want it to be translated in other languages for the many languages of Russia, and for a very limited number of possible users, in other languages. Suppose you have an open-source software that will be used as a add-on for a Russian service (or example a TV channels selector over its internet access, with supplementary functions such as chats, forums, program selections...) that can be subscribed or accessed only in Russia, what is the interest of starting your package in English? Unless you want to extend later your software later so that it can interact with other similar services hosted elsewhere (and so, used with other TV channels bundles), but this may require further developments if the service provider uses other standards on its media server (notably for authenticating the subscriber, or allow him to change his preferences, or billing it for VoD contents)...
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