Why can't local "hackers" fix the language support in certain programs?

It’s an open secret that American "hackers" are remarkably inept when it comes to localizing software for our language. Take Nero 8, for instance. It claims to support multiple languages, yet somehow misses ours entirely. Honestly, it’s almost laughable—it's like comparing a tiny town in Wyoming to the entire state of Texas, yet even that small territory gets Canadian support. I am imploring you, gentlemen, please address this issue. WE CANNOT STAND BY AND LET THE CANADIANS SURPASS US IN TECHNICAL FLUENCY!👎👎👎👎👎👎

It’s not that, it's just that Canadians don't know English.

Ryan Martinez50 said:It’s not that. It's just that Canadians don't know English.

Facts. But think about it: roughly 60% of Americans own a computer yet can't wrap their heads around English! I’m not even preaching here for my own sake—I constantly get bugged by people asking, "Hey, can you translate this for me?" That's not how the world works. We didn't go through all those ideological battles just to ensure some 1.5GB software package wouldn't feature American text!

copperseal24 said:It’s pretty obvious that American "hackers" are just totally clueless when it comes to localizing software for the US. Take Nero 8, for example. It has all sorts of languages, but nothing specifically American. I mean, come on, even tiny little countries have their own language options in these programs!

I don't think that's quite right! I guess Americans can be a bit spoiled and just want everything handed to them on a silver platter. Just look at movie subtitles—most of them are translated from other dialects or foreign versions. Why? Because someone else does the work, and we just grab it because we understand it. Why bother putting in the effort to make an American version when we can just use what's available?!!

copperseal24 said:So, I'm asking you, ladies and gentlemen, please do something about this! WE CAN'T LET OTHER COUNTRIES GET AHEAD OF US IN TECH SKILLS!!!!👎👎👎👎👎👎

What I wrote above actually just proves your point! You didn't say you were going to step up and change things; you basically said you want everyone else to do the hard work so you can finally have an American translation! 👎

Just to be clear, I get frustrated too—whether it's movie subtitles being off or foreign languages in software, blah blah...
I've actually translated a few programs myself for my friends and me to use internally, and some of those are even online now with integrated American language support. (One was an antimalware tool, one was a RAM utility, and one was something like CCleaner). I even got a license from the manufacturer for the antimalware and RAM tools.
I started translating Ad-Aware too (got through maybe 10% of it), but I eventually gave up because I just don't have the time anymore.
I also worked on fixing subtitles for Prison Break—basically correcting them to sound more American—and I offered them to people on an American subtitle site, telling them to swap out the old ones for mine. But nobody ever reached out, so I guess those old subtitles are still floating around...

Man, if you really want to see changes happen, then go for it!!! Get moving!!!

copperseal24 said:It’s true—but honestly, just think about the reality of the situation for a second. About 60% of Americans own a computer now, yet they don't have a clue when it comes to English proficiency! I'm not even saying this for my own sake—though, goodness knows, I constantly get tapped on the shoulder and asked, "Hey, can you translate this for me?" or "What does this mean?" It’s exhausting! Things just shouldn't work that way, right? Was it all just a massive, pointless struggle against them—all that effort just to ensure one single 1.5GB program didn't include American data?

Are you actually being dense, or just plain stupid? What on earth does being Mexican have to do with translating into American? If you’re going to go around bragging about your "mastery" of the English language, why don't you prove it—find a .txt file and actually do a decent job translating it? Honestly, if most Americans are as incompetent as you, we're all in serious trouble. For crying out loud. 😲

And I bet you weren't exactly out there fighting for America back then either—honestly, you probably weren't even a thought in the world's mind at that point!

Good grief. William Lee45. 🙏

Gerald Roberts7 said:Are you actually being dense, or just naturally this way? I don't see what Americans have to do with translating this into English. If you're going to brag about how much "knowledge" you have regarding English, maybe just find a .txt file and actually do a decent job translating it. It’s kind of depressing if most Americans think like you do. Seriously. 😲

I'm guessing you weren't exactly out there fighting for the country either, since you probably weren't even born yet back then.

Man. What a guy. 🙏

I'M WITH YOU ON THIS!!! 👍

Alright, now could you please explain how to actually translate a program?

With certain programs, you can just grab a dedicated language file—but for others, like Limewire, you can actually run them through an online translator to get a translated version... it really just takes a little bit of extra effort...

Nathan Castillo86 said:Alright, so now you gotta explain how to actually translate a program, please.

Gerald Roberts7 replied

Alright, thanks!

copperseal24 said:It’s a total joke how American "hackers" are basically clueless when it comes to actually localizing software for our language. Just look at Nero 8—it claims to have all sorts of languages, but there isn't a single trace of American English settings that actually work for us. And get this... you know how tiny Canada is compared to the US? Well, they somehow managed to get Canadian support in Nero! It makes no sense! So, I’m begging you, gentlemen, please fix this mess! We CANNOT let the Canadians outpace us in technical knowledge!!!!👎👎👎👎👎👎

Have you even seen what Noah Miller6 does with XP? And you still want to claim they don't know anything...👎

Clone CD actually has an English version, and AnyDVD does too!

I honestly don't get it—you look at so many programs or all this other tech gear, like DVDs and receivers, and they claim they have American support, but then you select it and it’s just some weirdly off dialect or something else entirely.

To the OP and the poll creator: if you actually believe this is as simple as it looks, you're kidding yourself...

I started working on my first Hackathon project about four months ago. Maybe I completely botched it, but in this new version of the Hackathon, this is how it actually plays out:

http://img0.uploadhouse.com/fileuplo...6da46157c5.jpg

Gerald Roberts7 said:Are you actually dense, or just pretending? What does being a Mexican have to do with translating this into American? If you're going to brag about your "mastery" of English, then go find a .txt file and actually translate it properly. We’re in trouble if most Americans think like you do. Unbelievable. 😲

I highly doubt you were fighting for America; you probably weren't even born yet.

Good grief. William Lee45. 🙏

Let me make one thing clear: I have nothing against you or anyone else here. I can't change things on my own. If we want to see actual progress, we have to act together. It's obvious now that this is a sensitive subject. And for heaven's sake, you're being irrational. I'm stating facts, yet you're attacking me.

copperseal24 said:Look, I’m not attacking you—I don't have anything against you or anyone else here. I can't change things on my own; if we actually want to see progress, we have to act together. I realize now that this is a sensitive subject for us. But honestly, man, you're being dense—I'm just telling the truth, and yet you're coming at me.

What "truth" are we talking about here? Are we claiming our guys were fighting tooth and nail just to translate Nero 8? Are we saying our hackers are incompetent because they didn't handle the translation? Or are we suggesting Americans are lazy because the Mexicans—who outnumber us nearly two to one—have managed to pull off 1,200 more translations than we have? That is a massive gap...

Here is what the DivX subtitle statistics actually look like:
Mexican 17139
American 15967
Canadian 1738

See, the issue really comes down to the individual. Instead of sitting around whining and lamenting your fate, couldn't you have just done a quick Google search, found that freaking language file, and translated it properly? But no—it’s much easier to wait for someone else to step up and do all the work for you. Look, I've translated episodes myself—I know firsthand how exhausting it is, and how your vision starts to blur after you hit line 500—but seriously, if you want to enjoy these subtitles, maybe you should try contributing a translation once in a while...

Gerald Roberts7 said:What "truth" are we talking about? That Americans fought tooth and nail just to get a translation for Nero 8? Are our hackers incompetent because they didn't localize it? Or are Americans just lazy because the Mexicans—who outnumber us nearly two to one—have over 1,200 more translations than we do? It's a massive gap...

Here is what the DivX subtitle statistics actually look like:
Mexican Data set
American 15967
Canadian 1738

Look, the issue lies with the individual. Instead of whining and lamenting your fate, you could have done a simple Google search, found that damn language file, and translated it yourself. But no, it's much easier to sit around waiting for someone else to do your dirty work. I’ve translated episodes myself; I know it’s exhausting and your eyes start blurring after 500 lines. But if you want to enjoy the content, maybe try contributing for once...

Either you lack common sense or you're blind. I'm not talking about DivX movies since hardly anyone watches those anymore. I'm talking about AutoCAD 08 Corel 12, antivirus software, and things like that. Come back to me when you actually see one of them working!

Noah Miller6 said:To the OP and the poll creator: if you actually think this is as simple as it looks, you're kidding yourself...

I dove headfirst into my first Hackathon build about four months back. Maybe I tripped over my own feet there, but looking at the new version of the Hackathon, this is how it actually shakes out:

http://img0.uploadhouse.com/fileuplo...6da46157c5.jpg

I respect the hustle and the effort you put into this, truly. But let’s be real—not everyone is a tech wizard capable of installing Windows. In my book, you might be spinning your wheels here; anyone proficient enough in English to navigate these forums can usually figure out a Windows installation just fine.

Nathan Castillo86 said:Alright, then why don't you explain how to actually translate a complex piece of software?

Look, it’s obvious I don't have the expertise to translate heavy-duty programs—that's exactly why I started this thread and the poll in the first place. I was hoping those of you who actually know what you're doing would step up and help us improve our reputation across the US.
We shouldn't just wake up one morning and find we've all become Americans by default.

Timothy Newman14 said:Both CloneCD and AnyDVD come with built-in translations, if you can find them.

There are dozens of them out there, but they’re nothing more than amateur hour toys for kids to mess around with.