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Date:      Wed, 28 Oct 1998 10:40:51 -0700
From:      Wes Peters <wes@softweyr.com>
To:        Chris Silva <ras@interaccess.com>
Cc:        andrew@squiz.co.nz, freebsd-security@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: FreeBSD multinational security
Message-ID:  <36375723.CEE7A90@softweyr.com>
References:  <000001be0222$90b53190$0100000a@wildrock.interaccess.com>

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> On Tue, 27 Oct 1998, Wes Peters wrote:
> 
> > Andrew McNaughton wrote:
> >
> > > So where does one go I wonder with a security issue if one speaks
> > > taiwanese but not english?
> >
> > Andrew raises a valid question here.  Ideally, we'd have an
> > assistant, or "national" security officer for each of the "officially"
> > supported languages, who can also communicate effectively in (written,
> > at least) english.
> >
> > So, which languages are you going to step up to support, Andrew?
> 
> I don't understand more than a smattering of any non-programming
> languages other than English.  It would be nice to have contact people 
> for various languages, but this would never be comprehensive.  Personally 
> though I think if it's important it's better posted in a language most 
> don't understand than not posted at all.  If it's important then there's
> a fair chance someone will translate it for the benefit of others.
> 
> Any mailing list I read is going to carry some proportion of stuff
> which for one reason or another I don't understand.  I don't see that
> flaming the authors of those posts as being an appropriate response. 
> That goes doubly for sending the flames to the list.  The flames bugged
> me a lot more than the original post, and there were many more of them.

Yeah, there were several who thought they had to be funny too.

I certainly don't see any flames in the message you quote, I just asked how
you were going to help.  I'm not proposing a multinational tech support
organization here, just someone who can read and write both english and
another language, and who has the time to translate security alerts, and
perhaps to help with email when a non-english speaker has a FreeBSD
security problem.

The only non-english human language I have studied is French, and there
are many here whose native language is French and whose English skills
are the equal of mine, so I'm of little help there.  I have access to
technical people who speak two, or perhaps three languages native to
Utah simply because of my geographical location and contacts in the local
community; not that FreeBSD usage seems to be that common among the
Ute, Navajo, and Shoshone communities.  Yes, this was said partly in
jest.

So, the question remains, what can YOU do about it?  If you don't know
languages other than English, can you coordinate the efforts of those
who do?  Can you write an article in Daemon News (or elsewhere) soliciting
the help of those who do, and proposing an organization?

Chris Silva wrote:
> 
> Umm, well - lets look at thin in another light.  English *is* the
> international spoken word. So it seems to be fitting.
> 
> I myself would like to see this thread die. So let's please consider
> what this list means to us - and to the ones that really want to learn
> to secure FBSD.

Even if you find no value in the concept of translating security alerts
into other languages, I'm sure others do.  I've posted this with a 
more appropriate subject line, which you are certainly free to filter
out if you wish.  I hope you don't.  By the way, do YOU know any other
(human) languages?  ;^)

-- 
             Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?

Wes Peters                                                      +1.801.915.2061
Softweyr LLC                                                   wes@softweyr.com

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