[Localization] [Grassroots-l] Localization Digest, Vol 16, Issue 14

[Clytie Siddall]

Hi everyone :)

On 11/06/2008, at 2:28 AM, Leon Aaron Kaplan wrote:

>> Hmmm, my feeling it's very different. When I (finally) received my
>> G1G1 from US, I was very proud to give it to my seven year's old
>> son and seen that without help he could really play and learn with  
>> it.
>>
> but here is the hard question: how long has he been playing around
> with it (as a kid from a developed country where his papa obviously
> has the "big toys") ?

I have found that it's the intuitive nature of the interface that  
counts.

Example 1:

When my youngest was only two, I bought a personal computer (Mac  
LCIII). My toddler had never seen a computer before. My other kids  
were at school. I unpacked the machine and plugged it in, watched with  
great interest by my toddler, then had to take a brief nature break. I  
said to her "When I get back, I'll get you into something fun."

A few minutes later, when I returned, she was drawing in ClarisWorks.

In five minutes, a two-year-old had turned on the Mac, booted it up,  
opened a program and started using the tools. I often quote this as an  
example of the intuitive nature of the Mac interface, but it also  
serves to show how adaptable and capable young kids are.

Example 2:

At the same time, we finally got some computers (also LCIII's) for my  
workplace. I was teaching people who were completely illiterate. The  
ones who needed the most help were those from disadvantaged rural  
areas in their own countries, where they often had not attended school  
at all, or only had a couple of years of primary school. However, much  
to our surprise, they took to the Macs like seals to fish. Without any  
explanation, they started using them.

These were people who couldn't read at all, and had no prior contact  
with technology.

So, if your laptops are anything like as easy to use as a Mac LCIII,  
all you need to do is provide them. However, for those who are already  
literate, it would certainly help to have appropriate keyboard layouts  
and localized software. ;)

from Clytie

Vietnamese Free Software Translation Team
http://vnoss.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=projects:l10n



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