Localization Terms
Ananta : While talking about localization, we often hear the term ‘Locale’, what does it mean by Locale?
Allen Tuladhar: Locale is a noun for a location. Locale is the definitions of all the local cultural conventions of
one location. When I choose Nepal as my locale, I am instructing my computer to automatically understand and adopt the preset values according to Nepal’s cultural conventions. It means my local standard time is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT, I use Bikram Sambat calendar, my weight measurements and the way I group numbers are different. I use Lakhs and Crores instead of millions and billions. My comma convention is different and currency symbol is ‘रु’. Days are treated as ‘आईत’,’सोम’,’शुक्र’, and ‘शनि’. As soon as you select a locale on your computer, your setting is reset by these pre-defined values. You can also change and personalize it according to your interest. These are the basic fact about localization that I have mentioned here.
Ananta : We also hear the term ‘Unicode’. What does it mean by Unicode?
Allen Tuladhar: On early eighties, most of the countries came up with their own national standards for their writing conventions. Soon, it was realized that they were sharing similar scripts for different languages. American script is the same as British, French and German. They all use roman script and might have few extra characters for their specific languages. Devanagari is also a common script for Nepali, Hindi and a number of other languages.
So, Microsoft, Adobe, Sun Microsystems, Apple, IBM and a whole lot of these companies get together and form a consortium (called Unicode) of companies to agree on certain standard so that all of the operating system developers could now create multilingual documents. Unicode allows a code point for every character of almost every language in the world. This feature allows us to type multiple languages in one document (known as multilingual document) and the document understands the language of each character in which it belongs to. So the character code of any font used on the document would mean the same and even if the person does not have the font installed, he/she would still be able to read it.
Localization Issues
Ananta : We are running on the year 2005 and during this period Localization is the widely talked issued on Nepalese IT scenario. How do you evaluate this period as one of stakeholders of Nepalese IT industry?
Allen Tuladhar: I view the year 2005 as the year of localization solutions in Nepalese IT scenario. The great news is that this year Windows XP and Linux, both by software giants of the world, will be available in our own
language. As we have observed on couple of years, presence on Internet of Nepali Language is growing very fast and it will bring the explosion of Internet websites in our own language.
Two European Universities and Tribhuwan University are working on the database of Nepali Language usage in different aspects of computers including an online dictionary. KU (Kathmandu University) has a project on Machine Language Translation from English to Nepali with the support of ICT for Development Pan Asia R&D Grant. Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya’s project on Localization of Linux and open office into Nepali Language is also running. And, of course, there is Unlimited’s project on localizing Windows XP and office 2003 with the spell checker in Nepali Language. I think all of these large projects running on this year will make a substantial difference in Nepalese IT scenario.
Ananta : Today's world is the age of Globalization. The entire world is considered as a Global Village. At the same time, we are now starting with concept of Localization. Then, what is the necessity of localization in context of Nepal?
Allen Tuladhar: We all talk about Rural Development in Nepal. We talk about primary education, basic Health service and pure drinking water for all and the localization creates primary infrastructure that is going to be necessary for all the buzzwords of Development like E-governance, telemedicine, and distance education. I do not think we will be able to take good governance to the rural people without local language computing.
I do not think distance education can be taken to the masses without it. It applied in case of telemedicine too.
Recently, I visited to a rural telecenter in Makawanpur and observed they did not have useful contents for the local community on the computers. They were using the telecenter as a training center to show how to use windows. It was not working smooth because they did not know even the purpose of computers. Here, in this case too, if they have got the services on their local languages, they would have explored the usage of computers and been easier to serve the local people. Most of rural people use their local language and do not have any knowledge of secondary languages like English. Telecenter should be able to process raw data to Information and serve to the local community. So, it's a challenge to convert data into information and then into knowledge on their local languages as their local needs on their local format (locale) and that’s what localization projects like Nepali windows is going to do.
Ananta : How many population of Nepal have really access to the IT?
Allen Tuladhar: Truly speaking, I don’t know the exact figure. I am also working to figure out the statistics for the distribution of windows and office. Recently, I saw a report prepared by independent company available on the website of High Level Committee for Information Technology (HLCIT), it says total 53,000 computers are
installed nationwide.
I totally disagree with this number. Before eight years, when I was the General Secretary of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN), we had had a study done with the help of PC Quest magazine of India, we figure out 75,000 computers installed at that time and growing at the rate of 25000 per year. And ISP Association of Nepal says that there are 40,000 internet connections which mean 53,000 numbers does not seem to be correct. Even I am not sure about the population of computers, it will be worthless to figure out how many people have really access to IT and what percent out of it are using computers for means of IT.
Windows Localization Project
Ananta :What are the services that will be available in Nepali Windows and Office in local language?
Allen Tuladhar: Nepali Windows and Office Nepali version will have everything, available in Windows XP and Office 2003 Standard version. There is no difference except for a few additional facilities in Office 
that will be localized to Nepali language like the spell checker in Nepali language. It will also have separate proofing tools like some of the macros, wizards and some of the extra tools that will translate words from English to Nepali. We are also working on text to speech service but it may not be available in this edition. Media player might have genre called Dohori that can not be found on English version. Standard help will be in Nepali although Advance and knowledge based help will be on English.
Ananta :How Windows Nepali can help to grow computer usage in Nepal?
Allen Tuladhar: Let me take this issue into two parts. Primarily, will it increase the usage of computers? Yes, it will because the person who is using it understands the computer better now. Earlier, he was not even been able to read the system messages and used to press the command button simply on “ok” without knowing it what will happen. But now, he reads and understands it. Since he can understand it, he got more interested with his computer. It means what he used to do in one hour is now got to be finished in 45 minutes and he got extra 15 minutes to explore it more. So I am expecting much more from Nepali Windows.
Now, will the number of users increase? Yes, but it’s a long term effect. What I perceive to happen is first the discomfort level of using a new language is going to be strong for first couple of days. It’s like getting new pair of shoes. The new shoes pinch for the first couple of days until your leg and shoes are not comfortable with each other. The first reaction of mass about Windows Nepali is I don’t like the choice of Nepali words that has been chosen. But, I am sure, after some time, everything will be normal; people will be comfortable with it and start using. It will also encourage the increment on users of computers in Nepal.
Ananta : How would Windows Nepali address the cultural diversity of Nepal?
Allen Tuladhar: We need five different calendars to work with it in Nepal. First we need the Gregorian English calendar. Then, we need the Bikram Sambat calendar in which government works on. We need the Lunar calendar 
too for cases like ‘Baishakh 1’ is holiday from Bikram Sambat calendar where as ‘Buddha Jayanti’ is from lunar calendar. Then, we need the Nepal Sambat calendar for Kathmandu works including ‘म्ह पूजा’. And, we also need Shakha era which all the astrologists work with. We are not being able to address all of the cultural issues on this release but future implementation will include all five calendars from which user can choose a calendar for him.
Ananta : It is also heard that localized components run over a layer decreasing the performance of the system because of the extra language overhead. Is it correct?
Allen Tuladhar: No. Any operating system needs an interface. Now, basically, what you are saying is, am I adding a layer on the interface? No. We are only replacing one interface by another. So, there is no delay or performance issues because of language shifting. However, his efficiency on the Nepali Windows and office will overtime increase. For a short period of time, the efficiency may be decreased because he/she needs to be familiarized with new words, icons and phrases. So, because of user speed; not because of the system speed, he/she gets less done for earlier couple of days. But after being familiar with new environment, he/she will be faster enough to work with it.
Ananta : How will you distribute Nepali windows to users?
Allen Tuladhar: The software is going to be free of cost. But how do I provide it to each and every person so that the people who are distributing in between cover their expenses. Naturally, I don’t have my own presence in all 75 districts. So, we are making a package that contains a lot of free stuffs along with the software like a mouse pad that will say, म त विन्डोज नेपालीमा चलाउछु, तपाई नी ?, a sticker that say this computer is powered by Windows Nepali and a postal card from Nepal Post to register their product back to us without any extra postage.
All of the stuffs are packaged on a CD with a hologram to promote usage of genuine CD. We are looking at 150 rupees for the package. There will be a certain profit built in the package for the distributor whether it’s a cyber cafe or a stationary shop for providing the distribution services and making it available locally.
Else, the person can go online and download the same software free of cost. But, still, the big question is how many CDs do we make? Should we make 10,000, 50,000 or 100,000? I am not being able to decide the number due to the lack of reliable statistics about computer population of Nepal. Suppose If I make 10,000 and only 2000 people come and get it, 8000 CDs are going to be wastage. Now, if I make 2000 and 10,000 people come to get it then I will run out of it. And, if we distributed 10,000 copies of Nepali version of Windows XP, are we successful? Or are we unsuccessful? Which number should be used for evaluation? It’s the major challenge on the distribution of Nepali Windows. Anyway, if we get 35% market share on first year then, I think we would have done a good job.
Ananta : When are you planning to release it?
Allen Tuladhar: Very soon; I am as impatient to release it as you are. I don’t have a date yet but very soon. Moreover it will be released in the end of the August.
Ananta : May we expect it within coming few months?
Allen Tuladhar: I am looking at weeks.
Ananta: Have you also planned for support and future versions?
Allen Tuladhar: We have plans for further upgrades and also working towards longhorn (the next version of windows) and more importantly we are looking at the response from users about Nepali Windows XP. If Nepalese accept it then, we are successful and future versions will come out else if Nepalese users got satisfied with English versions and do not like to go for Nepali versions, then, we are unsuccessful and future versions will not come out. Because in that case people would have spoken out they do not need Nepali Windows, they why should anyone go for it?
