Globalization in Multimedia Development

The development of W W W led to rise of the concept of “global village”, which the whole world links together by the internet.  This concept is still far from the reality.  Issues raised: languages & cultural difference made things complex, especially websites.

 “Globalization” becomes one of the practices to solve the problems  The term “Globalization” means differently when refers to business, politics, culture and many other aspects.  In multimedia development, globalization is generalized as the process of “adaptation”.

 Web sites and other multimedia applications, are “adapted” linguistically and functionally.  The expected result is to deliver contents to more than one groups of audience with different language preferences.  The process of Globalization usually involves 2 main elements: “Internationalization” & “Localization”

Internationalization  Internationalization(i18n) is the process of designing a software or Web application to handle different linguistic and cultural conventions without additional engineering. internationalization involves:  design of the User Interface (UI) is flexible and neutral;  separation of language and cultural data from the source code.  relevant character set;  regional standards;  text embedded in graphics is localizable.

Internationalization  Ideally, internationalization should take place during the very early stage of project development  Thus, reduces time and cost along the way when more versions are required to be produced to fulfill the international expansion needs;  Your client may ask you to produce Japanese, Korean, Spanish or German version website sometime after you set up a local version website.  Without thinking of “internationalization”, eventually, you may found difficulties to adapt the original version in both technical aspect and content translation.

Localization  Localization (L10N) is the process of adapting a website to the requirements of a target locale. It refers to the translation of strings within the Web site so that the user sees the correct language.  A locale refers to a set of standards, rules and data specific to a language and geographical area. E.g., a French Unicode Locale will include regional definitions for currency, the Euro symbol, date, time, numerical notation and text messages. An Asian Locale (e.g. a Chinese locale), will also include input methods and dictionary editing definitions.

Localization UI design:  Localize all content, readable messages, icons, buttons in the target user's language (both written and non-written).  We also need to consider:  Text space: extra space may added to dialog boxes, control buttons, menu, etc.  Cultural-dependent or ambiguous symbols: body parts (e.g., hand gestures), religious symbols, graphics with more than one meaning and cultural- specific symbols. As they may lead to misunderstandings in cross-cultural situation, we have to use them carefully.

Localization Character set  A character set is the mapping of the characters of a script into a set of binary codes.  In order to represent a language, an appropriate character set support is needed.  For English, ASCII character set should be enough, but not those European languages require accented characters.  Therefore, specific character sets are developed:  Double-byte character set (DBCS) is a codeset that uses one or two bytes. It is used for Asian languages such as Japanese, Chinese, and Korean  Unicode is a universal character 16-bit codeset. It includes most alphabetic characters and symbols used in nearly every language.

Case Study 1 Nike  Nike’s business covers over 140 countries.  It’s website offers 13 languages.  The website design not only translate text into different languages, but also adapt design ideas considering the cultural context.   Even this is a comparatively successful example of web globalization, there are still lots of languages & cultures need attention: Russia, Middle East, Sweden, Hebrew, etc.

Overview of internet users

 The Internet was designed to be global, but not necessarily multilingual.  When it was originally developed, its primary purpose was to enable English speakers to communicate with other English speakers;  As soon as the internet became a global phenomenon, non-English speakers began using the Internet to communicate in their own languages.  The research firm IDC projects by 2003, 36% of all Internet users will prefer to use a language other than English,  A multilingual web site becomes main focus in the creative and production process.

Case Study 2 McDonald’s  McDonald's has restaurant locations in 118 countries  The global website offers around 40 choices of locations/countries   But the Gateway (homepage) contains lots of menus and messages in English.  What if viewers from Saudi Arabia only know Arabic languages, or people from Greece only know Greek? They can't even get into the part in their own languages in the very beginning.

How to prepare a global website: A globalized website usually contains an internationalized master or template design, a homepage or gateway leading to several localized versions. Text in graphics  If possible, the use of text in graphics is discouraged.  Some localizable graphics consist of text on top of some graphic design.  Keep a well-documented, layered source file with details of the fonts and colors used.  Keep in mind that text within the graphic is probably longer for localized languages than for English so allow room for the text to expand.  As an alternative, use the graphic as a background and position the text on top of it.

Symbols and other design elements  When designing the website, try to avoid culture- dependent symbols that are not clear to an international audience.  There are also many symbols that may have different meanings in different cultures. If there are any questions regarding the hidden meaning of some symbols, it is better to use words instead.  As a general rule, the following should be avoided in any graphics used: 1. Graphics with multiple meanings 2. Religious symbols such as stars, crosses etc. 3. Hand gestures or body parts 4. Shapes that are tied to culture (e.g. stop signs, sports, mailboxes etc.)

Locale-specific content Some of the items would need to be changed:  Date formats (including calendar settings and day/month names)  Time formats (12-hour vs. 24-hour clock etc.)  Currency formats and other monetary-related information (tax rate, postage, etc.)  Number formats (decimal separator, thousand separator etc.)  Fonts (names, sizes etc.) For fonts, it is best practice to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) whenever possible. CSS allows fonts to be changed for all the pages in one place, and there will be fewer tags within the codes.

 Address formats (postal codes, states etc.)  Name formats (first name – middle name – last name vs. surname – name)  Telephone number formats  Units of measure  Paper sizes  Sorting rules (different alphabetical orders, stroke counts, etc.)

Sort order  Sort order is not the same for all languages, particularly for languages that do not use the Western alphabet.  In Swedish, for example, some extended characters (e.g. å) get sorted after the letter Z.  In many Asian writings, characters are comprised by brushstrokes.  We need to find a way to automatically sort the items, or allow the local end-user to personally sort the list.  To build an internationalized sorting system is still a very difficult task.

Data  When localizing a site, one of the first decisions to make is what character encoding to use.  It is necessary to ensure that the data displays correctly to the end user  Any data sent to and from a form or database maintains data integrity.  Web site components could include databases, form elements, objects, JavaScript™, DHTML, ActiveX® controls, etc.  Each component should be considered carefully.  If the HTML has been encoded natively, how will the data be transformed so that the user can read it on the Web site?  It may be necessary to use Unicode.  XML is also a format to handle this situation.

Code content  If there is localizable text within the Code tier of the site, ensure that it is commented as much as possible.  Localizers, the person who translate the text content from source language into target language. They are usually good in translation skills, but not programming skills.  The easier it is for the localizer to identify the localizable text, the better.  If the Web site contains scripting that needs to be localized, hire a localizer with sufficient experience so there’s less chance of accidentally changes the script of the Web site. Web resources - the REZ file A solution for localizable text in code can be done in REZ file. Essentially, translatable text is placed in a text file that is included in the server-side scripting file.  A statement like:

Code content The basic format of these REZ files is: [type] id = quoted text  type is optional  id is a programmer's identifier  quoted text is either single or double quoted text for translation  the REZ files are kept in a text folder off the main website folders.

Pre-translation testing  Pre-translation testing is the process of exercising the site's user interface, localizability, and site stability before localization.  This includes:  Include some extended characters (e.g. é, ñ or ö) or Asian characters  Increase the length of the terms and paragraphs  During the design phase, run a prototype site to ensure that the design is flexible to be translated.  Test generated data or to ensure that the controls can display extended characters correctly.  Pre-translation testing can be run at different stages of the project  It is to identify and resolve international issues without wasting the time of the localizer  Pre-translation testing can also save money, and time to market by avoiding the need to fix bugs later in the project. This can also ensure the overall integrity of the website.  Pre-translation testing can't test everything.  Testing should be a continuous effort throughout the whole production process. There are always new issues for each localized version.

 Yahoo customized it’s website into 23 locates  Each website offer totally different content, but under the same protocol. 

Localization kits Why write localization kits?  To ensure that the Web site is localized correctly,  Provide instructions for the localizers, testers, and engineers.  Localizers need information on what to localize, for which audience they localize and, in most cases, what not to touch in the files. Who to write the localization kits for?  localizers,  testers  engineers.  project program managers.  For example, Project managers will be interested in an overview, the number of files and the quantity of words to localize. Engineers would prefer the instructions to be to the point and in their lingo.

Localization kits How to write localization kits  Prepare the project (internationalization)  Research specifications  Identify the scope (file list, word count etc.)  Identify the target audience  Write instructions for each specific group of people working on the project

Notes that help you to organize Localization kit:  1. Are you prepared to provide multilingual support?  If you set up a site in another language, you can expect to receive queries and possibly phone calls from prospects and customers in that language. Will you be ready to handle them? You would at least want in place internal staff or distributors, or possibly an arrangement with an outside agency, to provide that language support.  2. What language should you translate into?  If you're unsure of an area to target, one approach is to review your Web site use reports to determine whether a particular country or region represents a high number of visitors to your site.  3. Multilingual sites might require specific programming requirements.  If you plan to support languages such as Japanese or Chinese, program in Unicode at the outset. The Unicode standard can support the scripts used by all languages. An additional feature of Unicode is that it supports languages that read from right to left, such as Hebrew and Arabic.

 4. If you offer several languages, permit users to select their language preference.  for example, "English" or "Deutsch."  Another approach is to configure your site so that the Web browser automatically detects what users have set as the default language in their Web configurations.  If the default language isn't available, the browser can display a message asking which other available language is preferred.  Even if your site automatically can determine the default language, it’s better you still provide the user a way to switch to another language.  5. Page formats and content might vary from country to country.  How dates, time and numbers are displayed often varies from country to country. For example, the number 1, in the United States would be written as 1.234,56 in the Netherlands.  6. Prepare to adapt the colors for your site.  Colors can take on a specific significance in different countries.

 7. You might need to reformat your navigation bars.  Certain languages, such as Spanish, often have words that are longer than their English equivalent. Thus, the size of the navigation bars -- the row of buttons or text that enables users to select specific pages on a Web site. The formatting for your site needs to be able to support those changes.  8. Register with foreign search engines.  Sites such as Google and Yahoo offer search engines to seek out Internet pages or documents based on specified keywords. But if you want overseas customers to more readily find you Web site, then remember to register with local search engines, such as Siamguru.com for Thailand. Research available search engines in your target countries, and register your translated site.  9. Test your Web site.  Test for usability before you launch your site, preferably working with locals in your targeted market.  Also test your site on a non-U.S. operating system, such as the Microsoft Windows versions for Chinese, France, etc.

Case Study 3 Hong Kong Tourist Board  Over 150 choices of location / residence. But not necessary in their particular official languages.  Content varies a bit according to different language versions. 