We were looking at internationalization and translations recently and I was happily surprised when the guy who is normally a strict stickler for everything being perfect just said "No, we really don't want to do that."
Our software deals with scientific stuff and safety stuff, and even a minor mistranslation there could have a big (and potentially very bad) impact.
So even though technically we could allow translations, we don't, and there's a very good reason for that. Human languages are messy, and every time you switch from one to another, there's a good chance of something getting lost along the way. And sometimes, that kind of loss is just not acceptable. Even if it would be a little more convenient.
Drawing the limits and knowing when to say "no", even to what might seem like a 'simple' thing, is important.
The problem with translations is that even the best translators can make mistakes because when you just send them a list of strings they are unaware of the context where these will be used. And then you end up with "Key" being translated as "Taste" (key on a keyboard) instead of "Schlüssel" (which would have been appropriate in the Windows Registry Editor) in German. So the translator should be:
* fluent in both languages (including domain-specific tech lingo)
* intimately familiar with the software
* very thorough (has to ideally check each and every string if it works in the context of the software)
...only then will you get a high quality translation.
This certainly may work in some contexts. But it won't for others. For example if I am a heavy machinery operator and I see some warning that is not in my native language, I may just ignore it.
Our software deals with scientific stuff and safety stuff, and even a minor mistranslation there could have a big (and potentially very bad) impact.
So even though technically we could allow translations, we don't, and there's a very good reason for that. Human languages are messy, and every time you switch from one to another, there's a good chance of something getting lost along the way. And sometimes, that kind of loss is just not acceptable. Even if it would be a little more convenient.
Drawing the limits and knowing when to say "no", even to what might seem like a 'simple' thing, is important.