FAQ - Dmoz/World

Archive-name:dmoz.org/World
Posting-Frequency:none
Last-modified:2008-07-03 18:18:44
URL:http://dmoz.org/faq/World
Category:World

Table of Contents

1  Purpose and Structure of World
1.1  What's the purpose of the World category?
1.2  How are the different language sections under World structured?
2  New Submissions, New Language Categories
2.1  What shall I do with a submission in French to the appropriate English language category I edit?
2.2  I have no idea what language the site is in. What now?
2.3  This site is in [language-name], but World doesn't have a category in [language-name] yet. What do I do?
3  Sites Listed in the Wrong Language
3.1  In one of the categories I edit, there are a some foreign language sites, some with English descriptions, some with foreign language ones.
4  Multi-Lingual Sites
4.1  What happens to sites with listable content in more than one language?
5  Linking Between Languages
5.1  As an editor, how do I link between related categories in different languages?
6  Further Information
6.1  Which resources about this Non-English language section are available?
6.2  I don't know what that language actually is. What's its English name?
6.3  How do I type "Español" or "Français" on my US/AU/UK keyboard?

1   Q: Purpose and Structure of World
A:
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:34:26
1.1   Q: What's the purpose of the World category?
A: World includes "Open Directory Projects" for languages other than English. E.g. in World/Español, all descriptions are written in Spanish and the sites content is in Spanish.

Thus, a site about Spain in English should not be placed in World/Español, but in Regional/Europe/Spain, or in a more specific thematic category.

Someone interested in these sites should find them through alternative language links and, being able to read sites these languages, also be able to read site descriptions in these languages.

by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:38:47
1.2   Q: How are the different language sections under World structured?
A: The structure of each language section resembles that of the English ODP. For further details, please read About the World Category in ODP.
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:41:28
2   Q: New Submissions, New Language Categories
A:
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:41:48
2.1   Q: What shall I do with a submission in French to the appropriate English language category I edit?
A:
  • You may consider becoming a World editor for your category of expertise, if you feel comfortable reviewing the sites and writing a short description in the respective language.
  • Move it to a category under World/Français, getting as close as you can to the right place.The drop-down box should contain the closest matching category in each language, but remember that some languages aren't as developed as others.
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:45:43
2.2   Q: I have no idea what language the site is in. What now?
A: First try to work out the language:
  • Maybe the top level domain country code helps identifying the language. Check the IANA list for details.
  • maybe the page has a language meta-tag
  • Dlugan's language guesser tool Zaphod may help
  • Failing that, ask in the forum, and someone else will probably be able to tell you.
Once you know the language follow the advice above for how to handle the site.
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:50:44
2.3   Q: This site is in [language-name], but World doesn't have a category in [language-name] yet. What do I do?
A: First see if the language exists in Test/World/. This holds categories in preparation that aren't yet sufficiently developed to be moved into the live directory.

If so, then send the site to the appropriate category as under the above instructions.

If not, then you might like to try finding a few more sites in that language and set up a new category under Test/World/ for it. Post in the "World - General" forum to start this process.

Finally, if the site is of linguistic value and has also content in English: editors of the Natural Languages categories might want to list it, so you could send a copy there too.

by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:58:23
3   Q: Sites Listed in the Wrong Language
A:
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 11:59:00
3.1   Q: In one of the categories I edit, there are a some foreign language sites, some with English descriptions, some with foreign language ones.
A: For sites with foreign language descriptions
  • They may date back to the time when there wasn't a World top level section, so just move them to World.
  • If it's an entire category contact a World editor (forum or email) and ask him if he wants to take them. Of course they may have to be reviewed again, and descriptions translated, but keeping them together makes things easier and might allow to place them directly in the appropriate category.
  • A fellow editor recently added them. If it's just one monolingual site, contact the editor and politely advise him that you moved the site. Note that not all editors are aware of the World section. That editor might also be interested in becoming an editor of the World category.
If the site's description in English:
  • There might be a reason why the foreign language site is listed there, e.g. http://babelfish.altavista.com/ can be listed in many languages.
  • When the content of the site is another language, the site should be listed in the appropriate language and not in an English category. The idea being that someone interested in these sites, should find them through alternative language links and, being able to read sites these languages, also be able to read site descriptions in these languages. Sometimes though, sites on one subject are spread across 3-4 languages, which might make it difficult to check the 4 categories for 7 sites.
  • If this site does need to be moved, then the description will need rewriting to match the language of the category it's going to. If you don't have permissions in the destination category you can only send the site to unreviewed anyway, so this can be left to an editor with permissions there.
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:07:24
4   Q: Multi-Lingual Sites
A:
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:07:51
4.1   Q: What happens to sites with listable content in more than one language?
A: Such sites can be listed in each language for which they provide useful content for speakers just of that language. You can help by sending copies to the closest matching categories in all appropriate languages. Local editors will then be able to write descriptions in the correct language, even you can not.

For more details see ODP Guidelines: Multi-lingual Sites.

by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:11:02
5   Q: Linking Between Languages
A:
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:11:44
5.1   Q: As an editor, how do I link between related categories in different languages?
A: You may add alternative language links ("altlangs") to point to equivalent categories in other language sections. See e.g. Regional: Europe: Switzerland for examples. See also the ODP newsletter article on alternative language linking.
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:13:58
6   Q: Further Information
A:
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:14:23
6.1   Q: Which resources about this Non-English language section are available?
A: There are several useful resources, including:
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:16:48
6.2   Q: I don't know what that language actually is. What's its English name?
A: Some language names which are not similar to the English name, or are so similar that they may be confusing:

Language NameEnglish name of the languageRemarks
BableBable, Asturianspoken in Asturia, Spain
CymraegWelsh 
DeutschGermannot to be confused with Dutch (see Nederlands)
EspañolSpanish 
EuskaraBasquespoken in parts of Spain and France.
MagyarHungarian 
HrvatskiCroatian 
NederlandsDutchthe language spoken in the Netherlands and part of Belgium.
SlovenskoSlovenianspoken in Slovenia (formerly part of Yugoslavia)
SlovenskySlovakspoken in Slovakia (formerly part of Czechoslovakia)
SuomiFinnish 
by tschild at 2009-01-04 11:47:24
6.3   Q: How do I type "Español" or "Français" on my US/AU/UK keyboard?
A: There are several possibilities:
  • On a DOS/Windows PC, hold down the Alt key and type the numerical value of the letter on the keypad. The value for ñ is 164 and for ç 135.
  • On a Mac, type Option - n - n for ñ. (Press Option, then n, then n again.)For ç, type Option + c. (Hold Option and press c.)
  • On Windows 95, 98, NT4 and 2000 you can use the character map by clicking Programs: Accessories: System Tools: Character Map.You might need to add this program via Windows setup.
  • Go to the control panel, click on keyboard, then language, then properties. Then select "United States - International". When you do this, the tilde, apostrophe, and the double quote don't type right away. If the next key requires an accent, it adds it instead of making a literal mark.
  • Copy-and-paste the characters from your browser window.
However, for simply moving sites to a close-matching category in another language, the drop-down "move to category" selection box should contain a category in each language, so you don't need to type anything yourself.
by chaos127 at 2007-09-30 12:21:15

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