[kictanet] Why Microsoft Swahili Version Failed

[Odhiambo Washington]

On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 10:05 AM, Bernard Mwenda <bmwenda at iwayafrica.com>
wrote:

> This is sad. The amount of work that has gone into this project is a lot.
> I know because my final year project at the university was an interface to
> MSDOS in Kiswahili. The research that went into this project took 3/4 of the
> year. The translations. at time we did not have swahili words for DOS
> commands so we had to reach an agreement with the supervisor and the
> kiswahili proffesors at Moi university. Well Sadly the project never saw the
> light of day even after I was given a B.  All the exitment just faded.
> Reason. No one in East Africa who was computer literate at that time cared
> much for the Kiswahili language.
>

I think the answer is that simple. There was really no reason for a Swahili
translation for any of the M$ software. There was never any day when
computer literate folks ever wanted Swahili as a solution for anything they
ever wanted to do with computers, because it could be done in English, or in
their own mother tongue, but not Swahili.
Call me short-sighted, but the only good reason to have the software in a
localized language is best seen in a situation like that of the Japanese:
They have no reason to speak English and so software MUST be first in
Japanese, then those of them who care to speak English would go for the
English version.
In the area of IT where I am interested, language is never a problem. One
doesn't even have to speak/write it well, as long as they can express
themselves (kind of explain the problem) and a solution will be found.
So making M$ Office in Swahili was perhaps just an effort by some linguists
to prove their prowess in the language, making money in the process. To be
honest, I always saw the project as a "white elephant" someone sold to M$
Corporation! After KE, TZ, UG (who are the main Swahili speakers) which
language translation was next? Don't forget that Swahili (sanifu) is spoken
only in TZ, and that is why the project lead was from University of Dar.
Most Kenyans cannot express themselves in Swahili, so I am still wondering
why Kenyans are interested in Microsoft whatever in Swahili? How would it
have contributed to the country's development, surely? Or is it enough to be
"just" proud of the language?

While discussing this, we are forgetting that computers are not like
"mandazi", which most people can afford. There %age ownership/penetration of
computers is something that most organizations are still worried about.
Perhaps projects like the $100 computer needed to have succeeded in all
parts of the world before thinking about M$ in Swahili, if it was any
necessary, no?

For me (and this is not about tribalism), I know for sure that no one from
my tribe would be interested in Swahili-based computer software, as we only
speak Englis (yes, the "h" is always silent). So my other question is "who
was the target market for the software, given that most East Africans still
cannot afford to pay the software license fees for M$ Windows, leave alone
M$ Office? It was not going to be Free, or was it meant to be? From
Microsoft?

Is there any good reason for advocacy for Microsoft software in Kenya? I say
NO!


-- 
Best regards,
Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
Nairobi,KE
+254733744121/+254722743223
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh My God! They killed init! You Bastards!"
--from a /. post
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