The International Herald Tribune has been trying something new in Web design: Preloading articles.
You are then able to read an article in a multi-column layout, or switch to single-column. Flipping from one page to the next is instantaneous on a big pipe. How? The whole shebang is preloaded.
Needless to say, compatibility remains not merely a thorn in the side, but thorns, poison ivy, and rubbing a cat the wrong way all at once. But it’s an intriguing concept.
So we have spent literally months trying to line up an interview. What went wrong? Press contacts changed. The first contact ignored us, and the second contact comes back with a User unknown. Not a good sign. And does it get worse? It gets worse. Even the Webmaster is unaware that no specific human responds to press inquiries anymore, and apparently is ignorant of his own user’s “unknown” E-mail address.
Nice.
Then we read about language preloading in Mac OS X, which comes with English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish pre-installed. (Concise description.) One merely selects the interface language of choice and voilà, there it is. Even Japanese fonts are pre-installed, a fact Apple emphasizes to an indifferent American public.
We wondered if there might be something worth following here. Perhaps instead of maintaining multiple Web sites in specific languages we could preload multiple languages at once. Quite possibly useful for sites that absolutely have to be bilingual on every page, or at least on certain pages, and where content must be continuously refreshed. Also quite possibly this is nothing but a pain in the arse. If maintaining n sites in n languages is a bother, would this technique amount to more than n times the effort?
We may never know.
Why?
Because Apple won’t talk to us. Despite the fact that we had no deadline and were interested in a selling feature of X that attracted a presumably disappointing paucity of attention after all that effort, someone named Suraya Akbarzad at some outfit called Edelman decided to get all hissy.
Care to read the E-mails?
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 21:05:23 -0400 (EDT)
To: "Akbarzad, Suraya"
Subject: Re: LocalizationI was forwarded your request for some information on localization in Mac OS X. Can you please provide me with some further information on what specific questions or concerns you have?
Are you working on a story? If so, for what publication? What is your deadline?
I have a B.A. in linguistics and am a journalist with ten years’ experience.... I also write a Weblog on online content, the NUblog, where I frequently discuss localization and internationalization issues....
I am hoping to explore the OS X localization approach in relation to Web content. OS X includes multiple languages in its default installation, and OS X applications may do the same, though we all know not many developers will have n-language versions of their software ready to go at the same time as the U.S. English version.
We can compare this approach with the new content system at the International Herald Tribune newspaper, which preloads an article and allows you to alter the view format (single-colum to multiple), and zip from "page" to "page" instantaneously, as if by magic.
So, for future multilingual Web sites, can we imagine a preloading of multiple-language content, instantly selectable and availabel to the user?
There is no deadline. I am looking for an E-mail interview with whatever managers or engineers are expert in OS X localization who might be able to comment on how it was done and how the principles could be applied to online content.
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 21:05:23 -0400 (EDT)
To: "Akbarzad, Suraya"I was forwarded your request for some information on localization in Mac OS X. Can you please provide me with some further information on what specific questions or concerns you have?
I had mailed you an explanation of the coverage I am trying to do for the NUblog two weeks ago, but I’ve heard nothing back yet.
Is there a problem?
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 17:39:56 -0500
From: "Akbarzad, Suraya"So the piece you are working on right now regarding localization is for what publication? Is it for the book? Please clarify. This information is necessary to process the request.
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 17:39:56 -0500
To: "Akbarzad, Suraya"So the piece you are working on right now regarding localization is for what publication? Is it for the book? Please clarify. This information is necessary to process the request.
Suraya, it took 15 days to pose that question? The original message [stated it was] on the NUblog where the piece will appear.
Hoping to hear back before May 4.
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 11:31:48 -0500
From: "Akbarzad, Suraya"Please understand that it is necessary tomake sure that I have all the information need to process your request. You had not clearly stated that the piece you are working on was for Weblog on online content, the NUblog, where you frequently discuss localization andinternationalization issues and you mentioned that you did not have a deadline for the piece you are working on.
Also please understand that although the process for handling requests may seem frustrating, Apple receives numerous requests on a daily basis, each of which is handled as soon as possible. I apologize for the delay. However, it is necessary that I obtain all relevant information before we can assist you with your request.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
To: "Akbarzad, Suraya"
You had not clearly stated that the piece you are working on was for Weblog on online content, the NUblog, where you frequently discuss localization andinternationalization issues and you mentioned that you did not have a deadline for the piece you are working on.
The lack of a deadline does not imply that time could not be wasted. 15 days to set up an interview with a busy working engineer I could see. 15 days to write me back saying "I did not read your previous message. Who are you writing this for again?" I cannot.
Also please understand that although the process for handling requests may seem frustrating, Apple receives numerous requests on a daily basis,
few of which have anything to do with something esoteric like OS X localization. There was never a rush. Serve the high-profile journos on deadline first, of course. But there was never a reason to go this slowly.
However, it is necessary that I obtain all relevant information before we can assist you with your request.
You appear to broadly imply that there remain questions (that you have not actually posed) that I failed to answer, or that there are more questions waiting for me 15 days down the road.
From: "Akbarzad, Suraya"
Cc: "Bill Evans (E-mail)"
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 15:44:54 -0500I am sorry you feel that way about how your request is being handled. However, we are not able to help you with your request.
To: "Akbarzad, Suraya"
I am sorry you feel that way about how your request is being handled. However, we are not able to help you with your request.
Petulance is unbecoming.
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 14:21:32 -0700
From: Bill EvansI am the PR manager for Mac OS X. We will not be working with you on your request.
Bill
(If you’re wondering about the propriety of publishing these messages, understand that the response to a request for comment is on the record.)
Apple is actually notorious for such behaviour. As an example, the company maintains a sales force for U.S. federal-government clients who are forbidden to speak to the press because their work does not fall into the hallowed categories of Professional, Consumer, and Education, the only topics Apple will officially discuss. In other words, this Fortune 500 icon carries on business in realms it will not talk about.
Would you like that in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish?
NEW! Read the superspecial threat from Edelman!
Posted on 2001-04-28