Teams with 2 language packs need a second download button or notice

[timse201]

The Dutch, German and Swiss teams are maintaining a second language package. As they only differ in the form of the address (formal/informal), we don't provide a second landing page. Therefore, we (+ the download page team) need a discussion about how we handle this and what is possible.

1. solution
   Please add a second download button

2. solution
   Add a notice that a second language pack is available for users to choose from within WordPress

@swissspidy @jeroenrotty @tacoverdo @remkus @ocean90 @Zodiac1978 @nickw108

[timse201]

WordPress/wporg-mu-plugins#669 (comment)
There are a couple more: Serbian and Portuguese (Portugal) have variants for various spelling conventions.
Technically, there are a couple of variants on Catalan, but at least Valenciano has been defined separately, too.

Originally posted by @tobifjellner in WordPress/wporg-mu-plugins#669 (comment)

[nickw108]

I think solution 2 would be enough. Maybe include a screenshot where users can change it in WordPress admin.

[timse201]

I prefer a second download button because it is more user-friendly.

[Zodiac1978]

So the question is: Would it be possible to detect that a locale has variants to make this additional info conditional?

I think it could be confusing to add this info but the locale has no variants.

[remkus]

I agree on adding the extra locale version as an extra button. Very simple solution, easily implemented.

[timse201]

A release package was built and we can download our second package e.g.:
https://de.wordpress.org/wordpress-6.7.1-de_DE_formal.zip

so it seems it is only a design question.

[timse201]

@pedro-mendonca @alvarogois can you please join aus. Is it needed for pt_pt_ao90?

[alvarogois]

@timse201 we have a very specific (and tricky) context in Portugal. Forgive me for the long comment but is just for the sake of context. You can skip to the last paragraph as the following two are just for context.

An orthography reform was implemented in the last decades in Portugal and Portuguese speaking countries (shrouded in considerable controversy, and still not fully adopted). About 10 years ago there was a vote in the local community on whether the WordPress default orthography for Portuguese (Portugal) should be updated or not. And at the time it was decided (there was a community vote) to maintain the old orthography. For two reasons: it is possible to automatically convert the old orthography to the new one, but the reverse is not possible. In other words, with just one translation we can have both, although this requires (in addition to the conversion process outside of GlotPress, done manually by the translation team) the user, then, to choose the AO90 variant to have access to the new spelling. The second reason that causes indecision in adopting the new orthography is the fact that, when changing the default WordPress pt_PT language, all sites would be automatically updated to the new orthography, without decision-making power for the respective site managers. Naturally, this places a huge responsibility on whoever makes the decision to change the standard spelling.

From the moment the variants in GlotPress came into existence, and we were able to have an AO90 variant, some members of the Community organized themselves to create a plugin that would allow not only to change the orthography but also maintain a fallback to the old orthography, in order to make available most translations in plugins and themes and without the option being simply English as the default fallback.

TL;DR

Regarding the options discussed here, I would say that both options are a step forward. And it wouldn't even shock me if both were adopted simultaneously. A second button would be helpful for whom downloads WordPress from the website (for example, first timers), the second could be available also when a pt_PT WordPress install is updated, showing there is another orthography available. Furthermore, this would give the translation team more security when, inevitably, the new orthography variant is chosen as the official default orthography, as it would be clear to anyone who wanted to keep the old orthography that this would still be possible.