Multilanguage webpages

[Viliam]

The current system for announcement page works like this:

The main page is:
http://www.wesnoth.org/start/1.0/

To change language, you go to:
http://www.wesnoth.org/start/1.0/xx/

Then, when you go back to...
http://www.wesnoth.org/start/1.0/
...it is also in the selected language.


This method seems "incorrect" to me, because of two reasons:
* The same URL (the main page) shows different results, depending on browsing history. So if someone will switch to language xx, then return to the home page and see it localized, one may mistakenly send the URL to someone else... which will see English version instead.
* The same content (the page in language xx) has two different URLs.
Somehow to me this seems like an misuse of URLs.

The more "correct" usage could IMHO look like this:

All pages (including English page) have URL:
http://www.wesnoth.org/start/1.0/xx/

The page...
http://www.wesnoth.org/start/1.0/
...is only a redirection page. It reads user language preferences, and then redirects to the best language available. (It none of the languages is possible, it redirects to the English page.)


OK, this problem does not really bother me too much... it just... well... seems like incorrect.

The real advantage of the redirection page would be that if you post a link to it now, and the version in your language will be created later, the link will bring users to the localised version.

[Viliam]

Oops, it seems like the page has the effect I have described.

[ettin]

This method seems "incorrect" to me, because of two reasons:
* The same URL (the main page) shows different results, depending on browsing history. So if someone will switch to language xx, then return to the home page and see it localized, one may mistakenly send the URL to someone else... which will see English version instead.

That's not true at all. The first time you load the website, HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGES is parsed, so you will only see the website in english if it is not available in one of your preferred languages (or if you are using an evil browser).

* The same content (the page in language xx) has two different URLs.
Somehow to me this seems like an misuse of URLs.

The more "correct" usage could IMHO look like this:

All pages (including English page) have URL:
http://www.wesnoth.org/start/1.0/xx/

The page...
http://www.wesnoth.org/start/1.0/
...is only a redirection page. It reads user language preferences, and then redirects to the best language available. (It none of the languages is possible, it redirects to the English page.)


OK, this problem does not really bother me too much... it just... well... seems like incorrect.

The real advantage of the redirection page would be that if you post a link to it now, and the version in your language will be created later, the link will bring users to the localised version.

I disagree
There is only one link to the release notes - it is all the same content, but it is translated. I don't see translations as different pages at all.