Re: Mozilla Add-ons: QIRIMTATARCA Til Destesi (Crimean Tatar Lang Pack) 54.0 didn't pass review

 
First of all, the extension vs. langpack matter for this addon has been discussed multiple times, & Jorge kindly allowed it to be an extension several times.

 

Primary reasons for it to be an extension:
1. It's easier to install and use: users don't need another addon or knowledge of how to set about:config preferences (& extra time) to do so.  With a lang pack, it won't change, and user would be required to manually change a pref in about:config: that's way too much to ask, even for me. User base is small as it is. And making it harder to use might easily zero it out (well, you have actually zeroed it out currently as it is).
2. Some Firefox requests also reveal the UI locale[1], and this addon sets it to tr, making it better for users' privacy.
3. Required for Help->Firefox Help menu element to lead to a page in a
kindred language.  Otherwise, this results in a page being
displayed in the original locale (e.g., English), because the
infrastructure for this locale isn't there yet (& might not be there for a long time)).
4. Required for Report Help->Web Forgery... menu element to lead to a
page in a kindred language. Otherwise, this results in a page
being displayed in the original locale (e.g., English), because the
infrastructure for this locale isn't there yet (& might not be there for a long time)).
 
Another important factor:
a. I'm hoping to get the locale to be released as part of official Mozilla builds in the near future. When the locale is available from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ it might be less important for this addon to be easy to use, cause the addon page could just refer people to the official releases (or the addon could be de-listed altogether). However, there is 1 caveat even in that case: the UI locale would again be revealed in this case as in [1], & i would still like it to be masked as tr even in official releases for privacy reasons. I hope that is possible, but i'm not 100% sure.
 
For reasons 1., 2., & a. above, i'm kindly requesting the addon to be allowed to be an extension, at least until: the locale is available as an official build, & we know whether the official build can use a masking locale (like tr), instead of a very finger-printable locale like crh(-UA).
 
[1] E.g.:
     [exec] RequestAssistant (2017-04-03 04:36:20): https://versioncheck-bg.addons.mozilla.org/update/VersionCheck.php?reqVersion=2&id=aushelper@mozilla.org&version=1.0&maxAppVersion=53.0a2&status=userEnabled&appID={ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}&appVersion=53.0a2&appOS=Linux&appABI=x86-gcc3&locale=tr&currentAppVersion=53.0a2&updateType=112&compatMode=normal
[2] Copied (w/ XP changed to 10) from prior discussions: But i still believe addons
like these shouldn't be held equivalent to official langpacks released
by mozilla. For instance, i also have a Blend In addon, that makes app's
platform look like Windows 10 even if in fact it's not: of course an
official mozilla release will (most likely) never do that, but there
should be some room for these kind of documented special features in
developer-supplied addons.

[3] The langpack has been around since 2009 (v3.5). In v3.5 57.26% was translated, the rest was "fuzzy"; by v53 83.28% is translated, the rest is "fuzzy". AMO is now giving me run-arounds, & some time in April Andreas Wagner marked all versions disabled. Then i made some (completely unnecessary) changes he wanted, & now only v53 is shown. Now it's like it hasn't existed for 8 years, & was released only for v53. Is that right?

[4] I have also offered to check the l10n for crh(-UA) into the VCS, but was given a run-around on that route as well. If it's checked in, you will be able to release or not release it any way you want (lang pack, would be the first option that comes to mind). But this extension has a right to not be a standard lang pack: we in an open-source environment here, not a nazi-source environment. And it works just fine now, in v54 that got blocked for instance: there are no issues, & everything is documented (it has every right to exist and be listed as an addon).

[5] So i now i feel like i've been given completely made-up run-arounds on both the AMO end, and the VCS end. I have barely been able to keep up with updates as it is. I might not have much more time for all these made-up roadblocks. Get your act together please. If you need to, have an official Mozilla Foundation meeting, & make a decision or 2. Give this locale a chance to continue living while it's still alive. Don't be like (some disgraced) people in history and now who've been doing their best to kill languages.

 

Regards,
Reşat.