PDEP-14: Publish translations of pandas.pydata.org

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+# PDEP-14: Publish translations of pandas.pydata.org
+
+- Created: 01 February 2024
+- Status: Under discussion
+- Discussion: [#56301](https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/issues/56301)
+              [#57204](https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/57204)
+- Author: [Albert Steppi](https://github.com/steppi),
+- Revision: 1
+
+## Abstract
+
+The suggestion is to have official translations made for content of the core
+project website [pandas.pydata.org](https://pandas.pydata.org) and provide a
+language drop-down selector on [pandas.pydata.org](https://pandas.pydata.org)
+similar to what currently exists at [numpy.org](https://numpy.org).
+
+
+## Motivation and Scope
+
+Pandas is a foundational package in the Scientific Python ecosystem and there
+are many potential users with no or low English proficiency who would benefit
+from having high quality information about Pandas available in their native
+language.
+
+Translation of all content presents considerable challenge due to its sheer
+volume and due to the tendency for technical documentation to exist in a state
+of flux. The suggestion is to have translations for a targeted subset, selected:
+
+- from things which are relatively stable to reduce the ongoing burden of
+  keeping translations up to date.
+- to maximize the benefit to users and potential users who currently have no or
+  a low level of English proficiency, given the person-hours and resources that
+  are likely to be available now and into the future.
+
+Consideration of what subset of content would be most useful for users with
+no or a low level of English proficiency could be a guiding principal to help
+select what information should be available on the core project website, outside
+of the technical documentation.
+
+## Detailed Description
+
+The following is a list of all pages on the core project website which are sourced
+from markdown files at https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/tree/main/web/pandas.
+
+- Landing page: https://pandas.pydata.org
+- About pandas: https://pandas.pydata.org/about
+- Project roadmap: https://pandas.pydata.org/about/roadmap.html
+- Governance: https://pandas.pydata.org/about/governance.html
+- Team: https://pandas.pydata.org/about/team.html
+- Sponsors: https://pandas.pydata.org/about/sponsors.html
+- Citing and logo: https://pandas.pydata.org/about/citing.html
+- Getting started: https://pandas.pydata.org/getting_started.html
+- Code of conduct: https://pandas.pydata.org/community/coc.html
+- Ecosystem: https://pandas.pydata.org/community/ecosystem.html
+- Contribute: https://pandas.pydata.org/contribute.html
+
+Provisionally, the suggestion is for all of this content to be translated with
+the possible exception of the "Project roadmap", which may be of limited
+interest to new users.  Currently the "Getting started" section may be of
+limited utility to users unable to engage with the externally linked content. In
+the "Project roadmap" within the subsection labeled "Documentation improvements"
+there is a stated goal to:
+
+*Improve the "Getting Started" documentation, designing and writing learning
+ paths for users different backgrounds (e.g. brand new to programming, familiar
+ with other languages like R, already familiar with Python).*
+
+It is recommended that this goal be accomplished alongside translation work in
+order to make this page more useful to those with no or low English proficiency.
+This would also prevent the need for retranslation if this goal were to be
+accomplished after the original translation work is completed.
+
+A language selection drop-down should be added to the navigation-bar similar to
+what exists at https://numpy.org.
+
+
+## Usage and Impact
+
+The primary impact would be lowering the barrier to entry for non-English
+speakers to get started using Pandas and moving along the path towards learning
+to use it skillfully.
+
+In 2022 it was estimated that there were approximately 400 million native
+speakers of English and between 1.5 - 2 billion people who speak English as a
+second language worldwide
+[Wikipedia](https://web.archive.org/web/20240129080609/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-speaking_world).
+With an estimated world population of over 8 billion people, this leaves many
+for whom the Pandas core website is not directly accessible. Pandas is an
+important piece of software infrastructure for data manipulation and analysis
+with utility beyond the English speaking world. There is a vast population of
+users and potential users who could benefit from having official information
+about Pandas published in their native language.
+
+Although automated translation tools can help those with no or low English
+proficiency access the content of the Pandas website, these tools often still
+struggle with the technical and jargon-laden language of scientific
+software. This was evinced during the translation of https://numpy.org.
+Automatic translation tools are invaluable as a starting point for human
+translators, but human translators remain important to ensure accuracy.
+
+## Implementation
+
+The bulk of the work for setting up translation infrastructure, finding and
+vetting translators, and working out how to publish translations, will fall
+upon a cross-functional team funded by the [Scientific Python Community & Communications
+Infrastructure grant](https://scientific-python.org/doc/scientific-python-community-and-communications-infrastructure-2022.pdf)
+to work on adding translations for the main websites of all
+[Scientific Python core projects](https://scientific-python.org/specs/core-projects/).
+The goal is to minimize the burden on the core Pandas maintainers.
+
+A GitHub repository should be set up to mirror content from the core webpage
+which is selected for translation. A GitHub action should be set up to keep
+the mirrored repository up-to-date. Either an action within the main Pandas
+repo which pushes updates to the mirror, or a cron in the mirror which polls
+for relevant updates in Pandas repo and pulls them when necessary.
+
+The mirrored repository would then be synced to the Crowdin localization
+management platform as described in
+[Crowdin's documentation](https://support.crowdin.com/github-integration/).
+There would be separate folders within the mirror repository, one for each target
+language, with the content initially untranslated.
+Crowdin would then provide a user interface for translators, and updates
+to translations would be pushed to the branch `l10n_main` on the mirrored
+repository. Periodically, manual pull requests would be made to the main Pandas
+repo, adding translated content within folders alongside of the English content.
+
+Translations will be managed within an enterprise Crowdin organization created for
+Scientific Python localization projects. Access to this organization is
+invite-only, and translators will be vetted to help safe-guard against the
+spamming of low quality or inflammatory translations. Approval from a trusted
+admin would be required before translations are merged into the main Pandas
+repo.
+
+A language drop-down selector will need to be added to the navigation-bar of
+the Pandas website. The plan is for development of a generic solution that
+can be reused for all Scientific Python website translations.
+
+
+### PDEP History
+
+- 01 February 2024: Initial draft