don't allow hacks that are not using the phrasing system...
 

...the title says it all.

The devs worked hard to get the new language feature in vB3 and it should be used. Think of all the users who are running a german board or a french board. They need to translate the hacks although you have the possibility to make it vB3 compatible.

At the moment I don't think that can be done except giving a general rule to use the phrase system.

Otherwise each hack posted would have to be moderated first...

I doubt that vB.org will go that far, they're scared of taking any measures for vB3 hacking, no matter how necessary and sensible.

However, a group of people are creating a system for Quality Assurance of vB3-Hacks, which will require hackers to use the Phrases system.

It's good practice, though. Using the Phrases system will prevent the french communities from stealing your hack just so that they can translate it. This way, they can simply make a French language mini-pack for your Hack and leave the real hack code / files on vb.org, safely protected against vb-pirates.

The phrase system is a good thing, but I dont think it should be required, sometimes hackers release hacks with un-finished templates, I know ive been guilty of not using phrases on my own test board a few times.

I agree that it is good practice. However, for RAD, it is not helpful. For example, I'm trying to develop vBMS as rapidly as possible while still keeping a level of quality, and it would double my coding efforts to incorporate phrases this late in the game.

We can't force anyone to use phrases. If people don't want their hacks to be translatable then that's to their own discretion. I don't see why we should prevent a perfectly good hack from being released because it doesn't fit a minor criteria :)

With my HTL I've been using phrases from the very start of development for each hack, all the time, and it's caused me little to no additional effort at all, really. It's just a tad bit of planning before you start.

But yeah, phrasing something that's already made takes a lot of time.


@ mist: nope, vB.org can't. It's one of the reasons why I find that vb.org is deteriorating greatly in value :(

I do believe that phrases should be used on all submissions; however, this doesn't mean that it should be enforced.

If you want to use phrases than hack the file to fit your needs.

What I really hate is vb3 hacks using vb2 coding style. :(

I agree. I shudder to think about it, but I just know we'll see 95% hacks for vB3 that are little more than vB2-hacks that do no more than work under vB3. No vB3-coding style, no vB3-approach, no vB3-quality, just vB2 in a vB3-compatibility coat. :(

If you want to use phrases for a hack, or tidy and optimize the code, feel free to do so for your own site. Most of the hackers, myself included, have day jobs too, and do not have so much time to make the code nice and tidy for something they are doing for free. You cannot compare free hacks released by amateurs to vB3 code released by professional software developers who get paid for it. :)