Community post by Kirill Kononovich, Dmitry Shurupov, Timur Tukaev
The Cloud Native Glossary is a project led by the CNCF Business Value Subcommittee. Its goal is to explain cloud native concepts in clear and simple language without requiring any previous technical knowledge. We are in the process of localizing the English version of the Glossary into as many languages as possible. This week we focus on Russian and the team that localized the Glossary for Russian speakers!
About Russian and the Russian Glossary
Yuri Gagarin’s famous words “Let’s go!” (“Поехали!”) heralded the beginning of a new era of space exploration. Thirty years later, the publication of the GNU General Public License (GPL) and the release of the first Linux kernel marked the dawn of another era: the era of people from all over the world working together on software for the benefit of all.
We believe that borderless cooperation is the key to our civilization’s success. That’s why we are committed to making it easier for Russian speakers around the world to participate in open source projects.
We are excited to announce that the Russian localization of the CNCF Cloud Native Glossary is now generally available! The Glossary is a comprehensive resource for learning about cloud native computing, and we are pleased to be part of the effort to make it accessible to everyone, regardless of their native language.
Among the East Slavic languages, which are part of the larger Indo-European language family, Russian boasts the highest number of speakers globally, with more than 258 million individuals using the language. Not only is Russian the most widely spoken Slavic language worldwide, but also the most common native language in Europe and the one with the highest geographical spread in Eurasia.
The Russian Cyrillic alphabet consists of 33 letters, including 10 vowels, 21 consonants, and two letters that do not represent any sounds. The letters are similar to those used in other Slavic languages, though the way some letters are pronounced is different.
Russian is spoken by over 258 million people worldwide, primarily in ex-USSR countries. It is also spoken by significant minorities in Mongolia, China, Germany, Israel, and the United States.
Why do you think localizing the Glossary in Russian is important?
- To make cloud native knowledge more accessible to the Russian-speaking community.
Cloud native computing is a rapidly evolving field, and the CNCF’s Cloud Native Glossary is an essential resource for anyone who wants to learn about this new way of building and running software. However, the Glossary is currently only available in English and several other languages, which can be a barrier for Russian-speaking developers and other professionals. Localizing the Glossary in Russian would make it more accessible to this large and growing community, and help to accelerate the adoption of cloud native technologies in Russian-speaking countries. It would also help to anchor the most relevant Russian equivalents of terms as well as to document the established spelling of terms borrowed from English.
- To promote diversity and inclusion in the cloud native community.
The cloud native community is a global one, but it is important to ensure that all voices are heard. By localizing the CNCF Cloud Native Glossary in Russian, we can send a strong message that we are committed to diversity and inclusion, and that we want everyone to be able to participate in the cloud native ecosystem.
- To create new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
When people from different cultures and backgrounds come together, they can create new and innovative solutions. By making the CNCF Cloud Native Glossary available in Russian, we can encourage more Russian-speaking developers and other professionals to contribute to cloud native projects. This could lead to new ideas and new ways of doing things, which would benefit the entire cloud native community.
Meet the Russian Glossary team
Kirill is a translator at Flant. He is one of the persons behind the Russian or English localizations of various OS projects such as werf, trdl, as well as Kubernetes documentation. His interests range from Python programming to fine-tuning LLMs and developing AI-enabled systems.
Co-founder of Palark GmbH, who leads its technical DevOps-related content production and community relations. A dedicated user & enthusiast of open source software since 2001, Dmitry has written endless Linux-related articles in online & printed media as well as contributed to various open source projects. Since 2022, he has been leading the Russian translation of Kubernetes documentation.
Timur is the head of technical marketing at Flant. Timur is an OSS enthusiast well-versed in cloud trends and developments. He has been involved in the translation of Scribus documentation. Timur is the person behind the conversion of a local university’s journalism department to Linux. He is passionate about Kotlin programming and hosted a podcast about how modern media work.
Why did you decide to localize the glossary? Why is it important to you?
In a world where everyone speaks the same language, you can communicate with anyone from anywhere on the globe. However, it is also important to appreciate the diversity of languages and cultures. Each language has its own unique beauty and expressiveness.
The CNCF’s Cloud Native Glossary is like a Rosetta Stone for the cloud native world. It provides a common language that everyone can use to talk about cloud native technologies.
Localizing the CNCF Cloud Native Glossary in Russian would be like giving the gift of speech to millions of people. It would allow them to participate fully in the cloud native community and to share their knowledge and ideas.
How has the experience been?
Overall, the experience has been very rewarding. We are enjoying participating in the project and being a part of the CNCF community. The community is so big, diverse, and supportive, and we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute. We were excited to take the opportunity to learn more about CNCF and its mission, as well as how the foundation is helping to shape the future of cloud computing.
Still, there have been some challenges along the way due to the difference in languages. In some cases, we have had to adapt terms for the prospective reader to be able to understand them. It was also difficult to find the right tone or specific translation for some terms. To ensure that the translation is accurate and conveys the intended meaning, we have had to conduct a lot of discussions and consultations between contributors.
Any lessons learned you’d like to share with the community?
Working on any open source project is like climbing a mountain. You take small steps upward, and eventually a wider view opens up in front of you. And your biggest challenge is to take that first step. Do not be afraid to do it, since there are always some caring people around, ready to help and support you.
How and why should others contribute
Contributing to the CNCF Cloud Native Glossary is a great way to:
- Learn about the fundamental concepts and technologies of cloud native computing. The Glossary provides a comprehensive overview of the cloud native landscape, including definitions of key terms, examples, and links to additional resources.
- Deepen your understanding of cloud native terminology. The Glossary is carefully curated by a team of experts, and it provides accurate and up-to-date definitions of cloud native terms. You can also contribute your own definitions and help to improve the Glossary for everyone.
- Build relationships with other members of the cloud native community. The CNCF community is welcoming and supportive, and contributing to the Glossary is a great way to meet other developers and professionals who are passionate about cloud native computing.
Anything else you’d like us to call out?
Imagine a world where everyone has access to knowledge and resources, regardless of their native language. The Cloud Native Glossary offers a great entry point into this world. We are excited to make it available to the Russian-speaking community. If you are passionate about Russian and would like to broaden your language skills, we invite you to join us on this journey. Let’s go!
P.S. Feel free to drop us a line in our Slack channel or Telegram chat — it’s gonna be fun!