Internationalization Working Group Teleconference - 07 August 2025

https://www.w3.org/2025/08/07-i18n-minutes.html

Here is the meeting summary:

Quick recap

The team reviewed several action items including published articles and pending issues related to address formats, specs reviews, and server configurations. They discussed documentation improvements around language negotiation and file organization, with different approaches proposed for creating content. The group also addressed collaboration with external working groups and the status of a glossary document, deciding to classify entries and potentially make it normative in the future.

Next steps

Addison to schedule review of Fuqiao's Next.js language negotiation article in 1-2 weeks
Fuqiao to add clarification about path-based language negotiation and file organization in the Next.js article
Richard to add comments to Fuqiao's pull request about including consistent examples across different server configuration articles
Addison to respond to Ecma TC 39 about where to find I18n WG meeting minutes and summaries
Addison to remove the existing CSS call from the calendar since it's not being used
Addison to make proposals for alternative ways to engage with the CSS Working Group
Fuqiao to work on rewriting and reclassifying glossary entries to prepare for potential normative status
Summary

Global Address Format Review Discussion

The team reviewed several action items and pending issues. Fuqiao published an article on address formats around the world for white review, which received comments that need to be addressed. Addison inquired with TC39 about reviews on specs and received a response from Shane Carr, which will be added to the agenda. The team discussed pulling I18N and CSS for new daytime, which received some responses. They also mentioned the next steps for the Glossary and making a list of shared topics between them and TG2, which will be discussed further. No new pending issues or waiting comment resolutions were reported.

Server Techniques Page Updates

Addison and xfq discussed server configuration and the need to update and expand the server techniques page. xfq presented a new article on language negotiation in Next.js and requested feedback. Addison agreed to review the article in 1-2 weeks and schedule a wider review. They also discussed potentially revising and organizing existing material on the page.

The team discussed the differences between path-based localization in Apache and other systems, particularly regarding the use of slashes versus hyphens in file paths. The discussion touched on how to handle subdirectories within the language path, with XFQ mentioning that there are multiple ways to organize files within those subdirectories.

The group discussed creating documentation about language negotiation, with xfq proposing to write a comprehensive article while Richard suggested a more modular approach with a single example in English and French that could be linked from multiple articles. Addison supported this idea, suggesting a page that would showcase different language negotiation methods using the same example content. They agreed this would be more efficient than creating a single large article, allowing for future expansion and contributions from other authors.

ECMA Collaboration Strategy Discussion

The group discussed collaboration with ECMA TC39 and CSS working groups. Addison proposed having a liaison attend their meetings, but participants expressed concerns about timing and availability. The group agreed to consider sending representatives to their meetings on an occasional basis, rather than attending regularly. They also discussed the possibility of going back to ad-hoc calls or managing issues with tags and labels. Richard suggested monitoring the agendas for relevant meetings and participating when specific topics of interest arise.

Glossary Classification and Documentation Plan

The team discussed the status of a glossary document, with Fuqiao suggesting keeping it as a non-normative note for now and potentially making it normative when recharged later. Addison noted that making it normative would require significant work, including proper documentation and behavior changes. The group agreed to classify entries into normative and non-normative sections, with Fuqiao taking responsibility for rewriting and reclassifying entries as needed. They decided to revisit the topic in future meetings as needed.