Seth Bindernagel agreed to sit down and answer a few questions about his role at Mozilla and the importance of localization in today’s world. Localization has started to hit a nerve with every software developer, adding a layer that is now critical but recently had no context. Without localization, Mozilla would not reach the broadest audience: the entire internet browsing planet.

How did you first become involved with Mozilla, and particularly in localization at Mozilla?

Back in 2006, I was asked to start Mozilla’s Community Giving and Empowerment program. The needs of the community came first, and yet the needs of the community often fed the success of Mozilla products. Localization grew out of the fact that in so many communities, the first jobs of the local members were essentially localization projects. My exposure to the volunteers and my experience with their needs gave me the perfect launching point to start a formalized localization team to increase availability and access for people around the world.

How has localization changed since you started as Director of Localization at Mozilla?

Localization has gone from a routine task without formal structure to a necessary step in any community that wants to use Mozilla’s products. Of course, there re an incredibly number of tools, better reporting, and significant documentation these days that aid in the set-up of localization for Mozilla and other software. The way that it has changed has been a result of increased focus on localization as well as being a direct result of the needs of local communities. Things will only get easier as more people contribute and work hard to turn localization into routine.

How does crowd sourcing work for serious projects like the Mozilla Localization Team?

Crowd sourcing is something that software engineers and developers are just starting to tap into. For us, working with localization, we are seeing that even the smallest helpful project turns into a huge success due to crowd sourcing.