Re:Non sequitur (Score 1)

Ever tried looking at a Vietnamese website? Their written language isnt covered by the standard ASCII or EBCDIC character set, as I have seen. But nearly all libraries and interface drivers dont mangle characters as they pass through. The biggest problems I have seen are in implementing the UI correctly. Japanese alone has two or three encodings in wide use(one is almost dead now, and EUC is becoming defacto). And even beyond THAT, at least in the non-shrinkwrap software business, is the localization of functionality. Japanese businesses do a lot of things like in America and in Europe, but they have a lot of their own touches that allow them to provide services to their customers the way their culture dictates. Dont worry too much about translation and encodings; worry more about targeting your customers correctly! That really is what will help determine the success and acceptance of your product, whatever it may be. People throughout the world like things American and European, but they still have their own way of doing things!:)