How to set up a Chinese weblog for a Chinese-only writer when you are the English-only tech support?

January 1, 2006 2:35 PM

How to set up a Chinese weblog for a Chinese-only writer when you are the English-only tech support?

My wife's step-grandfather (yes, complicated) wants his own web site in Chinese to be viewed in Taiwan and Mainland China. He wants his own domain name as well.

I could set-up a MovableType instance on my server with his domain name, but once I switch over, I can't drive the MT install since it's in Chinese characters.

It appears that Typepad and Blogger are both blocked in China. But something like them that allows vanity domain names would be great.

Any suggestions?

posted by Argyle to computers & internet (4 comments total)

Do you know anyone else who can speak both chinese and english? Why not get together with them while you set up MT?
posted by delmoi at 2:55 PM on January 1, 2006

If you're keen on trying WordPress, you can always install WordPress normally and add a Traditional/Simplified Chinese language file to translate the admin interface as needed. WordPress Localization and Installing WordPress In Your Language will give you an idea of how it all works. Look carefully at the "Localizing WordPress" section at the second link, especially the stuff about "WP_LANG"; not only is this the way to manually activate the Chinese language files once you've installed them, but it's also an easy way to turn the Chinese translation off should you ever need to do some futzing about.

I can't vouch for the quality of the Chinese translations, nor can I attest to how much of the admin interface is actually translated. There are a number of Chinese WP blogs out there, though, so I assume it's workable. Similar options may or may not be available for Movable Type as well; I'd be a bit surprised if you had to download a completely different set of files for the MT Chinese version, but anildash could probably comment on this sort of thing far better than I.
posted by chrominance at 4:54 PM on January 1, 2006

(I should add to the end of the first paragraph, "turn off the Chinese translation temporarily should you ever need to do some futzing about.")
posted by chrominance at 4:55 PM on January 1, 2006

In Movable Type, each user can set his/her own language, so you could admin the system in English and the blogger could use the system in Chinese. I was just in Taiwan yesterday and can confirm this works.

Oh, the lengths we'll go to for people to blog. :)

Also, TypePad does allow vanity domain names, but it appears the mainland blocks TypePad sites (when they are being blocked) by IP address, so that's still a no go.
posted by anildash at 9:17 PM on January 3, 2006