New in Populi: localization. Localization lets you translate the various interface elements—text, buttons, links, and so on—so your non-English-speaking users can access Populi in their own language. Here's how it works:

1. Go to the new Localization view in Account

Your school's Populi account administrator goes to the new Localization view in Account > Account Settings. He'll name the localization and select the language to which Populi will default for untranslated words. Finally, he'll choose a flag to go along with the translation.

2. Start translating

The translation section is straightforward: find the base text on the left, enter translations on the right. You can translate Interface Text (every field, button, column heading—everything that we've given a name to) as well as your own text (application field names, tuition schedules, and so on). As you translate, Populi saves your entries automatically.

3. Continue translating

I'm not gonna lie to you: it's gonna take awhile! There are around half a zillion named things in Populi, and the developers are adding more all the time. If need be, you can just translate certain areas of Populi—for example, translate courses and financial info so foreign students can take classes and pay their bills.

4. Assign locales

Once a localization is completed (or complete enough for your needs), you can set up individual users so that they'll see the translated version of Populi when they log in. All you need to do is click the flag icon below a person's profile photo, select the locale, and click ye olde Save button (you can do this for yourself, too!). The localization will take effect immediately.

We're really pleased to get this out to all of our customers. Many schools have been using Populi to serve international students—conducting courses in German, for example, or setting up applications in Portuguese. Localization lets you complete the experience for your non-English speaking users.

One caveat: worldly and seasoned as we are, we remain unrepentant English-speakers here (a few of us know a little Latin and Greek), and new development will remain in English. So, when we develop new features or heavily rewrite existing ones, you'll need to update your translations. Likewise, we'll also conduct customer support in English and we'll have to assume you're asking about Populi as we wrote it (not as you may have translated it). If you've translated every instance of the phrase "Academic Term" to "Melon Baller", understand that we probably won't know what you're talking about when you write in with a problem on the Melon Baller report.

That said, we look forward to seeing what you'll do with localization!