Discuss mailing list

[Jacob Bachmeyer <jcb62281 AT gmail.com>]

vv AT cgs.pw wrote:
> I agree with what you say. We really should
> remain international. And it is indeed obvious
> when someone is spoiling a ballot - seeing
> it otherwise appears demonstrative to me.
>
> My opinion is that there are some people here
> with a belligerent attitude towards "foreign"
> languages. Yes, English is a standard on the
> internet, but we are living in a global world
> now. In any case even a decent understanding
> of English includes a lot of French, German,
> Latin, and other influences. One cannot claim
> ignorance of those if one is an English speaker.
> A little linguistic depth, not to mention
> tolerance, is demanded in this day and age.
> Fighting against that strikes me as being narrow
> minded - if not plain rude. I think that OpenNIC
> members would do well to stay away from such
> redneck attitudes if possible. But I also think
> that we need not ensconce such rules in our
> constitution.

Why not? American English is, by accident of history, the /lingua 
franca/ of the Internet:  the RFCs are written in it.  I would most 
definitely draw the line at non-Latin character sets, but I do not see a 
particular problem with using a foreign word or phrase here or there 
when its meaning is appropriate, as that is allowed in American 
English.  The "abstentions" that led to this discussion fit in this 
category -- they are clearly meant to be invalid votes, not unlike the 
old notion of writing in "Donald Duck" as a protest vote.

-- Jacob