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Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

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Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#61

Post by josephg »

mikepurvis wrote: post #16
matsemann wrote: post #5

I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures. Often the software doesn't take into account how things work in other languages, different regions etc. I'm also not sure I'd blame the engineers in SV too much, of course they design software based on their own context. But with tech becoming global, it's a bit sad how it's not prioritized more. Example…

Related to that is all the angst about how Sim City basically just lets you make car-centric hellscapes, not at all unlike San Jose, the city in which it was birthed. And City Skylines inherited a lot of that legacy, that designs centered around mass transit and cycling (such as one would find in Europe or Japan) really only become fully practical with a bunch of mods installed.

I visited Amsterdam recently and instantly noticed something weird about the road layouts there. I did some research - they differentiate between streets (meant for short distances, or getting to a local destination) and roads (meant for long distance travel - or driving past a location). As a visitor, it seems brilliant. And it makes way more sense than what a lot of roads look like here - with cyclists trying to fit in with high speed traffic.

Novel approaches to urban planning seems like an obvious thing to put in to urban planning games. What a missed opportunity.

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#62

Post by unsupp0rted »

matsemann wrote: post #5

I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures. Often the software doesn't take into account how things work in other languages, different regions etc. I'm also not sure I'd blame the engineers in SV too much, of course they design software based on their own context. But with tech becoming global, it's a bit sad how it's not prioritized more. Example…

> I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures

This is a plus, not a minus. It doesn't matter what (reasonable) standard we go with, as long we go with one. I'm excited for a time when all humans speak (and read, if reading is still needed by then) the same easy-to-learn logical language from childhood.

When English and Norwegian become special interest topics that niche scholars learn as part of their grad work, we'll all be better off.

https://theculture.fandom.com/wiki/Marain

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#63

Post by xeonmc »

yakubin wrote: post #13
matsemann wrote: post #5

I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures. Often the software doesn't take into account how things work in other languages, different regions etc. I'm also not sure I'd blame the engineers in SV too much, of course they design software based on their own context. But with tech becoming global, it's a bit sad how it's not prioritized more. Example…

My personal pet peeve is American SaaS companies not comprehending that half the world starts their week on Monday. All those systems for requesting PTO, sick leave etc. are so confusing if you’re not extra careful.

Nah, it's just that Silicon Valley folks are used to 0-based indexing instead of 1-based.

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#64

Post by smt88 »

unsupp0rted wrote: post #62
matsemann wrote: post #5

I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures. Often the software doesn't take into account how things work in other languages, different regions etc. I'm also not sure I'd blame the engineers in SV too much, of course they design software based on their own context. But with tech becoming global, it's a bit sad how it's not prioritized more. Example…

> I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures This is a plus, not a minus. It doesn't matter what (reasonable) standard we go with, as long we go with one. I'm excited for a time when all humans speak (and read, if reading is still needed by then) the same easy-to-learn logical language from childhood. When English and Norwegian become special inte…

It would be cool to have a universal language, but English is the JavaScript of spoken languages – universal because of coincidence rather than good design.

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#65

Post by smt88 »

mailund wrote: post #38
matsemann wrote: post #5

I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures. Often the software doesn't take into account how things work in other languages, different regions etc. I'm also not sure I'd blame the engineers in SV too much, of course they design software based on their own context. But with tech becoming global, it's a bit sad how it's not prioritized more. Example…

Oh my god, as a Scandinavian, the whole American thing about boobs is so annoying! It seems like the internet really want to force me to be shocked about seeing a chest, it's so weird. Most of the time, it is completely outside of a sexual context, but videos get 18+ because you apparently take psychological damage of you see a pair of tits before you're allowed to vote. Actually didn't know about the quote thing tho…

On the other hand, there are literally billions of people in African, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultures for whom photos of bare boobs are also taboo, so this seems like a case of just having to deal with being a minority in a public square.

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#66

Post by tomrod »

mtlmtlmtlmtl wrote: post #12
panzi wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, but because if analog clocks here in Austria we have no problem to convert back and forth. Are there no analog clocks in Norway?

There are, but we just skip the AM/PM part most of time, because it's obvious from context which one you mean. And if it's not you'll just say "... in the morning/afternoon/evening"

AM: morning, PM: afternoon/evening

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#67

Post by LordShredda »

xeonmc wrote: post #63
yakubin wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My personal pet peeve is American SaaS companies not comprehending that half the world starts their week on Monday. All those systems for requesting PTO, sick leave etc. are so confusing if you’re not extra careful.

Nah, it's just that Silicon Valley folks are used to 0-based indexing instead of 1-based.

Shows the superiority of the software artists at silicon valley

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#68

Post by pasc1878 »

Digit-Al wrote: post #57
crabmusket wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe because 12:00 being consistent with 12:01 was more important than it being consistent with 11? I personally enjoy using 24-hour clocks on all devices I can.

Speaking of 24 hour clocks: my oven clock shows midnight as 24:00, and then changes to 00:01 at 1 minute past midnight. I've never seen any other clock show that; very strange.

I thought that was normal at least when writing or saying things.

Use of either mechanical displays or on computers time selecter widgets does mean that 24 is not shown anywhere,

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#69

Post by chrismorgan »

Mordisquitos wrote: post #28
matsemann wrote: post #5

I'm a but wary in general about how US tech used around the world slowly erodes the nuances of different cultures. Often the software doesn't take into account how things work in other languages, different regions etc. I'm also not sure I'd blame the engineers in SV too much, of course they design software based on their own context. But with tech becoming global, it's a bit sad how it's not prioritized more. Example…

I fully agree with you. Another gripe to add to the list is the Anglocentric expectation made by American software [0] that any full personal name with three words must necessarily mean (given_name) (middle_name) (surname) , to be displayed as "Givenname M. Surname" and initialised as "GS" (skipping the ostensible "middle" name). Nevermind the diversity of conventions across cultures [1], every name must obviously fo…

A funny/sad aspect of it is that I get the impression that violation of the /^(?\S+) (?\S+) (?\S+)$/ custom isn’t even all that rare in the USA because it’s still moderately common to reuse names and add ordinals, a practice which has largely fallen out of practice in other English-first countries (so that violation of the convention has become rarer in them, though certainly there are other deviations—e.g. I have a great aunt with no middle name).

Poor old John Smith Ⅳ (pronounced “John Smith the Fourth”) probably gets turned into the initials “JI” (because let’s be real, he actually wrote “IV” rather than “Ⅳ”).

Re: Subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language

#70

Post by tgaj »

panzi wrote: post #11
tomrod wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate your thoughts. You made me realize AM (antemeridian, before noon) and post meridian (after noon, 24 hours mod 12) aren't universal standards!

Yeah, but because if analog clocks here in Austria we have no problem to convert back and forth. Are there no analog clocks in Norway?

But it's still not helpful with AM/PM. If I see 12 and it's dark outside then I know it's midnight, otherwise it's noon, and that's what I will say to someone who will ask "what time is it?". I still don't know if it's PM or AM.
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