Live data from Hacker News

This blog is written in en-GB

shkspr.mobi

41–50 of 474 posts

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#43
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm very disappointed it didn't translate the $1m story to £747,000 I found it completely unrelatable and couldn't follow it at all, not having any frame of reference for how much a dollar might be worth in real money Luckily the background reminded me i could go and make myself a cup of tea to feel better

it's made worse that those were Canadian dollars.. now we're all confused.

Pet peeve: If I go to google.ca and ask [1 gallon to liters], it uses US gallons. (But if I ask [1 pint to ml] it gets it right.)

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#45
post #28

I am the only Brit in the department I work in. No one gets the cultural references or British idioms I use, and I've found myself significantly changing the language I use to a very utilitarian and direct style to prevent the endless blank stares... reading this blog post just made me realise that this self-editing has made my interactions rather more 'flat' and unnatural, as they now lack spontaneity, with everythi…

I live in Sweden (and have for 11 years), a lot of the "charm" in my speech has been filed away, I speak in a very neutral accent (which barely registers as british anymore) and I use americanisms a lot, avoiding "false friends".

(IE; I never use the word "chip" to mean crisps or fries - I will instead use "Crisps", despite it being british, and fries, despite it being American; in order to avoid ambiguity.)

The more difficult one is "pants", I would say underwear or trousers.

It's interesting how I only notice how much it's contrasted when I go back to the UK and hear others, I notice people using words that I've put a mental "X" on, and its only then that I realise that I've put the mental "X" on the word... because it no longer feels natural to hear it.

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#46
I read several blogs that use British English, including this OP's blog. Some of my favourite blogs in my RSS reader are British English blogs, or at least they use British English spellings and grammar. I find their use of the English language very charming and funny in a unique way.

It surprises me that anyone would feel entitled to ask a blogger to change the variety of English they use. American English is only one of many forms of English. The world is richer for its many varieties of English, and languages, and that diversity makes it more interesting, not less.

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#48
The French didn't like it when the Lingua Franca switched from French to English and the Brits still whine that British English is no longer the dominant variety.

It's a trade-off: you can write in your regional dialect or you can write in a more widely understood global style.

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#49
post #23
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody said it was.

The article strongly implies it is a response to a comment complaining the blog is not inclusive because it uses British English. There is a constant American assumption that their language and culture is the norm and we should all adjust our language to fit their definitions and culture. I intend to keep eating faggots, having a master branch in git, etc.

But being non-inclusive by speaking to a particular cultural reference frame is not the same as being racist.
Post reply on HN