This blog is written in en-GB • Hacker News Board

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#91

Post by robin_reala » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

jerf wrote: post #35

"This blog is written in en-GB" Excuse me, but I believe you meant to say this bloug is written in en-GB. More seriously... you know, 30 or 40 years ago, I can sort of understand this attitude. Today, in the amount of time it takes you to complain, you could have popped the word into Google or something instead and learned what it was instead. Probably in less than the amount of time it took you to complain for an on…

Blog, from web log, from log (written), from log (wood), from Middle English logge. No French involved, which is where the `ou` phoneme is from.

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#92

Post by ChrisRR » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

sgt wrote: post #21

CrzyLngPwd wrote: post #18

It should be just "en", since we invented and it's the one true version:-)

That may be true, but in practice, US english has no taken over as the de-facto English. All thanks to the Internet. I am glad someone is pushing back on this, though, and I want more multi lingual sites on the Internet in general.

By your logic, chinese english or indian english are the defacto as they massively outnumber american english

You just mean that you visit more american sites than other non-US english speaking sites

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#93

Post by ifwinterco » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:25 PM UTC

kurtis_reed wrote: post #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.

It's not really comparable, almost every native English speaker can understand most British English fine, it's only when people use excessive slang or regional accents that people have issues (and that's an issue with any language - it can easily be an issue among native speakers within the UK!).

It doesn't really matter if you natively speak British English instead of American English, whereas French and English are obviously completely different languages and the switch made French a lot less useful and English a lot more useful

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#94

Post by ngriffiths » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:25 PM UTC

But they should just stop reading. It's actually not ok that it's unfamiliar, because makes you reread and get confused and distracted, all for some silly reference that doesn't make a big difference. Life is short! You can read the hard stuff when it's worth it, and just skip the rest. Surely that's the most common thing to do.

The answer is definitely still a big no, but for me the reasoning is because it will make it worse. And you apparently aren't the target audience anyway, so why should I care if you stick around.

(Whereas in the case of harry potter, the goal was to sell books, not just to produce something good).

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#95

Post by LadyCailin » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:26 PM UTC

umeshunni wrote: post #77

vitally3643 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Certain cultures teach that diversity is a bad thing to be feared and extinguished. Diversity is only a good thing when your mind has been poisoned by "education" and "experience". It requires an open mind to see diverse experiences as a good thing, and certain cultures think having citizens with open minds is an unprofitable way to run a society.

[flagged]

You’d be surprised how much radical Islam and the American far right have in common.

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#96

Post by ddmf » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:26 PM UTC

"My mum said that if I didn't drink enough milk then I'd only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley."

"Accrington Stanley!, Who are they?"

"Exaaaccttlyyy...."

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#97

Post by jerf » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:26 PM UTC

robin_reala wrote: post #91

jerf wrote: post #35

"This blog is written in en-GB" Excuse me, but I believe you meant to say this bloug is written in en-GB. More seriously... you know, 30 or 40 years ago, I can sort of understand this attitude. Today, in the amount of time it takes you to complain, you could have popped the word into Google or something instead and learned what it was instead. Probably in less than the amount of time it took you to complain for an on…

Blog, from web log, from log (written), from log (wood), from Middle English logge. No French involved, which is where the `ou` phoneme is from.

I've had a weblog since 1999. I know where the word comes from. Try rereading in light of that; if you need more hint consider why the author's spellchecker might put a red wiggly underline under the letters "color".

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#98

Post by mort96 » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:27 PM UTC

ngriffiths wrote: post #94

But they should just stop reading. It's actually not ok that it's unfamiliar, because makes you reread and get confused and distracted, all for some silly reference that doesn't make a big difference. Life is short! You can read the hard stuff when it's worth it, and just skip the rest. Surely that's the most common thing to do. The answer is definitely still a big no, but for me the reasoning is because it will make…

Do you hear yourself now? "Life is too short to read texts which reference a culture you're unfamiliar with"? Seriously?

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#99

Post by cmiles8 » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:28 PM UTC

The ultimate irony is that many folks asking for things to be “more inclusive” are asking for someone else to modify their behavior to fit the requester’s preference and definition of the “right” way, which is the literal opposite of being inclusive.

This blog calls that out brilliantly.

Re: This blog is written in en-GB

#100

Post by freehorse » Thu, Jul 02, 2026, 1:28 PM UTC

umeshunni wrote: post #77

vitally3643 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Certain cultures teach that diversity is a bad thing to be feared and extinguished. Diversity is only a good thing when your mind has been poisoned by "education" and "experience". It requires an open mind to see diverse experiences as a good thing, and certain cultures think having citizens with open minds is an unprofitable way to run a society.

[flagged]

Historically many (predominantly muslim) places in near and middle east have been very diverse, though maybe not exactly the kind of diversity usually conceptualised in the west. If anything, the idea of homogeneous nation states is more like rooted in the enlightenment.