8 ms·

I'd go as far as to say everyone should just move to English for everything, not just Operating Systems.

by dazzawazza 17y ago

slig 17y ago
I agree. For instance, by using Gmail in English you get all the new stuff first.
- halostatue 17y ago
  At one point this applied only to the US English interface; it may still.
Slashed 17y ago
I speak two languages: English and Russian. Though it drives me crazy when I have to use software and especially cellphones in Russian - I can't understand anything there. I'd say, everyone needs to know English, but I wouldn't like if majority switched to English as their only language. In my opinion, other languages help us to learn history of their countries.
- algorias 17y ago
  Agreed. English is the second (or third, in my case) language to know, but it would make me very sad if everyone started using English in contexts that don't require it.
  - rdtsc 17y ago
    > ...using English in contexts that don't require it. Yes. But I would think in the information technology domain, most of the entities don't translate very well. For example words like 'daemon', 'driver', 'segmentation fault' etc. these acquire a certain meaning that just cannot be translated easily to other languages. So you end up with half-half type mix, half of the words in English half in the native language. It ends up sounding silly.
- rdtsc 17y ago
  I am the same way. English is actually my 3rd language. I learned English because I had a ZX Spectrum computer when I was growing up and most of the programs and were in English. So I learned English so I could understand my computer. It turned out to be very useful to know Enlglish later on. So I hope this doesn't sound insensitive but I would rather everyone learn English, I think it will just make everything a little easier. It is like having a common API between people ;-)
zvikara 17y ago
I'd go even farther to say everyone should just move the the US. Well maybe not everyone but definitely every HN reader.
shiranaihito 17y ago
Silly. I guess you only know English. Your native language is part of who you are, and how you express yourself. Other languages are fun because they allow you to express yourself in different ways, and each language has its own neat tricks and entertaining words and phrases. You wouldn't want to force anyone to give that up. As for computers, I get really annoyed if I have to use a Finnish version of anything, because it just feels wrong and clumsy. The author has a good point that using an English OS helps you with various things, and learning the language, of course. But the next logical step would be to tell people to avoid reading most of the Internet, because 95% of all people can't write English even if it's their native language.

I'd go as far as to say everyone should just move to English for everything, not just Operating Systems.

slig 17y ago

I agree. For instance, by using Gmail in English you get all the new stuff first.

halostatue 17y ago
At one point this applied only to the US English interface; it may still.

Slashed 17y ago

I speak two languages: English and Russian. Though it drives me crazy when I have to use software and especially cellphones in Russian - I can't understand anything there. I'd say, everyone needs to know English, but I wouldn't like if majority switched to English as their only language. In my opinion, other languages help us to learn history of their countries.

algorias 17y ago
Agreed. English is the second (or third, in my case) language to know, but it would make me very sad if everyone started using English in contexts that don't require it.
- rdtsc 17y ago
  > ...using English in contexts that don't require it. Yes. But I would think in the information technology domain, most of the entities don't translate very well. For example words like 'daemon', 'driver', 'segmentation fault' etc. these acquire a certain meaning that just cannot be translated easily to other languages. So you end up with half-half type mix, half of the words in English half in the native language. It ends up sounding silly.
rdtsc 17y ago
I am the same way. English is actually my 3rd language. I learned English because I had a ZX Spectrum computer when I was growing up and most of the programs and were in English. So I learned English so I could understand my computer. It turned out to be very useful to know Enlglish later on. So I hope this doesn't sound insensitive but I would rather everyone learn English, I think it will just make everything a little easier. It is like having a common API between people ;-)

zvikara 17y ago

I'd go even farther to say everyone should just move the the US. Well maybe not everyone but definitely every HN reader.

shiranaihito 17y ago

Silly. I guess you only know English. Your native language is part of who you are, and how you express yourself. Other languages are fun because they allow you to express yourself in different ways, and each language has its own neat tricks and entertaining words and phrases. You wouldn't want to force anyone to give that up. As for computers, I get really annoyed if I have to use a Finnish version of anything, because it just feels wrong and clumsy. The author has a good point that using an English OS helps you with various things, and learning the language, of course. But the next logical step would be to tell people to avoid reading most of the Internet, because 95% of all people can't write English even if it's their native language.