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>>English the language of the internet? It is perhaps the language of YOUR internet. The Chinese internet is as big -- and there's the Indian internet, the Span
by tmptmp 10y ago
>>English the language of the internet? It is perhaps the language of YOUR internet. The Chinese internet is as big -- and there's the Indian internet, the Spanish speaking internet, and tons more besides.
These other internets that you have mentioned are not much significant outside their own little spheres. But English internet is the original one and the most important internet out there. English has become the de-facto standard language of modern communication.
I am all for making English as "the" standard language for the world. History is full with countless cultures/languages getting destroyed at the hands of "time". I am very happy that unofficially English has already become "the" standard language for the world.
Disclaimer: I am an Asian with English as a second (actually earlier as a third language). But due to English and due to English internet alone I could educate myself to a large extent and could come out of the clutches of the barbaric and irrational religious preachings/scriptures.
- coldtea 10y ago>These other internets that you have mentioned are not much significant outside their own little spheres. Those "little spheres" can be 2-3 times the US market. And the rest of the English internet is of not much use to most people in their day to day lives, outside businessmen and techies exchanging business communications and technical information. >Disclaimer: I am an Asian with English as a second (actually earlier as a third language). But due to English and due to English internet alone I could educate myself to a large extent and could come out of the clutches of the barbaric and irrational religious preachings/scriptures. Well, not really representative of Asians at large then. There are always people that adopt a new culture and frown upon their old culture -- there's also whole thing called "internalized racism" -- feeling your ways are inferior to those of the dominant culture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internalized_racism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internalized_racism
- tmptmp 10y ago>>Well, not really representative of Asians at large then. I didn't tell that I am representative of Asians. I did tell that thing to emphasize the fact that I am NOT a westerner English speaker. >>There are always people that adopt a new culture and frown upon their old culture -- there's also whole thing called "internalized racism" -- feeling your ways are inferior to those of the dominant culture. Then I'd say that there are people who like to cling to their cultures/ways however rotten/backward their cultures/ways/customs might be just because they become emotionally attached to it. Meaningful progress can be made only if we look at our ways (cultures/customs) critically and if require throw part/whole of it away. Today there is so much knowledge available in English that if a person (or better any sizable group of people) adopts English language, he/she gets huge benefits out of it. >>outside businessmen and techies exchanging business communications and technical information. Most of the societal progress happens due to technical innovation/progress and business communications. Here also English dominates the world. Take for example the Wikipedia. The English one dwarfs any other language wikis.