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Counter argument: American sites should try supporting a language other than English. Many EU sites have multiple languages sorted into different flags up at t

Counter argument: American sites should try supporting a language other than English. Many EU sites have multiple languages sorted into different flags up at the top of the page. Ours do not.

sk5t 10y ago
Like most things, this is ordinarily not done when the economics do not appear to support doing it.
kristopolous 10y ago
In the US, the local, state, and international language is the same thing.
toast0 10y ago
Using flags for language isn't really a great pattern. It kind of works if you only support a few languages, but when you support a lot you get into tough issues where many flags relate to a single language and many languages relate to a single flag. http://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/why-flags-do-not-represent-language/ http://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/why-flags-do-not-re...
spacehunt 10y ago
Please, don't use flags unless you want to bring politics into it.
- michaelmrose 10y ago
  its a visual representation of a language that often conveys information to people whom speak an unknown tongue. Given an array of choices people may be able to pick out the graphic quicker.
  - ubernostrum 10y ago
    Would you like to not be allowed to do business in China? All you have to do is use the flag of the Republic of China to indicate traditional Chinese. Use names of languages, localized into those languages, for the selection. Or if you must save space, use two-letter language codes.
  - spacehunt 10y ago
    > its a visual representation of a language No it's not. It's a visual representation of a country, state or region, at best.
michaelmrose 10y ago
There are thousands of languages the choice of languages to support logically ought to come from a cost benefit analysis of supporting a given tongue. European institutions are pretty much always going to be dealing with people that speak a wide variety of languages. Within the US we are talking about a market of 300 million wherein most individuals speak English as a first language or in addition to their primary language. Doing business outside the US would almost certainly involve a lot more work than translating the website. This doesn't mean its a bad idea but its certainly a complicated decision.
Manishearth 10y ago
Many countries have multiple languages (or scripts) unique to them. India, Spain, China are amongst these. You could use the Taiwanese/ROC flag for traditional chinese but you'd anger mainland China.

Counter argument: American sites should try supporting a language other than English. Many EU sites have multiple languages sorted into different flags up at the top of the page. Ours do not.

sk5t 10y ago

Like most things, this is ordinarily not done when the economics do not appear to support doing it.

kristopolous 10y ago

In the US, the local, state, and international language is the same thing.

toast0 10y ago

Using flags for language isn't really a great pattern. It kind of works if you only support a few languages, but when you support a lot you get into tough issues where many flags relate to a single language and many languages relate to a single flag. http://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/why-flags-do-not-represent-language/ http://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/why-flags-do-not-re...

spacehunt 10y ago

Please, don't use flags unless you want to bring politics into it.

michaelmrose 10y ago
its a visual representation of a language that often conveys information to people whom speak an unknown tongue. Given an array of choices people may be able to pick out the graphic quicker.
- ubernostrum 10y ago
  Would you like to not be allowed to do business in China? All you have to do is use the flag of the Republic of China to indicate traditional Chinese. Use names of languages, localized into those languages, for the selection. Or if you must save space, use two-letter language codes.
- spacehunt 10y ago
  > its a visual representation of a language No it's not. It's a visual representation of a country, state or region, at best.

michaelmrose 10y ago

There are thousands of languages the choice of languages to support logically ought to come from a cost benefit analysis of supporting a given tongue. European institutions are pretty much always going to be dealing with people that speak a wide variety of languages. Within the US we are talking about a market of 300 million wherein most individuals speak English as a first language or in addition to their primary language. Doing business outside the US would almost certainly involve a lot more work than translating the website. This doesn't mean its a bad idea but its certainly a complicated decision.

Manishearth 10y ago

Many countries have multiple languages (or scripts) unique to them. India, Spain, China are amongst these. You could use the Taiwanese/ROC flag for traditional chinese but you'd anger mainland China.