4 ms·

Nice touch on referring to Georgia as a "former Soviet Republic". The article must have then described Bitfury as a company from a former British colony :)

kuhhk 8y ago
Might have been the editors hoping that Georgia wouldn't be confused with the US state. Perhaps it was a bit more clear? Though it did force me to open the article..
- gsich 8y ago
  Georgia (Europe) or (Asia) or (Eurasia) would be too hard indeed.
MarsAscendant 8y ago
Referring to Georgia as a "former Soviet Republic" is similar in tone to calling Ukraine "a historic part of Russia". There were both what they've been called, sure, but given the current state of relationship between Russia and any of the two countries, it's like looking for trouble. EDIT: what?
- lawlessone 8y ago
  we don't usually call Iraq the former Mesopotamian Kingdom
  - MarsAscendant 8y ago
    I was referring to the anti-Russian sentiment brewing in both countries. Russia has, after all, engaged in a military conflict with Georgia on behalf of South Ossetia in 2008. The two countries have been enemies since some time before that, and remain in hostility towards each other. The big difference, of course, is that Mesopotamia is unlikely to commit crimes on foreign soil any time soon because you dismiss its territorial ambitions... unless I'm missing something everyone else gets here.
- Mikeb85 8y ago
  Ukraine is a historic part of Russia though. It never was a country on its own until 1992. And I say this as someone with Ukrainian heritage. My ancestors never immigrated from a country called Ukraine even though they were Ukrainian (or back then often called Ruthenian). It's just historic facts.
  - MarsAscendant 8y ago
    > It never was a country on its own until 1992 That's beside the point. Right now, there's a growing nationalist sentiment growing in Ukraine. If you go to Ukraine and shout this historical fact in the streets of, say, Kiyv, you might just encounter a group of people who violently disagree with the "underlying idea" (which you won't express, but they'll perceive) that Ukraine is Russia's bitch. Imagine shouting about the Armenian genocide in Instanbul, or about the extermination and oppression of Native Americans in a major city in Texas. Maybe not exactly, but you get the idea. > My ancestors never immigrated from a country called Ukraine even though they were Ukrainian (or back then often called Ruthenian) That kind of Ruthenian? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Galicia%E2%80%93Volhynia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Galicia%E2%80%93Vol...] Or that kind of Ruthenian? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruthenians_and_Ukrainians_in_Czechoslovakia_(1918%E2%80%931938) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruthenians_and_Ukrainians_in_C...] Your ancestry might as well be "Polish with a mix of Lithuanian", 'cause who knows at this stage, no? Did you take a DNA test?
    - Mikeb85 8y ago
      > Right now, there's a growing nationalist sentiment growing in Ukraine Yes there is, but Ukrainian Neo-Nazis aren't exactly known for their understanding of history. > Imagine shouting about the Armenian genocide in Instanbul, or about the extermination and oppression of Native Americans in a major city in Texas. Except Ukrainians and Russians are the same people, and it's Germans and others who slaughtered them. > Your ancestry might as well be "Polish with a mix of Lithuanian", 'cause who knows at this stage, no? Did you take a DNA test? Maybe, it's a region that's had many conquests and we're all mixed to some degree. But my ancestors all spoke Ukrainian and were Orthodox, and Slavic culture has always been defined by culture, not necessarily ethnicity.
pjc50 8y ago
All the former Soviet republics are commonly referred to as such in the western press. Heck, the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia had that as its official name until very recently resolving the dispute with Greek irridentists.
- r3bl 8y ago
  Nitpicky, but the Macedonia naming situation isn't over yet. Northern Macedonia was a proposal, but the referendum to adopt it failed to attract 50% of the voters. Unless I've missed some big news since then, FYROM is still its official name. Regardless, it is a bad example since they are forced to use that name because of Greece. Other former Yugoslav Republics don't have such issues.
bmm6o 8y ago
Meh, I wouldn't read too much into it. Depending on the country in question, I could easily imagine headlines about "one African dictatorship", "one South American country", "one Eastern European country". True that "former Soviet Republic" is not really relevant, but it's a common (cliched, even) phrase to use once you've decided you need need a descriptor.

kuhhk 8y ago

Might have been the editors hoping that Georgia wouldn't be confused with the US state. Perhaps it was a bit more clear? Though it did force me to open the article..

gsich 8y ago
Georgia (Europe) or (Asia) or (Eurasia) would be too hard indeed.

MarsAscendant 8y ago

Referring to Georgia as a "former Soviet Republic" is similar in tone to calling Ukraine "a historic part of Russia". There were both what they've been called, sure, but given the current state of relationship between Russia and any of the two countries, it's like looking for trouble. EDIT: what?

lawlessone 8y ago
we don't usually call Iraq the former Mesopotamian Kingdom
- MarsAscendant 8y ago
  I was referring to the anti-Russian sentiment brewing in both countries. Russia has, after all, engaged in a military conflict with Georgia on behalf of South Ossetia in 2008. The two countries have been enemies since some time before that, and remain in hostility towards each other. The big difference, of course, is that Mesopotamia is unlikely to commit crimes on foreign soil any time soon because you dismiss its territorial ambitions... unless I'm missing something everyone else gets here.
Mikeb85 8y ago
Ukraine is a historic part of Russia though. It never was a country on its own until 1992. And I say this as someone with Ukrainian heritage. My ancestors never immigrated from a country called Ukraine even though they were Ukrainian (or back then often called Ruthenian). It's just historic facts.
- MarsAscendant 8y ago
  > It never was a country on its own until 1992 That's beside the point. Right now, there's a growing nationalist sentiment growing in Ukraine. If you go to Ukraine and shout this historical fact in the streets of, say, Kiyv, you might just encounter a group of people who violently disagree with the "underlying idea" (which you won't express, but they'll perceive) that Ukraine is Russia's bitch. Imagine shouting about the Armenian genocide in Instanbul, or about the extermination and oppression of Native Americans in a major city in Texas. Maybe not exactly, but you get the idea. > My ancestors never immigrated from a country called Ukraine even though they were Ukrainian (or back then often called Ruthenian) That kind of Ruthenian? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Galicia%E2%80%93Volhynia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Galicia%E2%80%93Vol...] Or that kind of Ruthenian? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruthenians_and_Ukrainians_in_Czechoslovakia_(1918%E2%80%931938) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruthenians_and_Ukrainians_in_C...] Your ancestry might as well be "Polish with a mix of Lithuanian", 'cause who knows at this stage, no? Did you take a DNA test?
  - Mikeb85 8y ago
    > Right now, there's a growing nationalist sentiment growing in Ukraine Yes there is, but Ukrainian Neo-Nazis aren't exactly known for their understanding of history. > Imagine shouting about the Armenian genocide in Instanbul, or about the extermination and oppression of Native Americans in a major city in Texas. Except Ukrainians and Russians are the same people, and it's Germans and others who slaughtered them. > Your ancestry might as well be "Polish with a mix of Lithuanian", 'cause who knows at this stage, no? Did you take a DNA test? Maybe, it's a region that's had many conquests and we're all mixed to some degree. But my ancestors all spoke Ukrainian and were Orthodox, and Slavic culture has always been defined by culture, not necessarily ethnicity.

pjc50 8y ago

All the former Soviet republics are commonly referred to as such in the western press. Heck, the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia had that as its official name until very recently resolving the dispute with Greek irridentists.

r3bl 8y ago
Nitpicky, but the Macedonia naming situation isn't over yet. Northern Macedonia was a proposal, but the referendum to adopt it failed to attract 50% of the voters. Unless I've missed some big news since then, FYROM is still its official name. Regardless, it is a bad example since they are forced to use that name because of Greece. Other former Yugoslav Republics don't have such issues.

bmm6o 8y ago

Meh, I wouldn't read too much into it. Depending on the country in question, I could easily imagine headlines about "one African dictatorship", "one South American country", "one Eastern European country". True that "former Soviet Republic" is not really relevant, but it's a common (cliched, even) phrase to use once you've decided you need need a descriptor.