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Sure, if you want to start an international project, then English is a pretty good language to use. However, I have heard people say that all software everywhe
by pgcj_poster 7y ago
Sure, if you want to start an international project, then English is a pretty good language to use.
However, I have heard people say that all software everywhere should be written in English, including things like personal projects and internal tools for companies in non-anglophone countries. I think that's kind of ridiculous.
- big_chungus 7y agoI guess it depends how you define, "Written in english." Standard keywords in, say, C++ are derived from english, though they have a symbolic meaning everyone has to learn. I'd understand variable names and docs being in a foreign language. Best-case is still engligh, though; working in another language is like doing science in American units. It works fine as long as you stay localized, but if you need to hire foreign devs to supplement your team, good luck (see the infamous Mars rover crash.)
- johnisgood 7y agoSomething about non-English comments in source code is really off-putting. That, and if you generally do want people to understand, then you should use English. If that does not matter to you, or someone else, then do not.
- schwartzworld 7y ago> That, and if you generally do want people to understand, then you should use English What if the people you want to understand aren't English speakers?
- TallGuyShort 7y agoI grew up in a home that spoke another language. I'm glad there was on obvious lingua franca to learn that's allowed me to work with people all across non-English countries in Europe, Africa, South America, and India, and will probably continue to serve me well. I'm not opposed to people developing tools in their native languages, but let's not pretend like projects that use this language aren't going to be completely isolated from most of the rest of the world.
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- hn_throwaway_99 7y agoSurprisingly (at least to me) when I had this discussion online in the past the biggest pushback I got against using another language in code was from non-native speakers. They all were highly comfortable, and preferred, that their "work language" was English. For better or for worse, the world has settled on English as the lingua franca for business.
- pgcj_poster 7y agoI imagine, however, that you don't hear much from the people who didn't become programmers because their English wasn't good enough.
- jiofih 7y agoBecause they don’t exist? You can definitely learn programming following local language tutorials. It does not require learning English grammar or a large vocabulary. But you might need to communicate witn other people, especially if you’re doing open source. I feel there is a point you want to make, but am not sure what it is.
- anonymfus 7y ago> Something about non-English comments in source code is really off-putting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_cringe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_cringe
- johnisgood 7y agoI am sorry, what? I do not dismiss my own culture as inferior to the cultures of other countries. Not at all.
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- oarabbus_ 7y agoClearly you dismiss other cultures as inferior to your own, though.
- johnisgood 7y agoNo, I clearly do not dismiss other cultures as inferior to my own, though.
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- dang 7y agoPlease do not post flamebait to HN. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
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- pmontra 7y agoNo customer ever objected to my code with English variable / method / function names. Some don't care, others explicitly ask for English because maybe "one day we want to sell the company to somebody outside the country".