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Let’s be realistic 99% of software, weighted by value, is in English. This is a good thing. There are strong network effects, and fracturing the software world

Let’s be realistic 99% of software, weighted by value, is in English. This is a good thing. There are strong network effects, and fracturing the software world into multiple competing linguo-spheres would destroy economies of scale. Would you similarly oppose the requirement that all civil aviation globally be done in English on the grounds of “cultural imperialism”?

benjaminjosephw 5y ago
> fracturing the software world into multiple competing linguo-spheres would destroy economies of scale There is a very visible pattern in most Open Source projects where a small group of core maintainers will do most of the work even if there is a much wider body of causal contributors (see Nadia Eghbal's _Working In Public_). So, what are the economies of scale? Are you perhaps referring to problems experienced in the by-gone age of the early internet? Economists largely agree that healthy competition is beneficial for improving quality, spurring innovation and reducing costs. I don't see the problem with multiple language/culture specific software projects that all solve the same problem. This could even look like different programmers working on different projects for different audiences. The only downside I can see for the everyday programmers is the FOMO generated from inaccessible software in a foreign language. Isn't that ironic?
Avamander 5y ago
> Would you similarly oppose the requirement that all civil aviation globally be done in English on the grounds of “cultural imperialism”? Do you think that every pilot on earth always speaks only English? No. People should have the choice not to speak English and write their alphabets if they wish. Enforcing ASCII on code is like enforcing ASCII on URIs, e-mail addresses. Unnecessarily restrictive to the rest of the world outside of the anglosphere. Of which there's a lot.
- dcolkitt 5y ago
  Yes. All civil aviation globally is conducted in English. Becoming a pilot or air traffic controller anywhere in the world requires proficiency.
  - Avamander 5y ago
    It requires proficiency when you want to go or receive international, but doesn't enforce it as the single language that could ever be used, e.g. domestically. There's no point in pretending there's some magic filter that would enforce it.

benjaminjosephw 5y ago

> fracturing the software world into multiple competing linguo-spheres would destroy economies of scale There is a very visible pattern in most Open Source projects where a small group of core maintainers will do most of the work even if there is a much wider body of causal contributors (see Nadia Eghbal's _Working In Public_). So, what are the economies of scale? Are you perhaps referring to problems experienced in the by-gone age of the early internet? Economists largely agree that healthy competition is beneficial for improving quality, spurring innovation and reducing costs. I don't see the problem with multiple language/culture specific software projects that all solve the same problem. This could even look like different programmers working on different projects for different audiences. The only downside I can see for the everyday programmers is the FOMO generated from inaccessible software in a foreign language. Isn't that ironic?

Avamander 5y ago

> Would you similarly oppose the requirement that all civil aviation globally be done in English on the grounds of “cultural imperialism”? Do you think that every pilot on earth always speaks only English? No. People should have the choice not to speak English and write their alphabets if they wish. Enforcing ASCII on code is like enforcing ASCII on URIs, e-mail addresses. Unnecessarily restrictive to the rest of the world outside of the anglosphere. Of which there's a lot.

dcolkitt 5y ago
Yes. All civil aviation globally is conducted in English. Becoming a pilot or air traffic controller anywhere in the world requires proficiency.
- Avamander 5y ago
  It requires proficiency when you want to go or receive international, but doesn't enforce it as the single language that could ever be used, e.g. domestically. There's no point in pretending there's some magic filter that would enforce it.