3 ms·

> I can't pronounce the name of more than 80% of their writers now. What does this mean? Only those with Anglo-Saxon heritage make for good writers?

BenjiWiebe 3y ago
Anglo-saxon names would make it more likely that English is their first language (and therefore more likely to be fluent), which is the language used in these articles. A bit of a stretch though.
- AlecSchueler 3y ago
  I'm not sure that's true. Firstly because countries like the US are home to many native English speaking people with non-Saxon names, and countries like Ireland in the old world speak English while retaining their native names. Secondly because many people who learn English as a second language grow up be fluent and can write with ease. I look to places like the Netherlands where students from all over the world are writing theses for their higher education completely in English. It's not that hard to write in your second language, certainly not to the point that your name could be in any way an indicator of your skill level.
  - ithkuil 3y ago
    It's certainly easier to write well in your second language than to speak it well!
    - Apocryphon 3y ago
      Username is accurate.
heyoni 3y ago
It means they changed from what they remember. No need to go for that low hanging fruit.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- AlecSchueler 3y ago
  I'm not "going for" anything. I'm letting them know that their phrasing comes across as racist and giving them opportunity to clarify their position. I'm not sure you can speak authoritatively on their meaning either.
  - heyoni 3y ago
    Right. To me it came across as the editorial work was now being outsourced. A common cost-cutting practice that would result in: a) many names changing and b) names sounding foreign. The whole racist thing felt like flimsy extrapolation, that's all. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm defending some hardcore racist person, and if that's the case then I'm going to feel really stupid.
bheadmaster 3y ago
> What does this mean? Aliens.

BenjiWiebe 3y ago

Anglo-saxon names would make it more likely that English is their first language (and therefore more likely to be fluent), which is the language used in these articles. A bit of a stretch though.

AlecSchueler 3y ago
I'm not sure that's true. Firstly because countries like the US are home to many native English speaking people with non-Saxon names, and countries like Ireland in the old world speak English while retaining their native names. Secondly because many people who learn English as a second language grow up be fluent and can write with ease. I look to places like the Netherlands where students from all over the world are writing theses for their higher education completely in English. It's not that hard to write in your second language, certainly not to the point that your name could be in any way an indicator of your skill level.
- ithkuil 3y ago
  It's certainly easier to write well in your second language than to speak it well!
  - Apocryphon 3y ago
    Username is accurate.

heyoni 3y ago

It means they changed from what they remember. No need to go for that low hanging fruit.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
AlecSchueler 3y ago
I'm not "going for" anything. I'm letting them know that their phrasing comes across as racist and giving them opportunity to clarify their position. I'm not sure you can speak authoritatively on their meaning either.
- heyoni 3y ago
  Right. To me it came across as the editorial work was now being outsourced. A common cost-cutting practice that would result in: a) many names changing and b) names sounding foreign. The whole racist thing felt like flimsy extrapolation, that's all. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm defending some hardcore racist person, and if that's the case then I'm going to feel really stupid.

bheadmaster 3y ago

> What does this mean? Aliens.