Eugen Leitl wrote: [ on 05:50 PM 6/2/2007 ]
The linguistic compartments on the world wide web, the character set input (though, once you prime the pump cut & paste will do) is a threshold, even if you speak the tongue.
True, and I suspect this will become an area of focus over the next few years.
In practice many people never bother, so they never see that alien part of the web, and can't even gauge how large it is.
This might selectively advantage those who speak the Lingua Franca (i.e, English) as a second language.
Here [1] is a very interesting paper called "As You Like It: Catching Up in an Age of Global English" that attempts to look at the ways in which English has evolved, and some of the implications of this.
It also includes a hilarious Singlish poem: Wah! I heard we all now got big big debate. They said future of proper English is at stake. All because stupid Singlish spoil the market, want to change now donno whether too late. Aiyoh! Ang mo hear us talk like that also want to faint. Even our U graduates speak like Ah Beng, Ah Seng. Singlish is like rojak, everything throw inside anyhow mix. Got Malay, Indian, Chinese and English, can give and take. When you donno something is under table or chair, you ask loud loud Oi! Under where? Under where? When you see somebody behave very bad, you scold him, aiyah! Why you so like that? When you ended up in a traffic jam, and got stuck, you complain, today, I sai chia kena very chia lat. When you warn your kids to be careful all the way, you tell them, careful har, you better don't play-play! When you see moon cakes with many egg yolks, you say, wah! This type good to eat, very shiok! When your friend mistook his mother for his aunt, you disturb him, alamak! Why you so blur one? You write like that in exam you sure liao. Teacher mark your paper also kee siao. This kind of standard how to pass? Wait, you sure kena last in class. Other people hear you, say you sound silly. So like that how to become world-class city? Basically Singlish got good and got bad. Aiyah! Everything in life is all like that. Actually Singlish got one bright side. I am talking about our national plight. Maybe I must explain to you what I mean. If you're prepared to hear me, I'll begin. Other people all say we all got no culture. All we got is a lot of joint business ventures. So we got no culture to glue us together. End up we all like a big bunch of feathers. Wind blow a bit too strong only we fly away. Everybody all go their own separate ways. Now we must play internet otherwise cannot survive. Next time the only way to make money, or sure to die. When other countries' influences all enter, we sure kena affected left, right and centre. Sekali our Singporean identity all lost until donno go where. Even Orang-Utan Ah Meng starts thinking like a Polar Bear. But still must go IT otherwise become swa koo, only smarter than Ah Meng of the Mandai Zoo. Wait the whole world go I.T., we still blur as sontong, next time we all only qualified to sell laksa in Katong. So got this kind of problem like that how? Either sit and wait or do something now. But actually we all got one culture in Singlish. It's like rice on the table; it is our common dish... I know this funny culture is not the best around so we must tahan a bit until a better one is found. Not all the time can marry the best man, so bo pian got no prawns, fish also can. I donno whether you agree with me or not? I just simply sharing with you my thoughts. Singlish is just like the garden weeds. You pull like mad still it would not quit. Sure got some people like and some do not like. Singlish and English, they'll still live side by side. [1] http://www.demos.co.uk/files/As%20%20You%20like%20it%20-%20web.pdf -- ((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))
