Xref: utzoo news.software.b:5227 alt.sources.d:708 comp.sources.d:5694 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!math.lsa.umich.edu!math.lsa.umich.edu!emv From: emv@math.lsa.umich.edu (Edward Vielmetti) Newsgroups: news.software.b,alt.sources.d,comp.sources.d Subject: Re: Time for 8 bit news, isn't it? - Haven't got the slightest Message-ID: Date: 24 Jul 90 19:39:23 GMT References: <777@hades.ausonics.oz.au> <1990Jul21.083046.13075@squirrel.mh.nl> <1990Jul21.174535.8281@lokkur.dexter.mi.us> <1092@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de> Sender: usenet@math.lsa.umich.edu Organization: University of Michigan Math Dept., Ann Arbor MI. Lines: 32 In-Reply-To: p576spz@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de's message of 22 Jul 90 13:57:17 GMT In article <1092@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de> p576spz@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de (S.Petra Zeidler) writes: Even eunet, which is a LOT more conscient of the existance of other languages, has chosen English for common language, simply because it is the most widely understood; on dnet (German news net) you'll get flamed for not posting in German unless it's a crosspost. Writing German with the English (American) character set is a pain. I'm getting a full feed of dnet.* and sub.* (the German groups) so I've tried to follow the interminable discussions about how Umlauts should be represented on those groups. So you can get flamed for any number of reasons, not just choice of langauge. When dnet and sub start sending around umlauts encoded as iso 8859-1, I'll make an effort to install software that accomodates them. Writing French or some Scandinavian language must be a major pain. The French just got rid of a few diacritics, didn't they? To what amounts would the cost of changing to 8 bit be ? Would it be the transition of maintenance barely affordable to not affordable ?? I don't think the change would be too substantial for the news transport software. The news readers, esp. people using 7-bit terminals or terminal emulators, might need more hard work. --Ed Edward Vielmetti, U of Michigan math dept comp.archives moderator