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From: karl@haddock.ISC.COM (Karl Heuer)
Newsgroups: comp.std.internat
Subject: Re: Change the software or the alphabet?
Message-ID: <1508@haddock.ISC.COM>
Date: Mon, 26-Oct-87 20:47:18 EST
Article-I.D.: haddock.1508
Posted: Mon Oct 26 20:47:18 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Oct-87 04:49:06 EST
References: <1446@haddock.ISC.COM> <190001@hpiacla.HP.COM>
Reply-To: karl@haddock.ima.isc.com (Karl Heuer)
Organization: Interactive Systems, Boston
Lines: 26

In article <190001@hpiacla.HP.COM> jim@hpiacla.HP.COM (Jim Rogers) writes:
>The concept that "natural languages" are tools has merit.  The concept that
>these languages should be standardized to simplify the life of computer
>programmers is ludicrous.

Actually, not so much the programmers as the users.  There are a lot more of
the latter.

>Each local language has local customs, history, and even thought patterns
>deeply imbeded in its fabric.

I don't think Spanish would be impoverished if "ch" were to be sorted as two
letters instead of one, nor do I think Spanish-speaking people would be losing
a significant part of their cultural heritage if they straightened this out.
(Just to pick one example.  Btw, an equally valid "fix" would be to make it a
single letter, with its own ASCII value and everything.)

>The basenote made reference to the "inertia" invloved in scrapping all
>"natural languages" in favor of a single standard language.

I did *not* suggest a single standard language.  I didn't even ask for a
single standard alphabet, although that would solve a lot of problems.  I
merely suggested that if the lexical warts get in the way, it's possible that
they'll get removed rather than avoided.

Karl W. Z. Heuer (ima!haddock!karl or karl@haddock.isc.com), The Walking Lint