Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ames!saturn!xanthian
From: xanthian@saturn.ADS.COM (Metafont Consultant Account)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Bad programming practices: View from the other side...
Message-ID: <10942@saturn.ADS.COM>
Date: 18 Feb 90 04:23:53 GMT
References: <"90-02-14-17:50:45.32*UK4H"@DKAUNI2.BITNET> <4992@wehi.dn.mu.oz> <25dcddd8:964.2comp.sys.amiga.tech;1@tronsbox.UUCP>
Organization: Advanced Decision Systems, Mt. View, CA (415) 960-7300
Lines: 22

In article <25dcddd8:964.2comp.sys.amiga.tech;1@tronsbox.UUCP> tron1@tronsbox.UUCP (HIM) writes:

>Granted, multi-lingual books [Amiga manuals] SHOULD be made available...

>Kenneth J. Jamieson

No, they shouldn't.  One of the things that has contributed most to
the spread of software technology worldwide is standardization on
English as the language of programmers.  To what good fortune we can
attributed this I know not, and which language it was didn't matter
that much, but don't even suggest messing it up.  If we have to
translate all the manuals for all the computers produced all over the
world to every one of over 300 languages of places where the computers
might be used, most of the third world will never see the information
revolution happen, and the rest of us will lose the ability to share
things with one another.  The level of English literacy worldwide is
high enough to support a single language for programming, parochial as
that sounds from a native English speaker.  Let's keep working on
helping the world merge, rather than fragment.
--
xanthian@ads.com xanthian@well.sf.ca.us (Kent Paul Dolan)
Again, my opinions, not the account furnishers'.