Default language: English (US)?

Think that was the point where you were meant to hit the "Disagree" button, Mr Shiney

 

Frankie Howerd - The Forum - Up Pompeii! and all that ...

 

T'is all we need, no point spending money configuring, or translating to, others. Well ... unless the site wants to attract foreign registrations.

 

Well, let's put it this way then

If the default is English (US) .. by definition, that makes all of us (British) locals "foreign": does it not?

And, we do indeed attract people from other nations (irrespective of whether they are English ((UK)) speaking by default, or not).

Let me introduce this from a different angle, Kristen (which, I have no doubt you will appreciate, yet still argue ). Why introduce employment regulations to take into account gender differences? Well, we both know there was far more involved than mere money! So, why introduce employment regulations to cater for diversity (however you interpret that); we both know there is far more involved than mere money.

I am an English (UK) speaker/writer; I have no desire to be an English (US) speaker/writer. I do hold a level of resentment at the amount of "Americanisms" which are being thrust into my world, whether I want them or not and certainly not because I'm voting for it! Now, admittedly, that may well stem back to the days of wartime/US *invasion*/ resentment, which may have filtered through my thoughts/genes from those "War" day parents (but I don't really believe so).

Or, are you suggesting that there is now a cost to be born to be an English (UK) speaker/writer? Or, worse, that the cost is insignificant?

 

No, it just means its an American piece of software, and the default language it provides for all the settings etc. is American English.

If we wanted to add French, say, then that can no doubt be done, but RR will have to spend time doing it and that will cost money ... so unless there is a good reason to attract a French audience then there won't be any point. If people from France want to use the site, and are happy to do so in English, then they are good-to-go.

By extension if for some reason the webmaster wanted the site to have a British English option then someone would have to find any words that needed translation, or different spelling, and make whatever translations are necessary from American English and then that would have to be installed. There is cost involved in all of that.

Personally I can't see any point. I doubt that there is anything which is not clear, because of American English instead of British English, and I don't remember having seen anything that is overtly American in tone, and I certainly don't remember seeing anything that was unclear as a consequence. Have you?

If there is some money and thus time available for RR to spend on the site I think it would be much better spent on Addons to the site, such as the highlight-and-quote addon we used to have, than working on installing a British English version of the Settings etc. for the site. Its American software, I think people universally prefer it to the software we had before (which was also American), I certainly prefer it, and find it far more usable & productive that any other forum software I have encountered.

If there is comparable British product I would be all for using that instead of any foreign product. I am not aware that any world class Forum software, originating from the UK, exists. I can't speak for others, but for myself I have stopped posting on several other sites where the software was tedious to use, photograph uploading is still the String & Gum method, I can't right-click a photo and INSERT - or Drag one etc etc. The forum software on this site is a joy to use, by comparison.

 

Hmm, a business opportunity for you and clue to get together?

 

Ah the old poisoned chalice. Every now and then, a programmer (usually ONE single programmer) will be asked by his boss to develop a rival product to oust an established one from the top spot, and he'll say something like 'can you do it by Wednesday', to which the programmer will reply, 'no', to which the boss will reply 'ok, Monday it is then'.

 

To which the savvy programmer says: "Absolutely!" (Yet, refrains from stipulating *which* Monday that will be ... the future holds many, many "Monday's"

 

No, I meant a real one.

 

Fank Gawd for vat, innit - overwise me posts might reed like moo poo