I still have my original copy, got it in about 1966. It started my interest in Ham radio and that led to computers. My favorite is the Haunted Mansion.
I've recently read a very interesting work on the subject of Esperanto and second (non-native) languages in general. The URL is:
http://members.aol.com/sylvanz/gv1.htm
The author brings up points on how difficult second languages are to master(amount of time spent immersed in the langauage, idioms, grammer, etc) and the fact that most of us who have spent numerous years in school plodding through some language are lucky to be able to say "Hello" and "Where is the bathroom". The same goes for non-english speakers on english based web pages - they begin to learn certain things, but would never become fluent or even conversant by hacking away at web pages.
English in itself is an incredibly complex language (as is Russian, French, Chinese, etc) and to expect non-native or even non-american english speakers to adapt to one version would be entirely impossible.
The idea that some medium can influence the speech of people is not new. Quite a while ago, I read something on the fact that almost all major television programs, news, commercials, etc and movies in the US are created in the "Northern Dialect" (as opposed to a Southern Drawl). But this has not changed the use of that Southern Dialect at all.
The rather one sided view of Americans that English should be the world standard represents an arrogance that puts us in a bad light thoughout the world.
I suggest people try a language such as Esperanto, which actually is easy to learn and puts everyone on an equal footing liguistically.
No cute stuff... this is serious. I'm currently working on a data warehouse project for an HMO oversight company. The people I work with are dedicated to providing the best care for those people who seem to be swept under the carpet or ignored when we walk down the street. This public statement by the Surgeon General is important and will help non-profit companies like mine to further help the people whom society seems to want to forget.
Linux is not about technical superiority - it's about choice - freedom. Of course Linux isn't perfect - Linus et al keep working on it - knowing their history, they will always be working on it, improving it. No - what we have is an movement that can't be bought, stolen or steamrolled. We have a choice - we can try something, on our own, and exercise some free will in deciding our own course. And one more thing - technology that has been around for 30 years is there for a reason - it works. I have a radio sitting on my desk (early 1900's), I'm using a QWERTY keyboard (1920's), I'm looking a cathode ray tube monitor (1920's), and I'm setting under an electric light bulb (late 1800's). How old are you Bob?
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I still have my original copy, got it in about 1966. It started my interest in Ham radio and that led to computers. My favorite is the Haunted Mansion.
I've recently read a very interesting work on the subject of Esperanto and second (non-native) languages in general. The URL is:
http://members.aol.com/sylvanz/gv1.htm
The author brings up points on how difficult second languages are to master(amount of time spent immersed in the langauage, idioms, grammer, etc) and the fact that most of us who have spent numerous years in school plodding through some language are lucky to be able to say "Hello" and "Where is the bathroom". The same goes for non-english speakers on english based web pages - they begin to learn certain things, but would never become fluent or even conversant by hacking away at web pages.
English in itself is an incredibly complex language (as is Russian, French, Chinese, etc) and to expect non-native or even non-american english speakers to adapt to one version would be entirely impossible.
The idea that some medium can influence the speech of people is not new. Quite a while ago, I read something on the fact that almost all major television programs, news, commercials, etc and movies in the US are created in the "Northern Dialect" (as opposed to a Southern Drawl). But this has not changed the use of that Southern Dialect at all.
The rather one sided view of Americans that English should be the world standard represents an arrogance that puts us in a bad light thoughout the world.
I suggest people try a language such as Esperanto, which actually is easy to learn and puts everyone on an equal footing liguistically.
Information on Esperanto can be found at:
http://www.esperanto-usa.org
Mi parlas Esperanto!
No cute stuff... this is serious. I'm currently working on a data warehouse project for an HMO oversight company. The people I work with are dedicated to providing the best care for those people who seem to be swept under the carpet or ignored when we walk down the street. This public statement by the Surgeon General is important and will help non-profit companies like mine to further help the people whom society seems to want to forget.
Linux is not about technical superiority - it's about choice - freedom. Of course Linux isn't perfect - Linus et al keep working on it - knowing their history, they will always be working on it, improving it.
No - what we have is an movement that can't be bought, stolen or steamrolled. We have a choice - we can try something, on our own, and exercise some free will in deciding our own course.
And one more thing - technology that has been around for 30 years is there for a reason - it works. I have a radio sitting on my desk (early 1900's), I'm using a QWERTY keyboard (1920's), I'm looking a cathode ray tube monitor (1920's), and I'm setting under an electric light bulb (late 1800's). How old are you Bob?