[Mageia-discuss] IRC community channels - need a ruling from the board

[Richard]

On Tuesday 05 October 2010 02:14:47 Christopher Swift wrote:
> Since the
> English language is the current lingua-franca of technology (why else is
> this list in English) there isn't much of a requirement for there to be
> an English language community for Mageia as the de-facto language in
> most instances unless in a localised channel will be English by default.
>
Ouch! Christopher, I was with you for a while there but whilst it isn't your 
main theme, I'm afraid I just couldn't let this statement of yours go 
un-challenged.

Coming from the land somewhat to the left of yours and a little further up I 
will confess that I would prefer the language designation to be en-UK rather 
than en-GB. But we have have we have. However, as a native English speaker I 
believe that an English language community for Mageia is not just desirable 
but even necessary. 

Your assertion that "English language is the current lingua-franca of 
technology" and by extension, I suppose, of computery things, is not my 
perception. For Mandriva, and I suspect for Mageia too, the language should 
more accurately be described as US English. Though they sound very similar 
when spoken, the North American fork of the English language can look very 
different on paper. Even in the spoken form there are jarring discordant 
deviations from standard English grammar which are perfectly correct in US 
English. 

So I reckon that somewhere for English speaking people from the UK to hang out 
is, I think, a great idea - so long as we don't need to present our passports 
to prove citizenship:-)

Richard