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Subject:Re: UK/US English - What to do? From:Sheridan-Smith John <john -dot- sheridan-smith -at- BMWFIN -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 10 May 1999 10:55:06 +0100
>languages evolve and grow, affected by both the people who speak
them and the world these people live in.
Very true. It is an oft referred to rule on this list that software
and software documentation should speak the language of its audience. It is
just as legitimate for English speakers in the north of England to expect
their American-produced software to be rewritten in their own brand of
English as it is for the English as whole to expect that some consideration
to be given to the fact that whatever it is anyone speaks in England, it
isn't American.
But my point is not that there is such a multiplicity of such
legitimate claims but that the decision on whether or not to "translate" is
made for one reason (i.e. "can't be bothered" or "never thought about it",
or "it costs too much and we can still sell the stuff over there") but
misrepresented or mistakenly assumed by some to be made on quite different
grounds (i.e. "but it's the industry standard").
