[Duo2400] Re: Foreign Language Posting & efficiently pertinentmessages

[Wim Torbeyns]

A quick note: I object to the term 'foreign language' for anything 
non-english. To me as a Belgian, a foreign language is anything that is 
not Dutch, French or German. I feel that it is inappropriate to 
consider English as being everyone's 'native', 'official' or 'national' 
  language. I do not like to be considered a foreinger when I'm sitting 
behind my own computer in my own house in my native town, reading my 
favorite list. If someone on the internet is a foreigner, then everyone 
is.

But most of the time I just enjoy the helpfull and open spirit of the 
list.

Groetjes,

Wim

Bernard Duplaix heeft op donderdag, 12 dec 2002 om 13:04 
(Europe/Brussels) het volgende geschreven:

> "Robert R. Daniel" wrote:
>
>> Just a slight addendum in English to my attempt to
>> respond wittily in French to a message about foreign
>> language postings.
>>
>> Paul is right in that it is abusive for folks to
>> post exceedingly long and, perhaps, inappropriate
>> messages to the list if those messages are not really
>> pertinent to the core interest and -- if I may --
>> the "culture" of the list.  The long "Hallo Leute"
>> posting does not seem to have been a pertinent or
>> appealing message for most folks on the list. So
>> it may not have been most appropriately addressed
>> to the list as a whole.
>>
>> What provoked my reaction in French was the notion
>> that foreign language postings are entirely inappro-
>> priate.  They are no more appropriate or inappropriate
>> per se than other rambling, off-topic, quote-heavy,
>> silly, ridiculous and/or flaming posts.
>>
>> Finally, I must admit my bias:  I am a professor of
>> (you guessed it) French.  I also consider myself a
>> cosmopolitan citizen of the world and I wish more
>> Americans were cognizant of, sensitive to and, most
>> of all, friendly toward foreign cultures and languages,
>> including points of view and ways of expressing and
>> seeing things that are radically different from
>> typical American thinking.  Being an enthusiastic
>> foreign-language speaker in the U.S. is a bit like
>> being a Mac Addict in a PeeCee World.