Hello Roger :-)
Very interesting post and me, as a „subject”
here I have to post my thoughts! So let me take them one by one as you posted
them:
If English
isn't your first language you may have an opinion?
As you know English is not my first language
– its my third in fact LOL – but why couldn’t I have an opinion thou! No matter
the language my opinions are in my mind; I guess most of the people carry and
stock them there LOL (sorry but I cannot stand not to joke what ever … )
Do we have a rule at ADLAND that says that
a forum HAS TO BE IN ENGLISH?
I don’t think here
is a written rule regarding the language to use on ALP?! … does any one know
about something like that?! … but I ask you what would you do if I would write
my posts in ROMANIAN?! I think it would be like talking to myself in the mirror;
than why waste time to type … I think when some one decide to come online and post
something the purpose is to share with as many people as possible, not just with
myself (which I’ve already communicated upon the topic before posting?!?! LOL) and at most very few more! That case it would be better to go out and pay a
visit to my neighbors or a friend or an enemy(?!), depending the topic!
I guess that, if a complete forum was not
in English, people would feel excluded.
With this respect I’m
not sure why?! (I mean to FEEL EXCLUDED! ) – I guess here we could much more
talk about „interested” – When one is interested in something is able to get
over many obstacles, depending on „the appetite” as they say :-) … and of course on the effort they are willing to „pay”. I've noticed (sometimes a very funny phenomenon) that even in English, people do not read the posts; most of the time
they read JUST the headline and that’s it! Thus, it would be interesting to
post a headline in English and the rest or in the mids some ideas in Romanian
(for instance?!) – It would be interesting reading the replies :-D
It is fair
to say that many members here really feel that Adland is American, mainly
because, with Canada they do make the largest group.
However, there is
something making me feel Adland an American place and not international, as having a different behavior
than the majority admit and accept, is not a very good idea, as soon as some
cannot comprehend such things and they quickly stigmatize you and do anything in their power to change it as being considered AGGRESSIVE, OFFENSIVE or MALIGN anyway!
Let me give you an
example: some people (like Romanians) instead of guns mostly use „humor” , as we
say MAKING FUN OF TROUBLE! – this DO NOT MEAN we are less serious with respect
of the matter!
Or, TO BE POSITIVE
DO NOT mean to be the same all over the world! In some places it means: GOD IS THERE AND WATCH OVER ME and
if I’m not doing well than HE PUNISHED ME and in some: GOD IS THERE AND GIVE ME
CHOICES and if I’m not doing well, then I CHOOSE WRONG or THE HARD WAY! – hope this
have some sense in English – English as in my Romanian – English does LOL
Do our non-English speakers feel isolated?
No, I DON’T FEEL
ISOLATED!
Also, because the bulk of forum members
have a reasonable command of English and that it is the accepted principle
world language (dare I say?) we fail to attract a whole lot of
contributors.
English is the IT
language, so with just a very few ones, everyone accept it as it is and most of
the people doing their best to get better and better! Anyway, as I’m concerned
I think WE ARE IN ADVANTAGE (in a way) as while we learn more languages we
become accustomed to more cultures and such we get better not only in speaking
languages but in understanding others and communication! It is much easier to
see ones way of thinking - speaking the same language! Maybe this is why there is
even a saying which goes whatever language you speak, when the two cannot get
along:
WE ARE NOT SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE!
I do realize that if we invite others to
write in their native tongue which here, might be a minority, we risk bad posts
which we, as the majority might not realize about or be able to police. Could
they not police this themselves?
How would some one
be able to police (as you say) anything when there are not understood the WORDS!
What would/could we be expecting about the CONTENT!?
*** WELL, I’m not
sure how to „take” your word: POLICE here?! As you see I gave it the meaning: JUDGE
or UNDERSTAND?! …rather than POLICE=POLICE … or were you really thinking of
kind of FBI or CIA or NYPD?!
Please,
If you are not very good at English would
you bring more people to Adland if you had a forum in your language?
I’m doing my best to
bring in as many friends as I can but not to post in Romanian but to make them
practice their English and improve it!
Maybe, someone would inform us of the
general content in any other language forum.
Maybe, by visiting their own forum and then
by seeing more forums in English might be tempted to improve their English and
in turn bless us with their wider culture.
What do you think?
This was it! :-)
Hope this is what
you were thinking about when made your post!
Roger
-- Anamaria