h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Why wasn't the addition of 'sites in languages other than English' among the unsuitable URLs in the <./>HouseRules</.> announced?

At first I thought I might have missed it last time I read the House Rules (I don't re-read them that often), but then I found a cached Google version saying 'Last updated 12 February, 2002' just below the title:
http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:eT7q6z3ALtkC:www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/HouseRules+houserules&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8

...and it says nothing about URLs to 'foreign' languages being unsuitable!

Just exactly when was it sneaked in right before the 'sites which may offend our users'?

I have already posted this question, and argued about it, in the 'Non-English Language Postings' conversation, but I've had no official response, and besides, it seems other things are being discussed in that conversation...

*waits for the official response*

"As there seems to be some confusion about the House Rules, they have now been clarified. The rule now reads as follows:
[New rule]"


Here:
F75100?thread=184172?thread=&skip=40&show=20#p2044273

wrong place to post <./>feedback</.> questions
hopes the move it soon!

As already pointed to in #158 of the 'Non-English Language Postings' conversation.

Ah - but is the entry for 'The Small but Vocal Minority' the right place to 'announce' something that concerns so many users that are *not* members of said club?

Posting no.158 was not made by one of the Italics, and is not an 'official announcement'

We may be vocal, but we're not small!

I know, but #158 had the relevant link.

As you will find I asked for that change to be announced. It never was.

I thought the Announcements was meant to keep us updated on the House Rules among other things - looks as if we'll just have to re-read the rules ourself - how often? Every day? Once a week?

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'h2g2 Announcements' to 'h2g2 Feedback'.

*seufzen*

( which means *sigh* as you may check for yourself at: http://dict.leo.org/?search=sigh&searchLoc=0&relink=on&deStem=standard&lang=en )

Not the official answer:

Hatifnat, URL's to foreign language sites were included in the restrictions immediately after Rupert. (i.e. long before the Announcements Page was introduced).

This was one point which was treated fairly leniently, and the attitude to URL's in general, has, fortunately, been relaxed. I am surprised that a version from Feb 2002 does not include them.

It is interesting that we are all getting frustrated about the foreign language restrictions, which involves the written word, but very little has been said about the fact that we are not allowed to include our own pictures, which was the other major point after our return to H2G2 last year. This shows that there is more to this languages issue than any other restriction which has been imposed.

Am having trouble posting this - might be due to the local server overloading because of the on at the moment (Germany vs Korea) - so please excuse any multiples.

But they still made an adjustment of the House Rules that wasn't announced!

*looks at self*

*looks at Hati*

Are we that easily confused?

As for own picture, that restriction strikes everyone equally hard - not being allowed to post URLs to sites in your own native language does only affect those who's native language isn't English.

And those people who speak the languages. Ok, there are more non-naitive speakers of German than Swedish, but it does affect more than the English-language-natives too.

In fact the English-only has affected the site as a whole.

Does anyone know of any post-Rupert non-English-language-natives?

Ehau. (Latin: not rude)

Ben

[Unsuitable link removed by Moderator]

The above link is to a welsh language site and as such though not english it is not a forign language and should NOT be moderated accorfing to the rules - now lets test the theory

But it is "in languages other than English", I'm afraid, and that's what the Rules say.

True.
Intention or poor wording?

.. and I find it hard to belive than banning Welsh is legal under English & Welsh law

I posted this over in F77636?thread=190898&post=2139708 but it is relevant to Links as to postings...


The Banning of Non English British Languages
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Legal Documents
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European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/148.htm
I know that the British governments have listed both Welsh and Irish as minority languages in relation to this charter but I don’t know the about Scots, Cornish or Manx.

Welsh Language Act 1967 (unable to find on-line copy)
Welsh Language Act 1993
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1993/Ukpga_19930038_en_1.htm

I believe that Irish is mentioned in the Good Friday Belfast agreement (http:// www.nio.gov.uk/issues/agreement.htm), in which the UK agreed to give Irish the same status in Northern Ireland as it has in Eire. Although at the moment I don’t think there is any specific legislation.

Scots again has no special protection but the Scottish parliament is preparing a Gaelic language Act at the moment.

Cornish also has no special protection in the UK.

Manx

Although there are no special laws relating to the use of Manx the I.O.M. government dose have an Office for the Manx Language.


Minority British Languages as a first Language
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Welsh, Irish, Scots & Manx are all spoken as a First language with children learning English as a 2nd language, but with the exception of Welsh the number of people doing so is very small.


What I think is wrong with the h2g2 policy of banning these languages.
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Unlike television or radio, the web offers the chance of not just broadcasting information but of allowing discussion and peer to peer communication. h2g2 was set-up to take advantage of this facility to communicate, now I do not expect h2g2 to publish information in all the various British languages as it is targeted at the whole of the UK but I do expect it to allow British Citizens to communicate with each other in the British Language that is there first and native language. It goes against my sense of fair-play to force them to do otherwise and I hope the editors will feel the same when they have thought it through.