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

Just wanted to but in here the thought that American English to me IS a foreign language and how irritating is it that all software cmes out with American English default (even when sold into other countries - although possibly not Brittain) but any other "english speaking business environments are defaulted to American English. It a petty peeve really and not a hoohah issue, but indicates an arrogance and lack of sensitivity to prevailing prefferene. In SA, we only use English-English, but all our software comes in default American English. Hmmmmmph.

Thanks for the positive replies on the Americans piece, its a pity though that any critisism of Americans (which you understand was directly requested by the originaor of this thread) could be perceived by some as "ranting" though. I'm sure its easier to condemn something without taking time to really assess if something could possibly hold truth. As someone said, its not personal, but if Americans would take the time to listen for a change, they might not be so reviled.

Keep passing open windows chaps (and as Ford pointed out, you may not want to peep).
Kosh

PS: Apologies, was written in a rush and hit post instead of preview so above post littered with shameless typo's! Sincere apologies to the typo-sensitives.

Are you sure it's arrogance and not intentional cultureal imperialism?

Clearly Koshana, you do find it easy to condemn something (one) with out taking time to ensure you have understood the meaning behind the use of a particular word.
The word ranting was not used to imply disagreement with your comments neither was it intended to belittle your points in anyway. I used it merely to indicate a form of expressing ones view and nothing else. In fact I happened to agree with the majority of what you said and just happen to be intelligent and well informed enough not to need time to assess the points you made. I apologies if this was not clear and will be more cautious about my use of language in the future.

Alot of people from the US that I have met on h2g2 have been of liberal and open minded sort, that will admit that Bush is better at looking like a chimp than he is coming to an informed decision.


*Deletes a couple of paragraphs about specific encounters with USians*


In my RL experiance of USians they have seemed to be very nice people, not arrogant, not stupid or wilfully ignorant, but kind and genorous.
I met two USians that had enounced their citizenship because of Florida's stopping 91,000 mostly black voters that would have almost certainly voted democrat from going to the polls by misuse of the 'Felon laws'. So I respected them greatly, that saw that the US is *not* the "land of the free" and got out.

A USian that can take a joke at the expense of their president, system of goverment or national stereotype is an increasingly rare thing... and one that can take on board any form of criticism process it rationally and come back with an *intelligent* and *reasoned* counter is seemingly non-existent.
I have been threatened with being set on fire, told I know nothing, called closed minded, told that I am bitter and accoused of claiming that the UK is "perfect". Been told that anti-British propaganda has never existed in the US and of course had the old "We saved your butt from Hitler" line dragged out. Had the US civil war held up as example of how racism isn't present in the *current* US goverment, and superior US morals and ethics are to Britain's.

Here is a quote from one of the more reasonable USians I have tried to have a reasoned discussion with "I feel the need to point out, that for all that people in other countries talk poorly about the United States and whine about the anti-this and anti-that sentiment...the people of this country just don't care. You can bitch and moan all you want and we just don't care. It's a system that we have that isn't perfect, but no system is perfect. And if somebody else was doing it so much better, we wouldn't be the preeminent power in the world."

Just to lighten the tone a little this poem seemed appropriate.

"Characteristics" by Norman MacCaig

My American friends,
who claim Scottish ancestry,
have been touring Scotland.
In ten days they visited
eleven castles. I smiled-
How American.

They said they preferred
the ruined ones. I smiled again.
How Scottish.

"Alot of people from the US that I have met on h2g2 have been of liberal and open minded sort, that will admit that Bush is better at looking like a chimp than he is coming to an informed decision."

Not surprising--since most of the people here are Europeans and therefore generally liberal by American standards, most conservative, close-minded Americans wouldn't bother to stay here. H2G2 researchers are a self-selecting group.

Even by European standards most people here seem liberal I'd say

No, it's not surprising that there few of the less pleasant, reasonable and rational USians on this site. But going to a site that is full of such people when you are used to frequenting site like this where ignorance and to a lesser extent arrogance is rare to a site full of people that are wilfully ignorant and closed to any possibility that they could ever even bill ill informed let alone wrong.

I'm not completely sure I understood that last post, so just let me see if I got this right. It's been your observation that USians on h2g2 are on the whole more open-minded and less arrogant than USians on similar sights across the Internet. Correct?

"I'm not completely sure I understood that last post, so just let me see if I got this right. It's been your observation that USians on h2g2 are on the whole more open-minded and less arrogant than USians on similar sights across the Internet. Correct?"

That's how it sounded to me.

"Just wanted to but in here the thought that American English to me IS a foreign language "

If we're going to consider American and British English seperate languages then I protest the UN's descision to use only British English as one of the official languages--all of the languages of P5 Security Council nations are offical UN languages except American English.

We all know what Prince Phillip or Princess Michael would say to that don't we

*Shakes head.*

Not the Americans.

Well apart from "bill ill informed" when I meant 'be ill-informed' it makes sense to me.

You have the general gist of it though... Though I've not been to site that could really be fairly described as similar to this one, I tend to think of hootoo as quite unique... Though if you mean another site that has a forum were people express their opinion then, yes. It is also *my experiance* that they are more likely to express opinion as hard facts and be hypocritical.

You know, I've noticed the same thing. And I can't figure out why that would be the case.

You wouldn't be judging the Prince and Princess by media perpetuated images would you? At least I've met Prince Phillip and my mother has worked with him so I would have something better than politically biased journalistic opinion to go on...

Judging him on comments he has made that are a matter of public record. You're not denying that he has made a fair few rude, insensitive and racist remarks over the years are you? Oh, and I've met him in a fairly formal situation but I wouldn't claim that mean't I knew him.

I've never met either of them. Just thought I'd share that.

(Though there is of course, in light of her recent revelations, a faint possibility that I've sat next to Princess Michael on a bus and not been aware of it)

Well, I haven't seen or heard anything that conclusively proves that he is a racist. I don't claim to be familiar with every comment he has made. I am simply cynical about wether what he has said and the way in which it was meant is the same as parts of the media claim. People have accused the Pythons of being rascists because of the Nver Be Rude To... song. He has never said or done anything remotely rascist in my or my mother's presense...
I don't have any respect for rascists, I just think the term is over used.