Microsoft and the English language...

[Duncan]

RANT BEGINS...

I've just seen some promotional material for the UK launch of the 'Windows Media Center' [sic] and, as someone who has had responsibility for teaching correct spelling and grammar - as well as IT, it has me irritated beyond measure...

I'm curious - over the paste two decades, as MS Windows has become the world-wide de-facto standard for PCs, we have seen Windows in many, many different languages....

So - why is it that, through all this time, one thing has continually defeated the combined genius of the Windows programmers... the ability to have Windows use UK English for those of us who want it?

Why - when the Germans can have 'programme' can not the English have 'Favourites' and 'colours'... and why, for goodness sake, do MS insist on insulting our national language by having a huge launch of a new product, on these shores, without once thinking it might be an idea (in the publicity if nowhere else) to Anglicise it - namely 'Windows Media Center' [sic]?

It is monumentally arrogant that something so simple to program in to Windows should be ignored so completely. If the whole OS UI can be translated into German, Hebrew, Arabic etc. why is it assumed that we who use the 'original' English tongue (and the Canadians of course) should be expected to put up with Americanisms?

...but... more than anything... how did anyone from Redmond think it would be OK to launch a product with a US spelling of 'Centre'?

Give me 'Windows Media Centre' and I will jump for joy, allow me to save bookmarks in my 'Favourites' and change my system 'colours' and I will be happy. Let the people of the US put their 'r' and 'e' in any order they want, let them drop as many 'u's as they like - just give me the chance to have Windows, for once, spelt as we think it should be... :roll:

RANT OVER...

[JustinGTP]

I agree, since English was the first language, and then the Americans had to change it because they wanted it to be theirs. They obviously couldnt accept that they didnt invent it, so they changed it. LOL :lol:

[JvanEkris]

RANT BEGINS...
I'm curious - over the paste two decades, as MS Windows has become the world-wide de-facto standard for PCs, we have seen Windows in many, many different languages....

So - why is it that, through all this time, one thing has continually defeated the combined genius of the Windows programmers... the ability to have Windows use UK English for those of us who want it?

Why - when the Germans can have 'programme' can not the English have 'Favourites' and 'colours'... and why, for goodness sake, do MS insist on insulting our national language by having a huge launch of a new product, on these shores, without once thinking it might be an idea (in the publicity if nowhere else) to Anglicise it - namely 'Windows Media Center' [sic]?

It is monumentally arrogant that something so simple to program in to Windows should be ignored so completely. If the whole OS UI can be translated into German, Hebrew, Arabic etc. why is it assumed that we who use the 'original' English tongue (and the Canadians of course) should be expected to put up with Americanisms?

...but... more than anything... how did anyone from Redmond think it would be OK to launch a product with a US spelling of 'Centre'?

Give me 'Windows Media Centre' and I will jump for joy, allow me to save bookmarks in my 'Favourites' and change my system 'colours' and I will be happy. Let the people of the US put their 'r' and 'e' in any order they want, let them drop as many 'u's as they like - just give me the chance to have Windows, for once, spelt as we think it should be... :roll: Well,

Not only for the native English. As a person who speaks english as a second language, and being trained by enthousiastic native english speakers (including one ex-girlfriend), i really find the "American" interface quita annoying. I started to think that it was me that was wrong in spelling !

Since the english version is to propogated to everybody as being the international version, i rather have it in proper english that is tought in Europe everywhere, and not in that american version.

Jaap

[hollis_f]

I agree, since English was the first language, and then the Americans had to change it because they wanted it to be theirs. They obviously couldnt accept that they didnt invent it, so they changed it. LOL :lol:
Well, to be fair to them - The English language (especially the spelling of it) hadn't really settled down to an accepted standard by the time America revolted. A lot of the differences we have now are just down to the language evolving in different ways. A lot of the British spellings are just affectations introduced by posh people to try and make the spelling a bit more classical.

But that still doesn't excuse Microsoft - especially as they did manage to produce a Scottish (http://www.coastal.net.au/~dyork/windaes_98.htm) version of Windows 98 (Warning - Link contains some words commonly used on the street. Do not read if certain arrangements of letters may offend).

[GoldKey]

I would say American and British english are different dialects of the same language. Does Microsoft make different versions for the different dialects of other languages (ie, castillian (sp?) spanish is much different from that spoken in central/s. america.

[JackTheTripper]

I think you have a better chance of seeing an ebonics version of Windowz before you see a "Proper English" version.

[dMores]

i would tend to goldkey's opinion.
the german language also has it's dialects/variations; for example there is austrian german and german german.
austrians have a bunch of words only common to them, and germans actually don't even understand what they mean. this doesn't affect most of the things we see in a user interface, however, since most of it is very agricultural (potatoes, tomatoes, cream etc.) there even is an austrian dictionary :)

and as far as i have been educated (in canada, btw), the american english is, as far as the dialect and pronounciation is concerned, closer to the "original" english than the current english english.

yet i can understand the question as to why it is not possible to set the windows ui to uk english if it is being translated in all other languages on the planet.

the uk probably doesn't have a very able lobby over there ;)

[JonnoB]

Well, I think the locale capabilities of Windows has improved over the years. That said, it probably is a bit of laziness and not enough 'squeaky wheels' from abroad.

As the English language known internationally is being partly distributed by American Hollywood culture, I would not doubt that American form of English now has a faster growing audience than other forms.