Careful

[Richmond Mathewson]

This might sound daft, BUT:

It might not be a bad thing (especially for the
benefit of non-native speakers of English) if a list
of rude words were drawn up and made available to RR
developers: a guide to words best eschewed in code.

To back this up we only need to consider the recent
misunderstanding about the word "bo****ks". On the
web-site referred to at the start of this thread there
was another word - "wa**er" - which, as far as I know
is a Briticism and may be misunderstood by North
Americans.

I am perfectly prepared to offer a list of incredibly
foul Scots words :)

At present I have a "little job" cleaning up the
website of a Russian type of Linux - the developers
have tried to be "cool" in English, and, owing to the
very simple fact that they are not native speakers and
have had little or no contact with "living English",
have only managed to sound both infantile and coarse. 

As English becomes, like it or not, the language of
programming and the web, this will be an increasing
problem.

sincerely, Richmond Mathewson


____________________________________________________________

I have just read and signed the online petition:

   "Hinge & Bracket"

hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:

   http://www.PetitionOnline.com/HandB/

I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too.  If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and 
consider signing yourself.

Richmond Mathewson
____________________________________________________________

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