Hello Michiel,

MvdV> "All speaking the same language"? You really live in a bubble. The
MvdV> assumption that everyone in Fidonet speaks English is simply wrong. In
MvdV> the haydays of Fdionet with 1200 Dutch nodes and 5500 registered Dutch
MvdV> points, there were many participants that never ventured into the so
MvdV> called "international" areas because their English was not good enough
MvdV> for that. From the few diehards that now remain in R28, nearly all of
MvdV> them probably speak English, but I would not be surprised if in Germany
MvdV> there is still a significant fraction of paticipants that have not
MvdV> enough English skills to participate in English echos. Same for Latin
MvdV> America. The ZC4 does not speak English... And then there is Eastern
MvdV> Europe...

You forget France.
Until not so long ago, many French people did not speak English,
and only some German, i.e. a long side the German border.
The other bad situation was and still is in the Fench part of Belgium.
Even if they understand Dutch, i.e. besides the border,
they almost allways answer in French,
that is a kind of "tick" between their ears ;-(.
When still keeping doing that, it will kill good nabourship.
Of course they can speak Dutch, but they allways try French first,
even if you ask somthing in Dutch or Englisch.
I call that "stronteigenwijs".
In the long term they are the loosers, and we go elswhere.
Mostly the Dutch will try to participate, but there is a lmit in doing so.
And that French speaking Belgians are trying that to the limit,
especially the old ones.
The English part on French websites is very small compared to the original
French part of it, which I hardly understand.
You know for (very) hard of hearing people like me, learning foreign
languages is more than a double handicap.
In that case I am a little jalous at the EU man Frans Timmermans who speaks
at least 7 languages if I am right.
The Germans are much better in speaking and writing English I have remarked.
In the long term the Englisch speaking part will grow much in more countries.
When you ask information about the right route on roads in Amsterdam
you have 50 % chance to get an answer in Englisch, I was supprised too some
years back. Now I know it, I am prepared.

MvdV> No, we may be one big family, or at least I'd would like it to be, but
MvdV> the assertion that we all speak the same language is plain wrong.

That may be, but someone at the TV has explained why in the long run the
differences in languages will go away.
You already see it at universities here in The Netherlands.
Many studies are only available in Englisch, not even in Dutch any more.
Even for the Master Study of Dutch, there is a significant declining in
students. Some weeks ago someone warned us for that.
The same will happen in Friesland in future.
Learning a local language only a small part speaks, is a kind of waste of
energy. In the same time you could study Englisch, German, Spanisch or French
to widen your horizon. You do the same to commnucate with many Russians.
There are also Russians who write perfectly Englisch, even if it is not
their native language.

BF>> I still prefer e.g. 'humour' over 'humor' though, but that's just me.
BF>> 8-)

MvdV> No, not just you. I too prefer "the Queens's English"

Yes me too like much more UK Englisch, than the USA version.
The same goes for Germany, I like much more "Hoch Deutch" in stead of all the
other local versions.
Why? Because your radius is much higher, i.e. more people will understand you.
And sure my Englisch is not perfect, the same for my German.
Unluckily I did not have the energy to studt French, I know only a little words
taken in 3 years at school. I only did axamination in Dutch Englisch and
German. Of course Dutch was the best, Englisch second and German third.

MvdV> despite the fact that I am not a royalist.

That's a different story.

O, and besides; I live in The Netherlands, not in Holland.
I donot like Dutch firms writing Holland on their truck,
even if they resides in one of the other provinces.
Holland is only the north and south side of the west of NL as you know.
You donot live in Holland either, and as for me it is the same ;-).
So let us all write The Netherlands in stead of Holland.
Good luck.

Henri.

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