A question for speakers of languages other than English
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Gary Wheeler wrote:
would you rather use an application in English than in your own language?
I think it depends on where you learned to use computers. Chinese is my native language, but I started to use computers after migrating to USA. I had a chance to use the Chinese version of Windows this summer while on vacation in China, the menu items sounded so weird to me. I also had some difficulties reading technical articles in Chinese. No, I did not forget the language, I can read, write, and speak Chinese with no problem.
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Gary Wheeler wrote:
Paraphrasing and generalizing a little bit, would you rather use an application in English than in your own language? Why or why not?
My native language is Malayalam - but I wouldn't want to use an OS that uses Malayalam. For one, I'd be confused, for another I am not as comfortable in Malayalam as I'd be in English (I speak Malayalam very fluently, but I don't read/write Malayalam all that well).
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog (New) -
As a joke I installed the Afrikaans language pack on my laptop, boy that was a funny joke :)
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When I lived in Germany it depended on the application (since I live in Canada I always use the applications in English). My first language is German, but I always used the English version of the IDE because: 1. Most articles, samples, books, forums ... are in English and whenever they show menu items, IDE settings, ... it was easier to follow them. 2. The translation sometimes isn't as good as the original, especially the online help. 3. The English version is (usually) early available. I usually prefer English articles as well, because I think the English language doesn't allow so much interpretation like the German language and they (often) use less words to describe the same topic :) Stephan
Stephan Hoppe wrote:
My first language is German, but I always used the English version of the IDE because: 1. Most articles, samples, books, forums ... are in English and whenever they show menu items, IDE settings, ... it was easier to follow them.
That's the first reason why I sometimes prefer the English version over the localized one (German).
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Stephan Hoppe wrote:
My first language is German, but I always used the English version of the IDE because: 1. Most articles, samples, books, forums ... are in English and whenever they show menu items, IDE settings, ... it was easier to follow them.
That's the first reason why I sometimes prefer the English version over the localized one (German).
My native language is also German and I completely prefer English over German in the area of IT. The first time I saw a german text that talked about method signatures and translated signature with the word that is used in german for SIGNING a letter/contract/etc... :wtf: I gave up on german texts. (Except when proofed by Colleagues that they dont contain nonsense). And above this, I simply think that English IS the language in IT.
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My native language is also German and I completely prefer English over German in the area of IT. The first time I saw a german text that talked about method signatures and translated signature with the word that is used in german for SIGNING a letter/contract/etc... :wtf: I gave up on german texts. (Except when proofed by Colleagues that they dont contain nonsense). And above this, I simply think that English IS the language in IT.
marius_romanus wrote:
And above this, I simply think that English IS the language in IT.
I absolutly agree!
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I use Windows and Office in Italian, but I tend, especially for IDEs and programming tools, to prefer the English versions. But I don't know why. :-O It just seems more professional.
________________________________________________ Tozzi is right: Gaia is getting rid of us. Personal Blog [ITA] - Tech Blog [ENG] Developing ScrewTurn Wiki 1.0 final, now in English, Italian and German.
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In the past, several people I knew would run the English version of most software so they could get updates quicker. Microsoft has been getting pretty good at releasing the basic languages simultaneously with English so I don't know if that's an issue any more.
Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke
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For Windows, VS, and other development tools that I use English will be my primary choice. The reason is that it's an international IT language, or so to speak. However, when you're talking about application in general I've seen people preferring apps in their native languages. I understand English and I'm fairly good at it, but my mom would rather use a Chinese MS Office as her English is poor (and I only understand Chinese a tiny weenie bit so imagine how hard it is for me to explain to her how to use Chinese MS Office).
"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." - Thomas Jefferson "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin Edbert Sydney, Australia
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My native languageis German. Many years back I worked on a Siemens mainframe which used a German OS. As it was command line based (GUIs where unknown then) all the commands were in German. For example the command 'edit ' became 'ediere '. It was irritating because so many commands were not real German verbs but modifications of them to make them into commands. It simply felt that the German language wasn't really fit to be used on a command line.
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Gary Wheeler wrote:
would you rather use an application in English than in your own language?
I would only use English. That is the language I'm most comfortable with when it comes to dealing with computers. Of course, in the real world I speak Marathi at home, and Tamil, Hindi and Telugu with coworkers. :->
Cheers, Vikram.
"whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.
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Gary Wheeler wrote:
would you rather use an application in English than in your own language?
I would only use English. That is the language I'm most comfortable with when it comes to dealing with computers. Of course, in the real world I speak Marathi at home, and Tamil, Hindi and Telugu with coworkers. :->
Cheers, Vikram.
"whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.
Well my native language is Urdu and love to work in Urdu othr then the development/IT work. Hmmmmmm I used the Urdu version of MS Office and they used the translation for File that means Smooth with a file. Example: "file one's fingernails" and that annoys u know. Good thing i feel about english is we can use a word seemlessly as a verb, noun or adjective like Call, Open, New etc... May be for newcommers it would help to work in their native language; not sure however.
A thing of beauty is the joy forever.