[Ubuntu-be] reminder: language use

[snulkid]

Hello

Le lundi 25 février 2008 09:03, Thijs Braem a écrit :
> I would agree on the fact that is's a bit weird and contrary to the
> 'ubuntu spirit' that everything seems to be happening mostly in
> dutch only.

Well, till now, the fact is most of the activity seems to be happening 
in the Dutch-speaking area. And in this case, people were often kind 
enough to begin with a statement in English saying the message was 
about an event in Flanders, so they would go on in Dutch.

I really don't know what the best solution is, but there should be a 
balance between efforts and optimal spread of information. So 3 
things worth mentioning :

* for non-geeks like me, ubuntu-be mailing-list and Fosdem are the 
only meeting points for Dutch- and French-speaking people concerned 
with FOSS. This is precious!

But Fosdem being an international event, their use of English is no 
argument in our case.

* this mailing-list is also an opportunity for readers to read French 
and Dutch messages. No kidding : you want to know what is said 
because you are interested, so you make the effort; that is why I 
choose the off-topic example of Regionet Limburg.
I am too lazy/busy to go back to school, so ubuntu-be is now my Dutch 
teatcher ;-).

The fact it is written also makes things easier by reducing the 
requested efforts : when I went to the Colony BBQ in Heverlee, people 
like Amedee, Christophe, Mark, Tille.. were kind enough to try to 
speak English and even French for me but you can't ask 30 people not 
to speak Dutch just because of 1 person. The balance again... I just 
have to improve my pathetic spoken Dutch and/or get more Walloons to 
join me, period.

* better an information in Dutch or French than no information in 
English.

Just 0.02 EUR from a hibernating reader (who does not read all 
messages, so sorry if I missed some points).

Have a nice day
-- 
snulkid