Guys, After consultation with Wolfgang we decided to propose to you the following: This is an international website and our European section must also be available for other users in the world. To keep it that way it is important that we all communicate on the same level. In other words this means that we should speak the same language. The commonly used language on this site is English and it would be appropriate if we would use that language also in our section. If we allow ourselves new threads in all different kinds of European languages that will probably mean that we will be ignored by the rest of the world and also lose the coherenty of our own strong section. Of course we understand that some participants have trouble writing in English. For that reason we propose to start a new thread for every European language. An excellent example of this kind of threads has already been given by the Germans, Spanish and Dutch members. Let's give the new threads the name of the country/language, f.e. Netherlands, Germany, Spain, etc. It is important that there is only one thread per country/language in our section. Please drop any remarks or questions in this thread, or mail Wolfgang or me personally. Ton/Wolfgang
Hello Ton and Wolgang, I also agree with you on this matter I think there is only very few other Danish members in here besides myself, and I think that a Danish thread is realy not necessary, as I have already had contact to at least one of the Danes in here, and it went just fine in English. Later on we have had contact via PMs in Danish language, but that's another story... Best regards Carsten Christiansen
I agree totally on this question. One only thread in each language At the end, writting in other language is only going to be bad for that thread, as it will not make possible for other members to participate, therefore limiting the participation to a very few. I will encourge everybody to write in English always, and limit the other languages to a minimun. That even in the country threads. I know that we not always have the time to do it, but in the Spanish thread we started a pratice that I consider very usefull, that is writting each message in both English and Spanish. However I would suggest to the Spanish members to reduce the use of automated translators to a minimun, and at least, if used, to review the transaltion before posting. Frequently some of those automatic translations make more harm than good. I guess this is the same for other languages too. Cheers. - Julio
Hmmm!! Coming from South Africa and having lived in the Czech Republic for 8 years, I think I can speak for two countries in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region: The Czech audience is too small to justify their own section...smaller than Denmark, that's for sure. South Africa has 13 official languages so let's not even get involved in that debate! English should work just fine. Cheers, MARK
Mark, Although the South Africans speak Dutch and English that still doesn't mean that it is an European country! Ton
Hi Ton, South Africa is a part of the EUROPEAN golfing tour!!! And most multi-national organisations have an EMEA region, grouping the Middle East and Africa with Euro Land (and its islands)! OK, OK, so we won't have an Afrikaans page!! Cheers, MARK
English may be the default language, but by all means, I think one ought to make posts in whatever language one is comfortable with sending and receiving. "Impressed" as I may be (and I am) with the results of English as a 2nd , 3rd, 4th, etc, language on these pages, there has to be a Ricky-Ricardo-speaking-Cuban on I Love Lucy line (crossed) in the sand somewhere. Sometimes, one can only tell it like it is in their native tongue.
Wax, I agree! That is why we want to create one thread for every language. That will keep our section a lot more organized. Just imagine what would happen to the General Discussion site if everybody would start threads in German, French, Spanish, Portugues, Dutch, Italian, English, Chinese, Japanese, etc., etc. Ton
I do agree on the single forum language leaving a native language thread for every idiom. I will start the Italian one in five minutes. Just a suggestion for those with good will: post a synthetic translation in English at the end should the topic become of general interest... Ciao Eugenio
Of course I agree to keep things organized. Note: Before you read on, don't take the next too serious... bit joking around... Hehe, causing a little trouble... So, are we going to use another Dutch thread here or keep using the "old" one?... Not that we use this language that much here, most Dutch and Belgian people have no major problems with the English language I guess... Ok, ok, I know, it's just a detail but since Spain, Italy and Germany do it the "right way" now. I mean posting the country in the thread title, maybe we could do it too to keep things organized? What do you guys think? Of course, in our case that's not so easy as it looks The thread title would be too loooong *"Nederland/België,The Netherlands/Belgium" or "België/Nederland,Belgium/The Netherlands" isn't correct 'cause Belgium also has French and German as official languages. *"Nederland/Vlaanderen,The Netherlands/Flanders" is a bit weird isn't it? Flanders isn't even a country! * What about "Nederland en de Nederlandstalige gebieden van België, The Netherlands and Dutch speaking parts of Belgium" Doesn't sound ok and is too long too. Does that even fit in a thread title box? * "Nederlands gesproken gebieden, Dutch language regions"? * separate threads for the Netherlands and Flanders is a bit stupid! Or leave it like it is? I guess most people will get the picture? And what about the "France, Monaco, Luxemburg, la Wallonie,...etc French speaking" thread lol!
Alex, cool post, love your post and you hit the nail YES, we (Ton & I) will close all the other different languages threads till end of the week! I have already closed the "old" ...."hier wird deutsch gesprochen" thread! You can still read in this thread but not post. Please start a new thread like Spain, Italy, Germany has already done: Nederland - Netherlands Belgie - Belgium (sorry don`t know how to type the .. on top of the "e") ...a.s.o. Thanks a lot for your help & understanding!
can't you (as moderator) just rename the 'old' threads?? Think that's easier and nicer, because than you don't lose the old posts... Keeps also the forum cleaner!
*So euh... do you really want a "België-Belgique-Belgien-Belgium" thread just for the record then? No problem of course, but isn't it a bit weird to have 3 languages in one thread? Ok, I'll start one if you want? *Or are the Flemisch people supposed to use the "Nederland" thread, the French and German speaking Belgians the resp. France and Germany threads ? *Maybe we better have/had a "BeNeLux" thread then? More people organized in one section? Sorry for being so difficult
i have the sad duty to inform all about the massive suppression and discrimination executed by our dear moderators against small, independent countries, which do not belong to the EU. Switzerland is the oldest democrazy in europe! obviously we are not allowed to communicate in our own beloved language and are suppressed in our cultural identity by an act of shameless and rude censorship. what kind of world we are living in nowadays???? please help a slagged off bastard of the alps!
