Martin Clark
Guest
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 Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:06 am Post subject: Posting to SRB |
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Dear Moderators,
I occasionally used to post items to SRB but in recent months none
have appeared.
Is this because I haven't got the format right, or am I down as some
sort of 'bad guy'?
If the latter, I am certainly a BIGS, have been for 28 years. Never
intentionally posted anything offensive.
As far as I can see I comply with the SRB guidelines. I used to use a
modified email notation (to avoid being targetted with spam). Although
this was easy to decipher, I have now changed this, and identify
myself correctly.
My Internet web page provides further details -
http://people.aapt.net.au/jclark19/
Regards,
Martin Clark
--------------------------------------- item posted
--------------------------------------------------
Okie99 <waren@indiana.edu> wrote in
news:a-mdnQVTn8VeegbVnZ2dnUVZ_oninZ2d@giganews.com:
| Quote: | If one were to poll
the peoples of the world I am quite sure that many would lobby for the
adoption of his own language as the universal one ...
In Thailand where I teach, students study up to 10 years of English
before they reach my freshman college classes. I'm positive if they
were to be polled, they would choose English, not Thai, as the
universal language. Indeed, English does now serve as the de facto
universal language in many regions of the world, and certainly here in
Asia.
I assumed when I first came here that Thais used English to be able to
correspond with native English speakers (e.g., Westerners). But I've
learned that Asians use English to communicate among themslves.
So it seems that functionality is trumping linguistic characteristics
(e.g., tonality and use of an alphabet) in this stage of international
communications.
It will be interesting to see if this de facto status will contribute
to the official selection -- if indeed that happens in our lifetimes.
-- Marsha Waren
Bangsaen, Thailand
|
This is similar to my experiences, teaching architecture and building
at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology in the 1980s.
The number of local languages spoken in the country totals about 750.
These are not just dialects or variants - there a number of completely
different root languages. The two main 'universal' languages are Motu
- sometimes called Police Motu as it was used by the police - and
Melanesian Pidgin, which is mainly English with all the awkward bits
modified or left out, and a large measure of Australian slang. Eg
'peril' as in 'help in peril' is 'bagarap'.
Students would arrive with a (required) basic competency in English, a
fluency in Pidgin, often Motu, and several other local languages, or
(in Pidgin) 'tok ples' languages - those 'learned at your mothers'
knee'.
The studies were conducted in English. Students (from all over the
mainland, islands and beyond) would chat to each other mostly in
Pidgin.
It was interesting to observe the process that occurred when a student
tried to express something with complex personal or emotional content.
In most cases they would start (usually silently) with their own 'tok
ples' language, then Pidgin. Pidgin is a language very suitable for
inter-group communication, trade and the like. It is not so easy to
use it to express complex or abstract ideas.
The dominance of English in the modern world is unquestionable. It is
relatively easy to learn to speak, but less easy to write. There is
also the historical context. English, in many places, is viewed as the
language of the colonist and the oppressor.
Martin Clark
NQ Australia
This is the first time I've seen your posts here. When messsages are rejected you should receive a notice to that effect. I don't really know what happened in this case.
--mod |
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Kent Johnson
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:25 am Post subject: Re: Posting to SRB |
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Hi Martin, well, the truth is we are not very organized. You know the old
joke, if you don't like organized religion you should be a Baha'i.
As a moderator I have rarely rejected a post, and when I did I always
responded with a note. But these days I know of a few that have gotten lost
by other moderators, probably not intentionally...
Between March and June I was the only moderator and I rejected a grand total
of two messages. So if you posted then it was never received by our mail
server. We do get a lot of spam, and there are several spam filters, so if
you have any trouble email me directly and I will help you. Personally I
make copies of things, and repost if I haven't seen it in 24 hours. There
was one message I tried to post over 30 times before I gave up and sent it
directly through the moderator's email. I don't know what was in that
message that kept it from going through, I remember it was about "Soul"...
That goes for anyone. If you are having trouble posting you may write me
directly for help. We sure could use some new faces around here, and some
returning old faces (not that you are old, Martin).
--Kent
"Martin Clark" <troppo19@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:IrednUuSJuhoMAHVnZ2dnUVZ_qzinZ2d@giganews.com...
| Quote: | Dear Moderators,
I occasionally used to post items to SRB but in recent months none
have appeared.
Is this because I haven't got the format right, or am I down as some
sort of 'bad guy'?
If the latter, I am certainly a BIGS, have been for 28 years. Never
intentionally posted anything offensive.
As far as I can see I comply with the SRB guidelines. I used to use a
modified email notation (to avoid being targetted with spam). Although
this was easy to decipher, I have now changed this, and identify
myself correctly.
My Internet web page provides further details -
http://people.aapt.net.au/jclark19/
Regards,
Martin Clark
--------------------------------------- item posted
--------------------------------------------------
Okie99 <waren@indiana.edu> wrote in
news:a-mdnQVTn8VeegbVnZ2dnUVZ_oninZ2d@giganews.com:
If one were to poll
the peoples of the world I am quite sure that many would lobby for the
adoption of his own language as the universal one ...
In Thailand where I teach, students study up to 10 years of English
before they reach my freshman college classes. I'm positive if they
were to be polled, they would choose English, not Thai, as the
universal language. Indeed, English does now serve as the de facto
universal language in many regions of the world, and certainly here in
Asia.
I assumed when I first came here that Thais used English to be able to
correspond with native English speakers (e.g., Westerners). But I've
learned that Asians use English to communicate among themslves.
So it seems that functionality is trumping linguistic characteristics
(e.g., tonality and use of an alphabet) in this stage of international
communications.
It will be interesting to see if this de facto status will contribute
to the official selection -- if indeed that happens in our lifetimes.
-- Marsha Waren
Bangsaen, Thailand
This is similar to my experiences, teaching architecture and building
at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology in the 1980s.
The number of local languages spoken in the country totals about 750.
These are not just dialects or variants - there a number of completely
different root languages. The two main 'universal' languages are Motu
- sometimes called Police Motu as it was used by the police - and
Melanesian Pidgin, which is mainly English with all the awkward bits
modified or left out, and a large measure of Australian slang. Eg
'peril' as in 'help in peril' is 'bagarap'.
Students would arrive with a (required) basic competency in English, a
fluency in Pidgin, often Motu, and several other local languages, or
(in Pidgin) 'tok ples' languages - those 'learned at your mothers'
knee'.
The studies were conducted in English. Students (from all over the
mainland, islands and beyond) would chat to each other mostly in
Pidgin.
It was interesting to observe the process that occurred when a student
tried to express something with complex personal or emotional content.
In most cases they would start (usually silently) with their own 'tok
ples' language, then Pidgin. Pidgin is a language very suitable for
inter-group communication, trade and the like. It is not so easy to
use it to express complex or abstract ideas.
The dominance of English in the modern world is unquestionable. It is
relatively easy to learn to speak, but less easy to write. There is
also the historical context. English, in many places, is viewed as the
language of the colonist and the oppressor.
Martin Clark
NQ Australia
This is the first time I've seen your posts here. When messsages are
rejected you should receive a notice to that effect. I don't really know
what happened in this case.
--mod
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