Re: Off topic, a diatribe in agreement: Re: [discuss] 3.3 in standard English

David B Teague wrote:
> On 1/29/2011 7:17 AM, Zaphod Feeblejocks wrote:
>> When (for example), an interface tells me about spreadsheet 'formulas'
>> and not 'formulae', I think the people responsible have forgotten the 
>> user.
> Off topic, a diatribe, in agreement with the position of Zaphod and 
> others.
>
> The so called "Americanisms" mentioned here are not Americanisms. They 
> are BARBARISMS, committed by poorly educated USians who do not care 
> about the language.
>
> I have an ongoing, albeit losing, war with "indexes" (indices) 
> "maximums" (maxima) "minimums" (minima) along with the words you mention.
>
> Another annoyance: I note that /America/ is more than just the US. Too 
> many people, here and abroad, use /America/ as a synonym for the 
> UNITED STATES of America. There needs to be a word other than American 
> for a citizen of the United States (of America).
>
> Little made me more angry when a student at the University of Glasgow 
> than the telephone response when I called the Consulate in Glasgow: 
> "American Consulate." It was not and is not the "AMERICAN Consulate".
>
> America includes Canada. America also includes Mexico, the Central 
> American Isthmus nations, and the South American nations. There, 
> English, where it is spoken, is a second language.
>
> But I digress.
>
> I agree with you entirely. There is a need for less US English 
> centered language references in OO.o.
>
> David Teague
> a US Citizen, who is annoyed by
> lazy and poorly educated US usage.
David, you complain about poorly educated U.S. people, unfortunately 
that is a situation that is unlikely to improve in the forseeable future 
due to a lack of funding for education here in the U.S.A..  I have 
always felt that our constitution should be amended to require that 
public schools be funded by statewide taxes and NEVER by local property 
taxes.  As long as Schools are funded by property taxes only the rich 
will receive a quality education!  As for the rest of us, we should 
consider ourselves lucky if we learn to read and write at all.