Re: [Leica] A little international awareness...

["Raimo Korhonen" <raimo.korhonen@pp2.inet.fi>]

I=B4m not an American but I=B4d rather like to communicate in English (=
whether
American or British) - much better than in German or Dutch or ... Isn=B4=
t LUG
based in USA?
Raimo
photos at http://personal.inet.fi/private/raimo.korhonen
my=F6s suomeksi

- ----------
> From: GBICKET <GBICKET@email.msn.com>
> To: Leica User's Group Digest <Leica-Users-Digest@mejac.palo-alto.ca.=
us>
> Subject: [Leica] A little international awareness...
> Date: 24. elokuuta 1998 2:39
>=20
> ...will help fellow LUGgers better understand the concept of skeptici=
sm
> about a double blind camera comparison a hell of a lot better than
talking
> about Pepsi Challenge, especially if Pepsi didn't happen to run this
> promotion in their country.  One of the many useful elements of the L=
UG's
> value is the experience and perspective of Leica Users who don't use
English
> as a first language.  The sooner we Americans recognize English as me=
rely
> convenient in such applications, and that no international forum has =
a
> "mother tongue", the better off LUG will be.
>=20
> This is a request for all LUGgers to extend all LUGgers the courtesy =
and
the
> consideration of trying to make ourselves easily understood.
>=20
> After all, the camera of our affections is [mostly] made in Germany.=20
Just
> because foreign education systems outshine [in many dimensions] those=
 in
the
> United States is no reason for we Americans to expect our questions t=
o
> Leica, AG, in Germany to be received and answered in English.  Yet th=
ey
are,
> and many Americans do ourselves and others a disservice when we expec=
t
it,
> rather than stop, be surprised, admire it, and woo-o-ow, express resp=
ect
and
> thanks for the --very--real--courtesy--extended--.  We Americans have=
 no
> preemptive language rights to an international forum like the LUG.=20
General
> foreign language fluency levels of  Americans leave many of us no cho=
ice
but
> to participate in an English language forum.
>=20
> Foreign users should speak up when slang and idioms are used that
complicate
> or confuse rather than facilitate LUG communication.  Use of slang an=
d
> idioms and U.S.-only examples leave interested people out and diminis=
h
> understanding...counter to what LUG is all about.
>=20
> "Hey, that old Kodachrome-25 rendered skin tones as red as the meat o=
f an
> Israeli orange!"  This doesn't create real clarity of understanding a=
nd
> shared context for most Americans.
>=20
> We all benefit from Erwin's work, which often has to be tediously
translated
> into English rather than simply forwarded in Dutch or Italian.  We ha=
ve
> LUGgers in Belgium, Canada, Italy and Spain, and lurkers in dozens of
other
> countries.  The last Digest contained news about Ted from Maylasia.  =
Many
> Americans need to rapidly notice that the world has gotten a hell of =
a
lot
> smaller in the last few years, and American world influence along wit=
h
it.
> The reasons English has often been used in international contexts are
> shrinking, not growing, each year.  And America's worldwide business =
and
> academic competitiveness erodes as it continues its failure to inject
> language-educated business people into the mix.
>=20
> It takes harder work to keep up.
>=20
> Please give this some thought.  My objective is not to cause flames,
rather
> help create a more useful, more easily understood Leica User's Group.
> Thanks.
>=20
>=20