Language Identifier List Comments, updated

[Randy Presuhn]

Hi -

> From: "JFC (Jefsey) Morfin" <jefsey at jefsey.com>
> To: <aphillips at webmethods.com>; "John Cowan" <jcowan at reutershealth.com>
> Cc: <ietf-languages at alvestrand.no>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 11:38 AM
> Subject: RE: Language Identifier List Comments, updated
>

> Qucik review of Addison comments.
>
> At 18:51 28/12/2004, Addison Phillips [wM] wrote:
> >draft-langtags, as RFC 3066 before it, is not shaping the world. It merely
> >defines a standardized way for users--anyone at all--to describe or
> >request their content language. It doesn't closely define what a specific
> >language is or usurp authority from anyone.
>
> See Seda's mail.
...

There is nothing in Seda's mail to refute Addison's point.

Perhaps part of the difficulty here is that those of us with a
background in linguistics take for granted the distinction
between "descriptive" and "prescriptive" approaches, and
as linguists generally are concerned with the former, rather
than the latter.  Perhaps a few words could be added
to avoid this misconception by those unfortunates
who allow languages to be dictated by governments and
who think the rest of the world suffers the same indignity.

Randy