Question on ISO-639:1988

[Debbie Garside]

--On 1. juni 2004 15:08 +0100 Debbie Garside <debbie at ictmarketing.co.uk>
wrote:

> It is my opinion that most people will use 639-1 (alpha2) or 639-3
> (alpha3) but that should not mean we do not cater for those that need
> 639-6 (alpha4) level of langtags (as the XML community obviously do).

>>objection: at this point in time, references to the "XML community" are as
>>meaningful at this point as references to the "screwdriver-using
community".

Objection noted and approved

>what level of langtags they need is totally dependent on what they are
>trying to use XML for.

My thoughts entirely... but would you object to a system that allows for the
most granularity one could perceive possible/required for the future...

>I may be wearing my old curmudgeon hat, but I remain extremely skeptical of
>the sudden gush of new 639 parts - what used to be a pinhole has suddenly
>turned into a floodgate.

My understanding of the ISO 639 family is that you can use any of them as
"stand alone standards" or, because they are mapped, you can use them all
together.  I think Havard answered this very well at our meeting in Oslo so
I will let him come in here...

>I do not understand how it impacts the complexity
>of users's software - and that worries me.

I like someone who can admit they do not understand something...  that makes
two of us...

Debbie



                Harald

-----Original Message-----
From: ietf-languages-bounces at alvestrand.no
[mailto:ietf-languages-bounces at alvestrand.no]On Behalf Of Harald Tveit
Alvestrand
Sent: 02 June 2004 05:19
To: Debbie Garside; Michael Everson; ietf-languages at iana.org
Subject: RE: Question on ISO-639:1988




--On 1. juni 2004 15:08 +0100 Debbie Garside <debbie at ictmarketing.co.uk>
wrote:

> It is my opinion that most people will use 639-1 (alpha2) or 639-3
> (alpha3) but that should not mean we do not cater for those that need
> 639-6 (alpha4) level of langtags (as the XML community obviously do).

objection: at this point in time, references to the "XML community" are as
meaningful at this point as references to the "screwdriver-using community".

what level of langtags they need is totally dependent on what they are
trying to use XML for.

I may be wearing my old curmudgeon hat, but I remain extremely skeptical of
the sudden gush of new 639 parts - what used to be a pinhole has suddenly
turned into a floodgate. I do not understand how it impacts the complexity
of users's software - and that worries me.

                Harald

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