Stevertigo writes:
I think this is nonsense. Proper English is a
product of
specialization. English is not the property of English
speakers, but a lingua franca that everyone owns.
Pseudo-academic, pseudo-egalitarian nonsense. That's the
same kind of talk that has damaged the education of much of
the inner-city youth in America.
Frankly, it is also racist in effect. This kind of attitude
has created two generations of poorly educated Hispanic and
Black youth in American cities. I couldn't think of a
better plan for the KKK to promote if they want to keep
racism alive forever.
Hence, its destined to become simplified phonetic
-
scratch that - fonetic speling iz tha furst thing laikli
tu hapen tu English - or it should. Someday soon.
This isn't about ownership, racism or colonialism. It is
about writing article in English, for people who speak
English.
And frankly, many of our articles are being damaged by
people with good intentions, but who have poor English
reading or writing skills (or both.)
Even though I may often differ with some other Wikipedians about just
what is correct English (notably lately over over-capitalization), I am
strongly in support of using good English. If people want to persist in
pseudo-phonetic renderings of the language let them do so on the
yet-to-be-created ebonics Wikipedia. Language is also about a cultural
continuity that includes Mark Twain just as much as Shakespeare. A
generation that grows up on these fanciful spellings is well on the way
to breaking its link with a cultural continuity. That's the cost of
such dumbing down.
Ec