Language, disuniting domains

Divided by a common language

The internet is a global revolution in communication - as long as you use letters from the western alphabet. Kieren McCarthy on the growing pressure for a net that recognises Asian, Arabic and Hindi characters, too

* Kieren McCarthy

* The Guardian,

* Thursday July 27 2006

Web page: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/jul/27/guardianweeklytechnologysection5

"Why the urgency? (to harmonise the internet domain system) Because a number of companies - and even countries - that are frustrated by years of delays have started offering the internet in their own languages by working outside the existing domain name system (DNS).

......The problem is that, at the moment, the DNS works only with western languages."

My Comments

The big issue here is that countries, or rather governments, want to exert their influence on the internet. And a consequence of this, as the article points out, is that some countries such as China, but not exclusively, threaten a chaotic internet if they do not follow the domain name structure.

At face value it is quite legitimate to complain that there should be provisions to accommodate all languages and not only western based languages. But we must also ask ourselves some objective and philosophical questions.

- Are all languages efficient when using digital technology? For example, I am using a Spanish style keyboard and have at least 3 keys (accents and special letter) which I hardly ever use. The article refers to the difficulties Chinese have typing in Latin based characters.

- Maybe the world-wide idea is just a myth as the article seems to suggest. Maybe the idea of a united human civilization is also a myth. The evidence does seem to point that way. Even in the twentieth century we have people without anything to eat, no help after natural disasters and so on.

- What we have to ask ourselves about these language issues is how much of this is concern for people and how is it state manipulation of people. Let us face it, people who write in western languages also happen to be democracies with all their flaws and drawbacks, not to mention such things as freedom of speech and political freedoms. Sure no state, country or government is perfect, but perfection is not what most us want. Fairness and respect can take most people a long way.

- Could it be that governments who complain too much about western languages are more concerned in making it difficult for their people to access western information and opinions and nothing to do with their language heritage? After all, why not let people decide what they want.

In a way this article confirms my belief that: language unites us, but languages keep us divided.

Internet network solves multi language needs for hospital.

Internet network solves multi language needs for hospital.

Country:

California, USA

Source:

San Mateo Medical Center aims to lower language barriers

by Laura Cutland

Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - February 13, 2006

Story:

San Mateo Medical Center have introduced an internet based system to bring together medical interpreters to its hospitals and clinics. This technology now enables medical translators and interpreters to offer their expertise where and when they are need since they don’t have to be physically present when the patient is with a medical staff. In a way, the network is an internet based video conferencing system, where the language expert help doctor and patient communicate with each oter.

The county hospital estimates that 35 percent of its patients are not English proficient.

Facts:

- Phone based professional interpreters cost $4 a minute and do not include the visual element.

- In the past it took between 30 minutes to an hour and a half to find a medical interpreter, now it takes less than two minutes.

- The new service now costs 75 cents per minute, with an expected savings of $100,000 p.a from the interpreter budget.

- The combined investment, from charity funds, was $1m.

- According to the CEO, the return on investment is safety and quality.

Language-Issues:

- Is IT an opportunity to solve multi-language communication difficulties?

- How does this absence of a common language affect the doctor-patient relationship?

- Isn't the language factor reducing health care into and even more mechanical activity?

- Although, the medical staff can communicate with non-English speakers, how are they taking into account the cultural factor in their consultations?

- How does this system cope with such needs as psychological treatment, psychiatric treatment, depression or other mental type problems when communication needs to be more than a description of a physical symptoms?

Comments:

- Would a similar solution work in other environments? For example, retail, law or within international companies?

- In a way, this language identity, together with cultural identity, is separating where we live from how we live. Identity is no longer linked to the land, but to some metaphysical entity we might call language/culture identity.

- What are the socio-political repercussions of this separation of identity?

- How is this identity issue affecting foreign policies and international relationships for governments?

Bottom-Line:

Is it feasible, and what are the investment costs, for a government to introduce a similar multi-language network system, state wide, NHS wide and country wide?