From: discar@nosc.mil (Joe Discar)
Subject: Re: some Soviet emigre restaurant jokes
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 19:23:17 GMT

In article <1992Dec22.125104.1@jaguar.uofs.edu> mam18@jaguar.uofs.edu writes:
>In article <tls2g9n@rpi.edu>, petitc@vccnw06.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit) writes:
>> 
>>  Well, I think the biggest beef that I'd have with the Russian joke is that:
>> 
>> (1) Except for Russians (obviously), very few people speak Russian (that I
>> know of), and that language isn't widely used.
>
>If you don't make this remark in the beginning of the sentense, then it 
>wouldn't be so obvious for me that Russian isn't widely used.  One should
>know that there are 290 mln. people in x-USSR, who (you won't believe it)
>speak Russian.  And also I know a lot of people in other countries, who 
>speak Russian (Eastern Europe, for example).
>
>> 
>> (2) When posting to a worldwide net, it's better to keep it in a language that
>> many people can understand.  And since money can't be transmitted over the net,
>> English is a good substitute.  :&)
>
>You are too selfish (as all Americans, BTW)!  Why do you think that English is
>a good substitute?  Is it because you speak English and are lazy enough not
>to learn any other language?  Why won't we use great French language, German,
>or even Japanese?

Well, I would hate to think of myself as ethnocentric--but English is, by
far, the most widely spoken language in the industry.  Japanese are taught
(or so I am told) English in their classrooms--and in the Phillipines,
English again is a required course.  It's always been amazing how 
egotistical Americans are: when other countries are REQUIRING that their
citizens learn English, Americans stub their nose and most ignore that
other languages exist.

However, the result is that English has become one of the primary
languages of the world--and 290 million x-soviets are hardly a mark on the
number of english-literates worldwide (this may change, mind you, now that
the borders are more open).

Lastly, consider how many people in the "x-USSR" actually have access to
the Internet?  Most users are in English-literate countries (not necessarily
"English-speaking").  So the comment that posts should be written in 
the language most understood by the users of internet, I feel, is very
appropriate.... unless the post is in a group like soc.only.russian.spoken.here.

>> -- 
>> Cat Owner/Passionate Romantic/Poet/Singer/Dreamer/Philosopher...
>> That's me!  Modest?  Sometimes.  Crazy?  BETTER BELIEVE IT!! :&)
>> "The greatest beauty in the world is beauty that is private."
>> "Protect endangered species!  Contribute to the Exxon Supporter's Fund!"
>
>I beleive that you are crazy, because nobody 'normal' would put his
>ass volunteerly into soc.culture.soviet.  It's a BAD company!
>
>Michael Martynov.

And, just for the light-hearted (and to make this post suitable for the
rec.humor that the original thread somehow got shoved into...)

Programming in BASIC is like having to defecate into a urinal: it's 
uncomfortable as hell, you wouldn't be caught dead doing it--but it
serves in a pinch when an emergency arises....

Cheers!

Joe Discar
My opinions.

Newsgroups: rec.humor