justforfun

Please take a look at what's happening over at the EK forum. Non-English threads are being started not by non-English speakers, but rather by English speakers who want non-English speakers to have a place to post. This is an "experiment" done by some Ambassador, with support of the moderator.

While in no violation of TOS, I presume, this just doesn't seem right. While English may not be the official FT language, it de facto is. Now, if someone who truly didn't now a word of english posted in their native tongue for help or assistance, I know the FT community would help them and reply in their native language. But to start threads solely for the purpose of speaking in another language seems exclusionary and contrary to the goals of FT.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...-francais.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...in-thread.html

bhatnasx

IMHO, no. Although this is an international board, the accepted norm has been english on this board for many years.

If it were in OMNI, it'd be one thing, but I think in the travel related fora, english should be the language used.

Some other posts (dating back a while):

The norm is that all signatures must be in english as well -

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11281810-post1.html (bullet point #4)

cmn.jcs

FYI, it appears non-TB FTers can't see those posts.

SQ421

I see no problem in this happening, so long as it is not violating any FT TOS (which it isn't). English is not the official language of FT; and if Members want to communicate in a language they are comfortable communicating in, whats the problem?

bhatnasx

I've edited my post - I didn't realize I had posted a link to a non-public forum. It came up in my search results.

That said, my thought, is that if all the moderators of a forum can't speak/read the language, then they can't effectively do their jobs - and if the FlyerTalk host can't speak/read the language, then they can't effectively do their job leading the moderator corps - - a reason in itself to limit non-english threads from the public fora.

vipflyer

Keep it English. English is the international language of communication, business and travel.

Jenbel

Actually, the rule that signatures had to be in english was rescinded following the experience of the moderators (of whom I was one) in trying to enforce that rule.

And the link still goes to a private forum

I do think it seems a pretty unimportant thing. There have long been posts on the airline boards which are not based in english speaking countries, where news is posted in the language it is written in, and an english summary is provided for those of us who don't speak German/Dutch/French. So FT is not only about english.

I would say the desire to have only english only comes from the fear that you might miss something if posted in another language, or not able to be involved -which is how someone who may speak some english, but not enough to feel comfortable with posting questions or discussions may feel. Is it right that your desire to be able to read everything should restrict someone else's involvement on FT?

SQ421

But not the only language...

justforfun

Oxi, then einai oti fobame, alla ean tha eimaste mia koinonia, prepei oloi na boroume na epikoinonoume.

PhlyingRPh

I question the intention behind such observations and find it interesting that there would be opposition to what is essentially a little bit of fun that harms nobody. While private clubs generally enact convenient rules and regulations to keep the natives out, so to speak, I am glad to see that FT does not have such rules, as yet.

bhatnasx

exactly! (and I have no idea what that says).

No one's restricting anyone's involvement in FlyerTalk. As most travel programs provide information in english (as well as their home-country specific language, i.e. Lufthansa in German & AF/KL in French & Dutch) and the language of Flyertalk is generally in english (our Guidelines & Rules are in english), there is an expectation, albeing unwritten, that the language used on this board, in general, is english.

I have no problems with other languages (I understand French & Hindi and some Spanish and some Italian) - but for the sake of the board's membership (the "greater good"), the core language of Flyertalk should be english.

CommittedLurker

+1. Then we should also limit/prohibit any posts in German, including fare rules/DE only offers posted online in FT, sometimes even by the moderator.

These are quite common on the LH forum, which I don't mind at all.

And translations are not provided many times.

Kagehitokiri

seems pretty clear to me >

Xlr

Well, you'd be surprised to know that it's very easy to travel on EK without speaking English, given the range of languages their staff speak.

And we are talking about the EK forum here.

Edit: Emirates flies around 184 widebody aircraft a week to the Indian subcontinent. I think it's kind of justified to have a thread in Hindi.

rathin100

^^

ALso note that I started this thread (as an experiment) with one ground rule..All posts, in any South Asian language must be in the roman script..this is common in south Asia This enables the moderator to use google translate -- a point first made by the moderator!

The same is definitionally true of the thread en Francais.

English is the language of international air traffic control not of international air travel. Airlines are bound by national bilaterals and carry flags In South America safety announcements, for instance, are not made in English, quite often. On TAM and Air France, only Portuguese/French speakers respectively may occupy exit row seats. You would not get this rule on Emirates, a global airline in the true sense of the term

And remember this this is the Emirates board. .. Emirates FFs are proud of travelling on an airline that recruits globally flies globally and caters to global audiences thereby bringing the globe together. Its a big value added for me. On a typical Emirates flight cabin crew speak 6-8 languages. Flight deck personnel come form 50 plus nations So its natural that in the EK forum, of all, you will see these experiments to include, or to communicate in different ways! ANd a supportive moderator, to boot!