English , like most widely used languages is a bastard child, there is no
'true' or 'correct' spelling, grammar or pronunciation.  Language by its
very nature is constantly changing, bifurcating and evolving.

Any 'rules' only represent a consensus among a particular user group at a
point in time.

The largest English speaking group may not even be caucasian.   When people
talk about preserving 'good English' I feel like they are trying to preserve
a cultural hegemony which no longer exists anyway.

If the web is meant to be a truly world-wide communication medium then
'broken english' may be the inevitable result.

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Dennis Lapcewich [SMTP:Dennis.Lapcewich(at)unisa.edu.au]
> Sent:	Tuesday, 20 June 2000 12:45
> To:	hwg-basics(at)mail.hwg.org
> Cc:	'Bert Doorn'
> Subject:	RE: Spelling and Grammar skills.
> 
> > G'day
> > 
> > Bear in mind that not everybody speaks (and writes) US English.
> > 
> 
> -- snip ---
> 
> > 
> > I live and work in Australia so I speak and write "Australian English".
> That
> > is not always the same as US English.  
> 
> Bert,
> 
> You will be pleased to know that Aussie English no longer can be
> considered
> (officially) an "accent" when heard via non-Aussie ears.  Australian
> English is
> now a bona-fide language, the same as American English or British English.
> It
> is not an "accent" of another version of English as it now stands on it
> own.
> The editors of the OED in their latest research shows Australian English
> has
> all the requirements of a full-blown language: grammar, syntax,
> punctuation,
> spelling, etc.
> 
> However, browsers still can't render Oz HTML.  :)
> 
> Dennis

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