The Central Authority for Internet Control (CAIC) announced today that they plan to make English the official and obligatory language of the Internet, and that by 2010 all the web pages should already be using English exclusively.
The objective of this regulation is to make the access to information universal and convergent. Owners of websites that currently display information in other languages will have two years to translate all their content, else they risk getting shut down. Here is a quote from the spokesman of the central authority:
Currently the different languages used on the Internet make it difficult both for search engines and human users to find and compare information across different sources. We know that the migration towards a English-based web will present challenges, but we believe that it is a move in the right direction.
Personally I think that this is a stupid regulation. They will force people to translate their web pages? What if someone does not know English? There are many problems involved with it, as you can see. Time will tell if they will manage to make this effective or not.
If you have a website that is not in English, however, it would be a good idea to start talking with your hosting provider to see if they will comply with the new regulation. If so you will need to start translating your pages as soon as possible.
I also heard that accessibility proponents had added a stipulation that all web pages be rendered exclusively with text – no images, no flash, nothing else was to be allowed.
Sorry, but I think that this plan is a bad ideia. Each country has its particularity in express the language and writing. Make it a default for all people, is a way to limite the web. To date, the web is a great way to express and we have to turn it, more unlimited each day. I defend a democracy. If more sites turn the english content a part of the all content, we really can look a progress!
Sorry for my limited english.I’m a brazilian. 🙂
Happy April Fool’s day, dude!
Please tell me this is another April Fool’s day joke. I’d rather be fooled than this be true.
Ok, let it be known that I am happy that I was fooled.
Yes…It’s 1th April today… 😐
I’m calling “April Fool” on this one too!
Happy April Fool’s day!
I’m a jackass! The first comment in english here and I’m backing really ashamed.
You had me going too!
I was about to launch an attack!
I thought “surely an April Fool’s” but then after reading the first few comments I thought “No, it’s real!”
HA! I knew that couldn’t be right–then I remembered today’s date! Still, there was a millisecond where I flashed back to a futuristic movie I rented last night where the government required an i.d. and password before you could access the Internet! Great post.
In case this isn’t an April Fool’s Joke (because this reminds me an awful lot of “No Child Left Behind,” where a rule was made, but there was no money to enforce it, and it didn’t do what it intended because the State was allowed to dumb down the test for the kids or even teach to the test), who’s going to enforce this?! Lyke srsly!
If there’s a regulation for every website to be in English, I’m guessing it’s in place because someone’s unable to speak read any language other than English. Ergo, if said someone can’t read any language other than English, it’s safe to assume they can’t write said languages, either. Good luck in not starting another world war over nothing 😉
Happy April Fool’s day!
Yeah these guys over the Central Authority for Internet Control for sure are some bastards! 🙂
Sounds like a great April Fools Day article!
EVERYTHING should be in ONLY English. It infuriates me when instructions, labels, etc. have everything in spanish as well. NO HABLA EL CRAPOLA!!
Lovely, but sorry to say I was only very briefly fooled. See Delanceyplace.com’s post for April 1st for this year (not posted to their homepage yet) for another great one.
If this is true, then all non-English bloggers should subscribe from Daily Writing Tips…lol!
Seriously speaking, I think this is another good example of discrimination.
I wish this can’t be true.
Sounds like the proposed requirement that all programming be in English.
They discovered that programmers don’t know English!
It must be just a joke on April Fools, or I would say:”Stupid, damn CAIC!”
Forget the Internet, if you can’t read it move on, they’re not targeting you anyway.
Now, make this an American law for ALL *brick&mortar* establishments, and I’ll sign in.
Argh! U *finally* gt me!!!
~ Happy April Fool DWT Team ~
I quite agree, this is why I am writing English online, although I am from China. I will continue to use English. I may make some grammatical mistakes, but I won’t quit.
I think this is defintely a bad and discriminative idea. It will most certainly limit the benefits of the web and blogging to many around the world, also it is as if they are imposing upon all people that they must learn English, and very well.
Yes, English is the most widely-spoken language of the world, but it doesn’t mean it should be made obligatory on all!
I hope that at least they would say, ‘ okay, keep your own langauges, but also make the option for the site to be read in English’, I think that would be a much better way than simply demanding them to delete their preferred native language for one they do not know that well.
Have you noticed though? we are starting to be controlled by many means, with all these i.d cards, and tracking devices, our liberties are also slowly being taken away from us, and we are guided to accept and agree with ‘the people with all the power’.
Anyway, sorry to ramble on, I love this site! keep up the very informative and good work!
Matilda 🙂
thank god! english is not made the officially obligatory language of speech for every living tongue, present and future.
quite a tongue in cheek stipulation
on second thoughts- yes, let every tongue easily communicate with every tongue, in which other language but english!
Hey people, Happy April Fool’s Day!!
Old farmer Johnson was dying. The family was standing around his bed. With a low voice he sad to his wife: “When I’m dead I want you to marry farmer Jones.”
Wife: “No, I can’t marry anyone after you.”
Johnson: “But I want you to.”
Wife: “But why?”
Johnson: “Jones once cheated me in a horse deal!”
Happy April Fool’s Day!