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How I made a Chrome extension for converting Reg articles to UK spelling

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward

- so they're learning American, then (well, more precisely USAian) , rather than English, no?

Whilst American English spellings do grate on my nerves a bit, it doesnt really bother me that those in the USA have done their own thing with the language. It's what everyone around the world does , change and adapt the language they speak over time (I can remember seeing the word "show" spelt "shew" when I was a nipper, for instance, and gay was still used to mean happy back then, too, although it had started to acquire the modern meaning to some extent).

However, along with that goes some cultural baggage too. Depending on the topic, when I see American spelling, it either doesn't matter a damn to me, or it can raise a warning flag "Uh-oh, this is from an American cultural perspective, based on the American worldview - bear that in mind whilst you;re reading it" kind of thing. And I don't mean that entirely negatively, just that the USA and the UK have quite different cultures, and occasionally this, plus differences in use of language can trip us up.

Now, I have long enjoyed El Reg's sublimely British humour. In the same time, I have even learnt that some Americans DO get irony, gasp! (yeah, I was the UK equivalent of a hick from the sticks, and viewed the world in terms of stereotypes as a kid. I've learnt better since). So - El Reg has decided to go with Left-Pondian spelling? I won't lie, that rankles slightly with me, but it's not a deal-breaker, so long as the style of humour stays the same! Just so long as you relise I may, or may not, indulge in some gentle teasing, should suitable occasion arise over people who can't spell correctly (NB: yes, I'm aware that my typos are getting more frequent of late; unsure what's going on with that, but I DO know how to spell English correctly! 8-})

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