Return-Path: Received: by snark.thyrsus.com (/\==/\ Smail3.1.21.1 #21.19) id ; Sun, 16 Feb 92 17:49 EST Received: by cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com (5.57/UUCP-Project/Commodore 2/8/91) id AA19962; Sun, 16 Feb 92 17:19:19 EST Received: from cunixf.cc.columbia.edu by relay1.UU.NET with SMTP (5.61/UUNET-internet-primary) id AA25285; Sun, 16 Feb 92 16:18:53 -0500 Received: from cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu by cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (5.59/FCB) id AA12544; Sun, 16 Feb 92 16:19:00 EST Message-Id: <9202162119.AA12544@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> Received: from CUVMB.COLUMBIA.EDU by CUVMB.COLUMBIA.EDU (IBM VM SMTP R1.2.1) with BSMTP id 7857; Sun, 16 Feb 92 16:17:42 EST Received: by CUVMB (Mailer R2.07) id 7900; Sun, 16 Feb 92 16:17:19 EST Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1992 09:17:02 GMT+1200 Reply-To: cbmvax!uunet!otago.ac.nz!cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu!chandley Sender: Lojban list From: Chris Handley Subject: RE: "New York" X-To: LOJBAN%CUVMA.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu To: John Cowan , Eric Raymond , Eric Tiedemann Status: RO X-From-Space-Date: Sun Feb 16 17:49:18 1992 X-From-Space-Address: cbmvax!uunet!CUVMA.BITNET!LOJBAN Jim flames me thus: >Nonsense yourself! Nothing to do with how important I and other >anglophones (or esperantophones or lojbanophones) think English (or >Esperanto or lojban) is, but rather an assertion that the speakers >of a language have the right to decide what *they* call things. I just believe that both pragmatically and courteously it would be better to make the name of foreign places in English/Esperanto/ German/Lojban or whatever follow local usage as closely as possible. If I refer to Pittsbr@ or New Orleans, as opposed to Pittsburg or Noo Orlins, I get at best a rude stare, at worst lack of comprehension. I certainly get upset when my adopted country is referred to as Australia, as has happened. It may be your right to call any place what you will, but it does tend to hamper communication. Chris Handley chandley@otago.ac.nz Dept of Computer Science Ph (+64) 3-479-8499 University of Otago Fax (+64) 3-479-8577 Dunedin, NZ