>No, no, we won't go into rant mode.
Well, not "preachy rant mode" at least (or so I'm trying)...
>It feels a bit like 'auxlang are a good thing' threads. Don't tell me
>a spelling reform of English is a good thing and don't tell me it is
>not a good thing.
*shrug* I could just start answering to "why do you spell it like that?"
queries off-list, if I'm becoming a bother.
>Here's a poll:
>1) Do you think English spelling should be reformed?
>
> [ ] No, it should not be reformed
> [X] Yes, it should be reformed, but only slightly
> [?] Yes, and we need a whole now spelling
> [ ] I don't care
(For #3 - "could use" yes, "need" no.)
>2a) Do you think English spelling is phonemic?
>
> [X] Yes
> [ ] No
> [ ] I don't know
> [ ] I don't care
(Somewhere under all the exceptions, that is.)
>2b) Do you think English spelling is phonetic?
>
> [ ] Yes
> [X] No
> [ ] I don't know
> [ ] I don't care
>
>3a) Do you think English spelling should be phonemic?
>
> [X] Yes
> [ ] No
> [ ] I don't care
>
>3b) Do you think English spelling should be phonetic?
>
> [?] Yes
> [ ] No
> [ ] I don't care
(but not narrowly so)
>4) Which spelling would you prefer for current 'laugh'?
>
> [ ] laugh
> [X] laff
> [ ] laf
> [ ] larf
> [ ] _______
> [ ] I don't care
>5) Who is the most important group of people you think of when
> proposing/rejecting a spelling reform?
>
> [ ] People who can read already and just want to keep on reading
> undisturbed. (This is probably the largest group of living
> people now).
>
> [ ] L1 learners of English
>
> [X] L2 learners of English [This will be the largest group of people
> if time is considered and we wait for 100 years.)
>
> [ ] Myself, I cannot read/write properly/have had problems learning it.
>
>6) How should one cope with different dialects?
>
> [X] By neglecting distinctions made in some dialects.
> [ ] By considering all distinctions made in dialects.
> [ ] By using historical state of English and base the spelling on it.
> [ ] By defining a standard dialect and use it regardless of variants.
> [ ] By using a semantics based writing system.
> [X] By allowing multiple spellings.
>
>7) Have you thought about or (tried to) invent(ed) a spelling reform
> yourself?
>
> [?] Yes
> [ ] No
("Thought about"; unless selectiv minor mooching counts as "inventing")
>8) Which other lang do think needs a spelling reform?
>
> [X] Chinese
> [X] Danish
> [?] Faeroese
> [X] French
> [ ] German
> [X] Japanese
> [X] Thai
> [X] Irish
>**Henrik
John Vertical