Yes, many languages will vanish if they don't adopt to technology otherwise it requires lot of investment to blend technology with the language. I am wondering, what's the ability of an individual to learn multiple languages ? Why can't we use English for gadgets and our mother tongue for all one to one interaction ? It's difficult to "kill" when we are strongly and emotionally connected.
This was interesting... The perspective also forces you to think how things might change if this realisation hits language or regional fanatics and their subsequent actions. Violently imposed temporary bans, clamour for changing the internet’s language, new devices, sad software, even more distrust on English speaking.
However, There are countries which have bucked the trend - China, Japan, Russia have independently sustained themselves on the internet - with their language and script. Hindi has managed to go a little ahead of other languages as well
These countries (as far as I know) had large number of non-English speaking populations and were also relatively industrialised at the turn of the millennium. Thus they had Internet and softwares in their language from the (almost) start. Hence a different trajectory for them.
In India, we’re playing catch up now. Our population size is forcing Internet companies to localise content and softwares but there’s never been any serious demand from early adopters (read early adopters like you and me), as they were comfortable with English.
I have a few pointers on this - there are choices they made to develop that infrastructure. Our choices veered towards English because of two reasons - magnitude and multiplicity of languages making a common language approach difficult and a lack of developing tech infrastructure of the country, rather focus on it for exports only
You have totally nailed it .
Yes, many languages will vanish if they don't adopt to technology otherwise it requires lot of investment to blend technology with the language. I am wondering, what's the ability of an individual to learn multiple languages ? Why can't we use English for gadgets and our mother tongue for all one to one interaction ? It's difficult to "kill" when we are strongly and emotionally connected.
This was interesting... The perspective also forces you to think how things might change if this realisation hits language or regional fanatics and their subsequent actions. Violently imposed temporary bans, clamour for changing the internet’s language, new devices, sad software, even more distrust on English speaking.
However, There are countries which have bucked the trend - China, Japan, Russia have independently sustained themselves on the internet - with their language and script. Hindi has managed to go a little ahead of other languages as well
These countries (as far as I know) had large number of non-English speaking populations and were also relatively industrialised at the turn of the millennium. Thus they had Internet and softwares in their language from the (almost) start. Hence a different trajectory for them.
In India, we’re playing catch up now. Our population size is forcing Internet companies to localise content and softwares but there’s never been any serious demand from early adopters (read early adopters like you and me), as they were comfortable with English.
I have a few pointers on this - there are choices they made to develop that infrastructure. Our choices veered towards English because of two reasons - magnitude and multiplicity of languages making a common language approach difficult and a lack of developing tech infrastructure of the country, rather focus on it for exports only