New situation in the Euro section

I say leave it the way it is, with only the possibility to post in English only!
That way we will have equal rights and terms for everyone, nomatter their nationality or native language!

 

I agree with Carsten, in the sense that I think the language topics are ok, but english should be allowed at all time. Since it is the main language on here, so everyone is supposed to understand.

 

Ton, please don't close the other language threads.

I like them. I'm not allways in the mood to write in English. It's harder, I find it more troublesome to write in a foreign language. I don't want to get a dictionary to write something for fun.

Remember this forum is about our passion. To 'chat' about it you often need a wide/broad vocabulary (how do I spell that?) it's not allways available to everyone in a foreign language.

You should also consider peoples ability to write in English. I don't think that you want to scare peolple away because they don't know how to write in English. Those people are comfortable now to write in their own language. I'm able to read german, if I try hard french aswell. Other languages are more troublesome but I can enjoy the pictures. I haven't got the feeling that topics are hidden because they are in an other language.

On top of that there are some topcis for which it's not only pleasant but also most efficient to write in another language. For example last week in the Dutch thread someone mentioned the availability (how do I spell it?) of a book written in dutch for a more than reasonabe price in a bookstore in the netherlands. Why should this be of interest to people in other countries, who don't read dutch.

For what purpose would you even consider to ban other languages? It can't be because of a shortage of messages?

Met groet,

Gijs, who doesn´t mind if you chose otherwise but for now doesn´t understand why you should even think about changing this nice spot.

 

I'd like it changed back, the whole board's in english already, it's fun to have a topic where you can speak your native language. But if everyone else wants English as the only language, I'm not going to argue.

 

Some more info and arguments in favor of both options here... http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95692

 

Please also remember that you are a member of an international forum where English is the spoken Language! It's not a Dutch, Spanish, German, or Italian forum.......it's international and some users would like to be able to read your posts without having to learn Dutch or any other language at the evening school!
Besides you will have a hard time finding moderators that are capable of reading/moderating threads in all the different languages!
Perhaps it's not all English posts that will catch every user's attention, but at least everyone has a chance to see what the posts and threads are all about.....and not so if posted in only your native language!!!

It's also a forum about sharing our passion and our experiences, and by posting in your native language, you only share these posts with the people who understand your native language......perhaps others would find your posts interesting or funny or whatever, if only they could get a chance to understand the language they were posted in!
I too need my dictionary from time to time to write something that people understand, but that's the game for many of us I think!
I'm more than willing to look up a few words in my dictionary to be able to share with, and to keep in contact with the many wonderful friends I have got from being a member of this community/forum!

Edit: I think many of us will find it harder and more troublesome to write in English than it is to write in our native language, but if we like other people to share their pictures and experiences in a language we can understand, then I think we will also need to share with them on equal terms in a common language that we can all relate to!
I would definately find it more troublesome and hard to understand all the different language threads and having to get dictionarys for all the European languages to get the point of the posts and topics!
If you want to share your pictures and posts, then why not share in English with all of us who don't understand all the other European languages!
There would be so much more to read and enjoy in the European section, if all posts were written in English IMO!



Kind regards

Carsten

 

Dear Carsten,

once again an outstanding post from you!
Very well said and exactly my thoughts - keep the spirit of the fchat.com....munity alive and share your love & passion world wide!!!

Yours Sincerely

Wolfgang

 

i am not sure i should participate in this discussion as i post rarelly...

I can't imagine that some of you want to close thread/discussion and interdire some others to have discussion in their own langage because they can't understand and participate. This is the most intolerant thing i can imagine to happen here and even having a vote on that is pretty limit for me (and that's why i will not vote).

Let things be as they are and if you feel (by seing photos for example) that you would like to participate or understand a discussion that is in a foreign langage (ie not english) : just ask, i think people will tell you.

And finally if you really think other languages are bad, just say it, explain to others, try to convince them to stop there native langage threads and if they share your point of view they will.

Only my 2€ (we are on Ferrari chat, we can afford a little more than 2cents )


Jean

 

I must disagree. I can't read french or spanish or portugese and many more languages. Therefor I will simpy not visit topics in these languages. And why should I? Those topics will be about subjects that are of interest for the local members, and if they also have a more international interest, it will be posted in some other section of Ferrarichat as well. Let's face it, even if I don't visit those 'local' topics, I still have 99% of Ferrarichat at my disposal.

Another example is the meeting-topic. It is a lokal (dutch) topic primarily, since the meeting will be held in Holland, but since it has a more international scope, the choice was made to have it in English, so no one is left out.

Why should I, or anyone, care about the 1% of this forum's capacity that is meant to give members an opportunity to relate to one another in their native tongue?

 

My native language is Italian, I use English without any problem (job, you know ), I can read Spanish, Portuguese and French easily but I am not ready to write them.
That means that I do not even enter those threads that are not in English as I cannot answer in the same language. I feel excluded.
It is a fact that in the last period a lot of people are posting there rather than in the classic English language. I think that is not good. If we are a community, we can go the extra mile to use a common language so that everyone can understand.
Even for the local issues. I could be willing in the future to meet friends in Germany, but how could I when I do not understand what they are saying?
So for me is English only, even if I understand the reasons of those who want to use other languages and respect their ideas.
Ciao
Eugenio

 

A 'local' topic is for the most of us a 'home away from home'. And a tiny home at that. It's just a fraction of the entire Fchat-data.

Why would you feel excluded? I'm not a technician, so I don't have any business in the technical forum. It is not of interest to me and I wouldn't understand anyways. Should I feel excluded because of that?

 

Great post Eugenio,
I fully agree with you!
If we want to be a part of an international forum/community like this, we should all go that extra mile and try to speak/write in a common language that most users can relate to or understand!

Best regards

Carsten



BTW: My native language is not English either......it's Danish, and very far from English in almost every possible aspect!

 

Change it back please.

If you have a question, ask it in English, people will respond. And very good for the integration too.

 

Before I posted my previous message I didn't read the earlier thread so I didn't realise people were so sentimental about it. Still it didn't change my mind. It's nice to make european friends but I don't see why only english items ought to survive this discussion.

However I'm much more aware of my european friends on this forum. That's the gain of this discussion (saying in dutch, bad translation, I know). Whenever I think it might interest others I'll try to post in english. It's a nice thought, one european family, trips (would love to go to Tuscany with you all) etc... But to ban all other languages.... to wild for my taste.

The fact that farrarichat.com is een international forum and therefore should be in english is nonsense. London/frankfurt/amsterdam are international cities so everyone should speak english? It isn't even impolite I think to speak in another language. Maybe in the future we should only post about Ferrari's with 12-cyl in the rear (or front) because half the members + 1 think so?

Remember, not everything can be subjected to a poll. Do you think it's democratic to abolish the democracy by half the people + 1?

On top of that how about this:
It's clear that people enjoy using threads in another language, so there is demand. Some others are annoyed by that because they can't listen in. What's do they want to do? Kill the supply!

Solution on the free internet, as liberal community, is simple. There will be another URL, I'll meet my dutch friends there after my visit to my beloved ferrarichat.com international threads and european section with all my non-dutch speaking friends. Would it be OK if I would post a link (in english) in the european section? Would the moderator make it a sticky topic? If not: pravda! If yes: what's the difference to the status quo?

Again: we shouldn't underestimate the number of people who aren't (comfort)able to write in english. A dictionary isn't always a solution. We shouldn't scare (the stories of) those people away by banning their language.

Farrarichat.com is a free world!

Gijs

 

And why the hell isn't the spanish thread closed ???

 

Agreed, but isn't that exactly the situation that some of us apperantly want to end?

 

One post clear, if not i can insure you yhay too many people go in other forum, may be created one in EUROPE.
i don t think that Rob Lay will be happy, Oh no.

urgent
need one post clear.

 

Ton, please re-open the language threads...
Why did you close them with 65 % f-chatter who wants to keep them ????

 

While I understand some of the reasons to have an only English forum, there is a point some of you are missing.

Some people do not understand enough English to feel confortable posting in that language, they might read us but will never post. If you forbid other languges threads you will exclude completly that people from participaiting at this Forum. As somebody said this is an international forum, forbiding other languages in it is a form of discrimination. That is why in the EU congess they use translators, people express their opinions in a language they feel confortable doing it, which frequently is better that telling them, 'you know, if you can't speak English, your opinion is not valuable'.

There are only a few threads were other languages are spoken, and I do not think the intention is to exclude anybody from participating, but to bring people to the forum that otherwise would not dare to try.

And as sombody said before me, if you see something on it that you might find interesting, or you think might be of iterest for the rest of the community, you can do 3 things:

1. Ask politely in English about what is being discussed there. I have never seen somebody being excluded for participating in English in a non-english thread.

2. Use Google translation abilities. The online translation tools are far from perfect, but they are good enough to tell you if there is something of interest there.

3. Request in English in that 'foreign' thread that somebody open and English topic about that particular discussion.

As you see I have no problem with English, but I will be terribly disapointed if the Spanish thread is closed, because I know that in that case there are valuable members that will stop participating in the forum to become only readers or just plain leave. I can imagine that might be the case in other threads too.

- Julio.

PS: The smart thing would be that certain people try to speak other languages, after all we all know how to speak English. Polite would be, that a significant amount of English native spokers would learn any other language than English. If they would they would not feel threaten by not understanding others.

 

When will the decision be made?
Please open the threads again

 

Change it back please! Or as Rob has suggested - sub forum's at least! I want our Portugal (And other language) threads back!

It's like I said before...it's a small space we have to express our love of the marque in our own language. It's a great feeling. PLEASE keep it the way it was.

Vasco

P.S Did I mention that I would like it back to the way it was?

 

We live in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual world and it's this diversity that adds richness. I really have no problem with the language sections and fear that by removing them, we will be denying some people the opportunity to be a part of (and contribute to) F-Chat. Those that want to communicate in English are free to do so...what's the problem? I embarrass myself by making infrequent contributions to the Dutch and German sections...and so what? Life continues.

This is a storm in a tea-cup....I say keep the language sections.

Cheers, MARK