vry Comments http://vry.blogsome.com Africa: Politics, Culture, Internet and photographs Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:58:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: жирная пицца http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/06/22/self-publicist-howto/#comment-16 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:26:56 +0000 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/06/22/self-publicist-howto/#comment-16 hello i am from vermont, may i add you as i friend? hello i am from vermont, may i add you as i friend?

]]> by: vry http://vry.blogsome.com/2007/01/18/do-non-it-people-participate-in-social-news-sites/#comment-15 Wed, 24 Jan 2007 22:33:26 +0000 http://vry.blogsome.com/2007/01/18/do-non-it-people-participate-in-social-news-sites/#comment-15 I mean someone who provides IT services. They are the ones who are interested in articles about Google, Microsoft, Linux, Web 2.0, etc. Millions of other people don't have the kind of IT-type interests that seem to predominate on social news sites. I mean someone who provides IT services. They are the ones who are interested in articles about Google, Microsoft, Linux, Web 2.0, etc.
Millions of other people don’t have the kind of IT-type interests that seem to predominate on social news sites.

]]> by: aLan http://vry.blogsome.com/2007/01/18/do-non-it-people-participate-in-social-news-sites/#comment-14 Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:14:02 +0000 http://vry.blogsome.com/2007/01/18/do-non-it-people-participate-in-social-news-sites/#comment-14 What's an IT person? Isn't that someone who uses IT? If it is then I'd say that 100% of social news sites are IT people. If IT people are those whom provide IT services, then you may be surprised. What’s an IT person? Isn’t that someone who uses IT? If it is then I’d say that 100% of social news sites are IT people. If IT people are those whom provide IT services, then you may be surprised.

]]> by: someamongus http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/06/22/self-publicist-howto/#comment-11 Thu, 02 Nov 2006 02:35:53 +0000 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/06/22/self-publicist-howto/#comment-11 Loved this post, hilarious! Loved this post, hilarious!

]]> by: Muhammad Karim http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/08/27/what-really-matters-to-the-anc/#comment-9 Tue, 05 Sep 2006 08:00:24 +0100 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/08/27/what-really-matters-to-the-anc/#comment-9 It's sad to see the government only jump to action when there's PR around their activities. It just doesnt feel right to have people at the top so uncommitted to real on-the-ground change for this country. M. It’s sad to see the government only jump to action when there’s PR around their activities. It just doesnt feel right to have people at the top so uncommitted to real on-the-ground change for this country.

M.

]]> by: vry http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/02/how-to-keep-up-with-africa/#comment-8 Tue, 06 Jun 2006 22:15:53 +0100 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/02/how-to-keep-up-with-africa/#comment-8 Thanks for pointing afrikupdates out. I have been keeping an eye on it for the last 9 days and did not see much activity there. I feel they could profit from moving over to <a href="http://muti.co.za" rel="nofollow">Muti</a> Thanks for pointing afrikupdates out. I have been keeping an eye on it for the last 9 days and did not see much activity there. I feel they could profit from moving over to Muti

]]> by: Gerhard http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/18/which-south-african-language-will-survive/#comment-7 Sun, 28 May 2006 14:55:19 +0100 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/18/which-south-african-language-will-survive/#comment-7 I don't believe for a moment that all other languages will become extinct - I see no reason why languages with official status, universities, newspapers, public debate and literature will die out. As I see it, only languages without these things, or without the desire to establish them will die out. And while the desire of Afrikaans to survive is clear, it is not at all evident to me of the other languages. But I will be thrilled if you or anyone else can convince me that Setswana, Sesotho etc also have a desire to live, because if the other languages of Southern Africa could all stand up for their rights and development, the danger of English as a minority language killing off all the others will fade. It will be far more difficult for Afrikaans to survive if the other African languages die out. The case of Botswana that you mentioned is somewhat complicated, because there are indeed significant language minorities. I would be amazed if the reason for using English as the official language was really a sensitivity towards these minorities. I would think it has more to do with the history of Botswana as a British protectorate. But to remove minorities from the equation, let's take the case of Lesotho instead. There, only English is the official language, even though 99.7% of the population are Basotho. The <a href="http://www.nul.ls">National University of Lesotho</a> has no subjects in Sesotho, except the study of the language itself. So it appears that for the Basotho, English might be the language of basically everything outside the home and some entertainment. And this - the eventual death of Sesotho if it happens, will be mainly their own choice. I am not aware of any language rights movement for any other language except Afrikaans, and SA government support for languages other than English seem non-existent, despite positive utterances made by president Mbeki. Of course, this might change in the future, and that will be mainly influenced by identity and prosperity. It may well happen (in our livetimes even) that when black people have advanced sufficiently in the economic sphere, they will turn their attention more towards their real identity and languages. That would be an excellent development. I don’t believe for a moment that all other languages will become extinct - I see no reason why languages with official status, universities, newspapers, public debate and literature will die out. As I see it, only languages without these things, or without the desire to establish them will die out. And while the desire of Afrikaans to survive is clear, it is not at all evident to me of the other languages. But I will be thrilled if you or anyone else can convince me that Setswana, Sesotho etc also have a desire to live, because if the other languages of Southern Africa could all stand up for their rights and development, the danger of English as a minority language killing off all the others will fade. It will be far more difficult for Afrikaans to survive if the other African languages die out.

The case of Botswana that you mentioned is somewhat complicated, because there are indeed significant language minorities. I would be amazed if the reason for using English as the official language was really a sensitivity towards these minorities. I would think it has more to do with the history of Botswana as a British protectorate. But to remove minorities from the equation, let’s take the case of Lesotho instead. There, only English is the official language, even though 99.7% of the population are Basotho. The National University of Lesotho has no subjects in Sesotho, except the study of the language itself.
So it appears that for the Basotho, English might be the language of basically everything outside the home and some entertainment. And this - the eventual death of Sesotho if it happens, will be mainly their own choice.

I am not aware of any language rights movement for any other language except Afrikaans, and SA government support for languages other than English seem non-existent, despite positive utterances made by president Mbeki.

Of course, this might change in the future, and that will be mainly influenced by identity and prosperity. It may well happen (in our livetimes even) that when black people have advanced sufficiently in the economic sphere, they will turn their attention more towards their real identity and languages. That would be an excellent development.

]]> by: thakadu http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/02/how-to-keep-up-with-africa/#comment-6 Sun, 28 May 2006 14:11:21 +0100 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/02/how-to-keep-up-with-africa/#comment-6 Hi Gerhard, have you seen this site: http://afrikupdates.crispynews.com It is similar in concept to Muti (http://muti.co.za). Regards Hi Gerhard, have you seen this site: http://afrikupdates.crispynews.com
It is similar in concept to Muti (http://muti.co.za).

Regards

]]> by: thakadu http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/18/which-south-african-language-will-survive/#comment-5 Sat, 27 May 2006 20:56:18 +0100 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/05/18/which-south-african-language-will-survive/#comment-5 Hi Gerhard I am trying to understand how you come to the conclusion that only Afrikaans has a desire to live. The reasons for choosing English as an official language in countries such as Botswana was not through any lack of desire to support Setswana, but rather a desire to not favour one of the many indigenous languages, and English is seen as a 'neutral' language. I think the same could happen in South Africa, there are some major practical advantages to selecting English as the official language. I believe that inevitably and sadly ALL languages apart from a dialect of English will be extinct in a few hundred years. (For sure some may even survive a thousand years, like perhaps a dialect of Chinese, but eventaully the world will speak one language) Hi Gerhard

I am trying to understand how you come to the conclusion that only Afrikaans has a desire to live. The reasons for choosing English as an official language in countries such as Botswana was not through any lack of desire to support Setswana, but rather a desire to not favour one of the many indigenous languages, and English is seen as a ‘neutral’ language. I think the same could happen in South Africa, there are some major practical advantages to selecting English as the official language. I believe that inevitably and sadly ALL languages apart from a dialect of English will be extinct in a few hundred years. (For sure some may even survive a thousand years, like perhaps a dialect of Chinese, but eventaully the world will speak one language)

]]> by: M. NDIAYE http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/04/25/independence-from-colonialism/#comment-2 Tue, 02 May 2006 19:05:29 +0100 http://vry.blogsome.com/2006/04/25/independence-from-colonialism/#comment-2 These are accointances we are almost aware about... the challenge starts now: how much do we care to further strenghten the message? what have we done to furhter networking issues among us?.. E-mail: boldrainbow@yahoo.com These are accointances we are almost aware about… the challenge starts now: how much do we care to further strenghten the message? what have we done to furhter networking issues among us?..
E-mail: boldrainbow@yahoo.com

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