Is Google stamping out British English?

1. 97

   theraggededgeposted 6 years ago

   The reason I ask this is because I just had a hub edited to change one comma, placed outside quote/speech marks, as per correct British punctuation, to reflect US style. That was the only edit.
   
   I don't mind in this case because it is an American-leaning hub. However, I wonder if British English on the web is in danger of being assimilated and, eventually, wiped out in favour of US English?
   
   What is HubPages stance? I know previously that British English was acceptable... is that not the case any longer? And... do you think it's a good thing to wipe out national and regional variations, even if they are perfectly correct?

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      Sherry Hewinsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I believe that most, if not all, of the editors are Americans. That could explain their preference for American English. Being American myself, I am not familiar with a lot of the British spelling and punctuation.

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   Beth Eaglescliffeposted 6 years ago

   I've had the same kind of edits. I just leave the alterations in as this is a US based website. I don't think it's a Google thing, just HubPages.
   
   I assume it is over-zealous editors who are probably not even aware that British English places full stops (periods!) and commas in a different order.

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      Thelma Albertsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I have the same kind of edits, too. It is a habit of mine writing in British English since I came here in Germany more than 3 decades ago but when I remembered I am in a US based site, I wrote in American English. When I let my hubby read my hub, he usually said my spelling was wrong. It should be flavour instead of flavor. I keep on reminding him I have to write in the American language. LOL! Sometimes, it is confusing to me.

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3. 84

   Azure11posted 6 years ago

   I recently had an email saying one of my hubs could be featured if I check grammar etc and it gave me an example of 'drink driving' - well I ignored it as drink driving is a perfectly correct term but now I think about it maybe they want me to change it to the American term of 'drunk driving' which actually is not the term used in the country that the article refers to!

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      theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly, and, of course in Britain, you don't have to be drunk to be prosecuted for drink-driving. However, I always look at who are likely to be my readers and write accordingly. Yet there are certain 'neutral' articles, such as art, crafts, etc. that I might prefer to show that I am a British writer.
      
      And, yes of course I realise that HP is American, but in the past, they have stated that they are happy to accept English variants as long as they are correct. That's why I'm wondering if they have changed their stance. I'm not complaining, just asking.
      
      At the same time, I think if Google penalises British English, that's not a good thing at all. Homogeneity is not a desirable attribute.

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   DrMark1961posted 6 years ago

   Does HP have to accept all English variations? As I understand Indian English, from the numerous contributions that we see here, it is acceptable to write without using an article.
   That is a variant. We find it incorrect, but is it? Living languages like English and Portuguese are changing all of the time.
   Does Google have to accept all of the variants too?
   
   (I am about to click on the "opine" button!)

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      Marketing Meritposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I would be inclined to argue that American English is the variant in this instance and not British English.
      
      In response to Bev's opening statement, I tend to accommodate the spelling differences when writing on HP. However, I really struggle to accept the punctuation differences which are fundamentally alien to me.

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   NateB11posted 6 years ago

   In short, yes. Why? Because.

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6. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 6 years ago

   We allow British English. However, we need to think of the sites holistically. An extreme example is publishing in multiple languages on a domain.  This would be majorally problematic unless very specific technical precautions were applied.
   
   The case of using more subtle variations in language is less problematic, but it would likely be better if we had a single standard across sites.
   
   We try and encourage folks to think about the overall health of our community sites than as individual articles.
   
   Consistency helps everyone.

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      lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      It does, and I'm glad you guys are trying to implement this.

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   paradigmsearchposted 6 years ago

   "Is Google stamping out British English?"
   
   Someone's got to do it.
   
   
   
   
   Just kidding.

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      Patty Inglish, MSposted 6 years agoin reply to this

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      DrMark1961posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Is that Googles new "Brexit for the rest of us" campaign? I think I read a blog on it.

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      Nell Roseposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      What do you all say? Para? Alooooominum? LOL! its Aluminium! best to keep to the British me thinks!

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         lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, this is one that they have edited for me. Aluminium... I hate it.

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            Nell Roseposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            The fact is, the real word is Aluminium. For some reason American English has totally ruined it.

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               Marketing Meritposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               I have always found it extremely peculiar that Americans say math instead of maths.

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                  theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  It's twp, it is

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                     DrMark1961posted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     I had to google this to figure out what you meant. Made me feel a little twp, you know?

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                     Marketing Meritposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     More like ach y fi!

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      NateB11posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      lol

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8. 84

   psycheskinnerposted 6 years ago

   So Hubpages official allows direct but you also have to be "consistent".
   
   That's really not clear at all.  If we are meant to be consistent we need to know: with what?

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   mattforteposted 6 years ago

   The comma thing really is stupid, and it's one that I've been rallying against since I was a teenager.
   Ending a sentence on quotation marks is silly. The punctuation should be outside...unless it actually belongs on the outside.
   If I ask a question, and use a quote inside the question..but the quote is not actually question, then why on earth would I put the question mark inside the quotes? That makes no sense. And what about parenthesis? We are specifically supposed to put the punctuation after them, even if the sentence ends before the parenthesis (such as in this very example). So then, why put it before the quotes?
   
   Silly...and not worth the editor's time, imho. Focus on more important things like the plethora of unreadable grammar on this site.
   
   I'll bet they edit out the Oxford comma too.....

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      psycheskinnerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      It's generally silly if you were educated in the US style,  and logical if you are not. In most cases the punctuation is part of the quote, when it is not it does go outside even by British rules.

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    paradigmsearchposted 6 years ago

    A serious note regarding serious miscommunication for decades or whatever. Has caused more chaos and misunderstandings than one can imagine. The word is "quite". Not kidding. Sort it out.

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    Tinskyposted 6 years ago

    And then there's Australian English (my home language). It leans more towards UK English although many people combine US English with Australian English in Australian business writing. For example programme (Australian and UK) versus program (US and what most Australians actually write).
    
    I used to not care what language I wrote in, though I've become more conversant with US for online writing and then flick back to Australian proper for literary endeavours. I'm always switching dictionaries on my computer. It is confusing at times.
    
    Thanks for pointing out the differences with " xxxx." and "xxxx".  I've always used the latter too, no matter what language I was writing in. (In Australia, we also use single parentheses but I was aware of this difference.) And I struggled recently with an edit to this in a Hub. Now, I know why! I was starting to think I was going cuckoo and just had it wrong.

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    paradigmsearchposted 6 years ago

    World too dmn complicated. Period.

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       theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Nah... it's colourful/colorful, messy and diverse. Lots of fun to be had. Gonna get me some, right now. Okay, well, it's just walking the dawgs, but never mind. Was that American enough?
       
       Just realised/realized I missed out the dratted Oxford comma in the first sentence, but I don't care. I'm a rebel, I am.

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          DrMark1961posted 6 years agoin reply to this

          Ach y fi, its an Oxford comma!

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             theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

             My goodness, you are turning Welsh, Dr Mark. Be careful you now, we will muck up your grammar big time, isn't it. Boyo

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                Marketing Meritposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                Tidy mun!

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                DrMark1961posted 6 years agoin reply to this

                I just finished an email to a reader in the US and when she described her dogs giardia diarrhea I wanted to respond "Ach y fi".
                Vixi Maria! I dont think she would understand.

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    RonElFranposted 6 years ago

    I just read a news story about a woman who has never been out of the U.S. who went to sleep with a headache and woke up speaking British English. And after two years, she still does. [ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat … 332714002/ ]. She's a victim of Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) - and yes, it's a very rare but real medical condition. I just wonder if she now puts the comma outside the quotation mark, and buys her soda in cans made of aluminium rather than aluminum.

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       Marketing Meritposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Tut, tut Ron...us Brits don't buy soda, only soda water!
       It's typically referred to as 'pop' over here.

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          theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

          I call mine Prosecco

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