Release 1.35 and English only policy

#1

I’m not enthused about the need for an English Only policy. I think years of MUCKs without such a policy, yet almost every conversation I’ve heard being in English. While Wolfery is a different environment, I still think as a principle going ‘English Only’ is not inclusive.

What I would recommend is a rephrase and re-emphases that any ‘official communication’ on Wolfery be in English, and that it be made the Official Language’- I think that will help keep the communication as it has been, in English in every amount I have seen.

#2

Fact of the matter is, we don’t have the ability to reasonably and accurately moderate non-english content at this time. Wording aside, the entire point is to make sure that primary communication language is English while in public spaces. At the end of the day, any user should be able to politely ask english please in public and have the other users know that it’s not something to push back against when asked. It needs to be very clear that users are expected to use or subtitle to english for the sake of all participants active or watching in public spaces.

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To be perfectly honest, this wording is very direct. It might not be the most gentle face, but it does in fact include mention that characters may occasionally flavor their character with languages but that it can’t be used as an exception to abuse the rule as a loop hole. (which is what typically happens in other online services when somebody else wants to test any primarily english chat rule… so that wording hasn’t been used because it opens things up to bad faith interpretation too readily.)

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#3

That’s what I brought up with Chia earlier.

Machine translation aids a great many things, but it still loses much nuance. Especially with more, ahem, poetic writing.

And idioms. It’s often very bad at that.

#4

I can surely considering rephrasing the rule, but I still think it is a good idea to keep it in English.
My reason for that opinion is:

  • Moderation - Yes, we can use translators, but it will make it more difficult.
  • Roleplay - Other languages will become ‘spam’ for those unable to read it, causing a poorer roleplay environment. Roleplay is more immersive if the language is consistent.

Yes, English makes it less inclusive, which is a problem.
But my plan to solve this lies in the multiple-realms feature, allowing the creation of realms targeting other languages.

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#5

Being practical - the only time this is likely to be enforced is in public shared spaces where people mind the inadvertent spam of an unmoderated language being heavily used. It may be good to note that other languages are fine in private up until somebody present objects since it would be an unenforceable rule otherwise for the most part unless somebody reports a problem. Allowing users the option of asking for English if/when things go too far outside of comfort should be sufficient for allowing other languages and also keeping the rule more or less within enforceable boundaries.

#6

Yes. Maybe one should add the word ‘public’:

While character may occasionally use other language, public communication and descriptions should be kept in English.

I have no intention of enforcing any such rules in private settings.

#7

But not nearly as exclusive as two people roleplaying in Xhosi in the middle of the Station Park. What people do in private or in messages isn’t going to skin any noses, but for the public areas, English is honestly the only sane way to go. It may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is what most people at least have as a second language in the western hemisphere.

Inclusive though we might want to be, Wolfery is definitely western culture - both in populace and origin. Trying to shoehorn something other than English as the language of primary communication is not necessary, IMO.