John Hughes
Can you understand Pig Latin? It's not as easy as it looks! But this childrens play language is one of many that Google now offers for its homepage. www.google.com / intl / xx-piglatin /
Other languages that Google offers include Bork Bork Bork ( www.google.com / intl / xx-bork / ), Elmer Fudd ( www.google.com / intl / xx-elmer / ), Hacker ( www.google.com / intl / xx-hacker / ), and Klingon ( www.google.com / intl / xx-klingon / ).
On a more serious note, however, Google is expanding its user interface to include around 150 languages. Currently there are 74 on offer (including the humourous ones above) ranging from English, Spanish and French, to Hindi, Tagalog and Scots Gaelic. Those in the pipeline include Assamese, Breton and Sanskrit. For a full list of Google's target languages, visit http://services.google.com / tcbin / tc.py?cmd=status
The range of languages already on offer illustrates Google's continuing drive to be the Global leader in search solutions, bringing the internet to homes across all boundaries. It is refreshing to see internet based solutions with such an understanding global outlook. How long are other business going to continue to try to be global while resolutely maintaining English as their language of trade?
Things are changing; English is still the "lingua franca" of the Internet - in 2000, 78% of all websites and 96% of eCommerce sites were in English. Yet by 2002, more than half of net users speak a language other than English. By 2003, it is predicted that the majority of Web content will be in a language other than English.
For fun, try...
www.snowcrest.net / donnelly / piglatin.html
www.thewebfool.com / kmel / klinkomp.htm
http://members.aol.com / jpklingon / uta / javauta.html
http://rinkworks.com / dialect /
