From: John Turner <xennocide@...>
Date: 2006-10-17T03:30:17+09:00
Subject: Re: What is the reason for this syntax?

Kevin Olemoh wrote:
> If you have ten tribes in a given area that all speak different
> languages it will be pretty hard to do business if you do not have at
> least one language that is commonly spoken between a majority of the
> groups involved at the very least. This of course does not mean that a
> state must only have one official language (Some areas of China have
> more than one official language other than the standardized one.)

While you can express most things in most languages, some are just 
better at some things than others.  That is why we have the diversity. 
There is no perfect computer language and I'm not sure there ever will 
be one.  Even if we ever get to the point where natural language can be 
interpreted, some things could still be better written in German (or 
French or Chinese or whatever).  Personally I'm nigh on addicted to ruby 
because it fits the patterns my own mind works in better than any other 
computer language I've found so far.

As long as we have some translators, people who know more than one 
language/culture, people who can be the bridges, it doesn't really 
matter if not everyone can communicate with each other directly.