[ubuntu-uk] This list name/description

Richard Downing richard at langside.org.uk
Sun Oct 1 16:52:44 BST 2006


David M wrote:
> Alan Pope wrote in gmane.linux.ubuntu.user.british 
>  about: This list name/description 
> 
>> It's a minor thing really, but the name of this list is Ubuntu-UK and the
>> descriptive text says "For organising Ubuntu stuff in the UK.", but the
>> banner at the top (and the description in mails from the list) says "British
>> Ubuntu Talk". 
>>
>> I don't want to start a semantic argument but UK != GB. Can we get it
>> harmonised one way or the other. I wouldn't want us to be annoying people
>> for this minor issue.
> 
> British is the adjective for UKian, for obvious reasons of 
> pronounceability. ;-)
> 
> Yes, it's not properly inclusive, although a citizen of Northern Ireland
> is "British" as far as offical records of nationality are concerned, even 
> if they may not see themselves to be so(!).
> 
> To be honest, I would imagine that Northern Irish citizens who see
> themselves as British/UK citizens would subscribe happily to this list,
> whereas those who see themselves as Irish citizens under occupation 
> would subscribe to the Irish list (history has shown that, in many
> cases, in order for the future to be to occur, you must first become 
> it), were it to exist, and some might subscribe to both (begs the 
> question: why hasn't a Republic of Ireland Ubuntu community seemed to 
> have come into existence?).
> 
> 
> However, 'British' also has some negative jingoistic connotations for
> non-English Britons (and possibly also for some English Britons who
> don't wish to be associated with certain extreme nationalistic causes), 
> so it probably would be better to rename the list description to refer 
> to the UK, which is all-inclusive (in a geopolitical sense) and doesn't 
> raise issues of national identities (which will raise themselves in
> other ways, see below..).
> 
> Depending on the aims of the list, it may also be the case that lists
> for each of the nations of the UK may also need to arise to reflect the
> focus on lobbying the governments of *each* nation. The lack of a
> government for England may result in the 'reserved to UK level' list
> continuing to reflect the unbalanced real life situation and becoming a
> de facto clearinghouse for English as well as UK-wide issues. This is of 
> course not the way I would prefer it, but I'm sure it's the way it will be!
> 
> 

I suggest English-Speaking-Europeans.  (Ducks)

R.




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