Comments on: language, quebec and the web http://hughmcguire.net/2007/02/15/language-quebec-and-the-web/ at the intersection of technology, philosophy, and politics (and some other things). Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:15:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Hugh http://hughmcguire.net/2007/02/15/language-quebec-and-the-web/#comment-22 Hugh Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:25:42 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/?p=58#comment-22 hi charlotte, Julien and I have talked about doing a montreal podcamp... for sure it would be bilingual. hi charlotte, Julien and I have talked about doing a montreal podcamp… for sure it would be bilingual.

]]> By: Charlotte http://hughmcguire.net/2007/02/15/language-quebec-and-the-web/#comment-21 Charlotte Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:17:57 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/?p=58#comment-21 Ok, I have to say, this post and the links to the discussion about Bon-Cop, Bad-Cop and Tetes a Claques make me quite happy. I love to see people discussing these things. It's true that we don't get much in the way of Quebecois movies, tv shows, etc. in the so called "mainstream" media, but I've been finding more and more really creative projects online. I don't know if it was you or Bob, but I was talking to someone about the french-canadien contributions to podcasting and blogging. I would love to do a francophone podcamp, but I don't think there's enough demand for it yet. Especially since a lot of french-canadien podcasters/bloggers prefer to express themselves in english because that's the "lingua-franca" of the net, as you put it. I don't know how much of the video from 601 you watched, but I actually talked about how I attempt to make my blog bilingual. I don't really post all that often, and it's not particularly moving stuff, but I feel like I'm doing something in the right direction anyway. Neat blog Hugh. I'll be sure to keep my eye on it. :) Ok, I have to say, this post and the links to the discussion about Bon-Cop, Bad-Cop and Tetes a Claques make me quite happy. I love to see people discussing these things.
It’s true that we don’t get much in the way of Quebecois movies, tv shows, etc. in the so called “mainstream” media, but I’ve been finding more and more really creative projects online. I don’t know if it was you or Bob, but I was talking to someone about the french-canadien contributions to podcasting and blogging. I would love to do a francophone podcamp, but I don’t think there’s enough demand for it yet. Especially since a lot of french-canadien podcasters/bloggers prefer to express themselves in english because that’s the “lingua-franca” of the net, as you put it.
I don’t know how much of the video from 601 you watched, but I actually talked about how I attempt to make my blog bilingual. I don’t really post all that often, and it’s not particularly moving stuff, but I feel like I’m doing something in the right direction anyway.
Neat blog Hugh. I’ll be sure to keep my eye on it. :)

]]> By: Hugh http://hughmcguire.net/2007/02/15/language-quebec-and-the-web/#comment-20 Hugh Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:09:50 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/?p=58#comment-20 sure, but the money and the eyeballs, in web projects, are in the USA, so ... yes language is a political choice, but the politics seem to be getting trumped by both the commerce and the technology. Quebec - and other places concerned about language - will have increasing problems protecting their languages against english. that was true in the time of TV, and increased globalization, more so with the net. On the other hand, it is so much easier to produce and disseminate media relevant to you, in whatever language you like - so a smart policy would be to explicitly support small local web projects - tech and media. For instance, Quebec has a population of about 6 million, and <a href="http://www.tetesaclaques.tv/video.php?vid=30" rel="nofollow">this video</a> has had 8.5 million views (!!!)... some obviously from outside Quebec, but still, that's... incredible. sure, but the money and the eyeballs, in web projects, are in the USA, so … yes language is a political choice, but the politics seem to be getting trumped by both the commerce and the technology.

Quebec - and other places concerned about language - will have increasing problems protecting their languages against english. that was true in the time of TV, and increased globalization, more so with the net.

On the other hand, it is so much easier to produce and disseminate media relevant to you, in whatever language you like - so a smart policy would be to explicitly support small local web projects - tech and media. For instance, Quebec has a population of about 6 million, and this video has had 8.5 million views (!!!)… some obviously from outside Quebec, but still, that’s… incredible.

]]> By: Chris Hughes http://hughmcguire.net/2007/02/15/language-quebec-and-the-web/#comment-19 Chris Hughes Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:39:39 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/?p=58#comment-19 Aah - but isn't the choice of language a project is conducted in, a highly political choice? It might not seem it, but I suppose that depends on your mother tongue. Aah - but isn’t the choice of language a project is conducted in, a highly political choice? It might not seem it, but I suppose that depends on your mother tongue.

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