VOGONS


Reply 40 of 53, by zapbuzz

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well, googles A.I. helped me build my retro PC and it was easy. Also, googles A.I. has helped me with information many things with references.
In future A.I. will get better but right now its a bit stupid how they just centralise it as a web service because 1 goes down everyone follows.
In the 90's I thought we'd have our own AI powered androids but instead they're stuffing our RAM HARD DRIVES SSD'S NVMe's into big buildings
whilst we get ripped off causing inflation and making it all look like just another cartel or racket.

Reply 41 of 53, by keenmaster486

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newtmonkey wrote on Yesterday, 16:46:

"Engrish" makes no sense when referring to Chinese, since that language has an actual "L" sound. Japanese does not. The closest is a sort of rolled "R" formed by touching the middle of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, which sounds more like "R"; hence, "Engrish" instead of "English."

Maybe "Engrish" has become a term to refer to broken English spoken by Asians in general in recent years.

The term definitely gets applied almost exclusively to Chinese stuff even if it is not an accurate mockery. We don't always get fine grained control over which terms enter the popular parlance.

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 42 of 53, by newtmonkey

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Fine. Maybe in your world, "Engrish" is used specifically to refer to Chinese manuals written in broken English, even though the term makes no sense in that context. It doesn't matter. The point is, we had two people here patting each other on the back about being offended that "new Canadians" (what do you suppose this actually means?) write emails using AI fixed from their original "Engrish." So maybe they weren't referring to Japanese people, they were referring to Chinese people.

It doesn't matter. This kind of bullshit should not be welcome on an international forum devoted to old hardware.

Reply 43 of 53, by ElectroSoldier

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keenmaster486 wrote on Yesterday, 16:37:

I've only ever heard "Engrish" used to refer to the bad English that Chinese factories put in their instruction manuals. We don't make fun of the Japanese because they actually care enough to write proper English in the products they sell on the American market, and unlike the Chinese their products are consistently good.

Chinglish.
The words are English but the sense is lost if you actually read what it says rather than what they meant.

This isnt a slur thing, this is litterly the slang term Ive heard used several times in different settings by different people.
The word has traction.

Reply 45 of 53, by Law212

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We had an employee tell us that the brand new laptop we sent them was a used refurb and wanted a new one. I asked how she thought that and she said Ai told her.

Reply 46 of 53, by keenmaster486

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newtmonkey wrote on Yesterday, 17:40:

Fine. Maybe in your world, "Engrish" is used specifically to refer to Chinese manuals written in broken English, even though the term makes no sense in that context. It doesn't matter. The point is, we had two people here patting each other on the back about being offended that "new Canadians" (what do you suppose this actually means?) write emails using AI fixed from their original "Engrish." So maybe they weren't referring to Japanese people, they were referring to Chinese people.

It doesn't matter. This kind of bullshit should not be welcome on an international forum devoted to old hardware.

Don't shoot the messenger. All I'm saying is I have never heard anyone criticize a Japanese person's English by calling it "Engrish", even though I agree that the term is not exactly accurate when applied elsewhere. But terms often run away from their face value meanings, or were improperly applied in the first place, and we don't necessarily get control over that.

In any case, "new Canadians" in 2026 could only mean Indians. Certainly not Japanese. I don't think anyone's criticizing Japanese people, especially in this day and age, when most Westerners are friendly to Japan and vice versa. But that's a whole separate discussion which I agree we should not get into here unless we want to start a flamewar.

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 47 of 53, by newtmonkey

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keenmaster486 wrote on Yesterday, 18:07:

In any case, "new Canadians" in 2026 could only mean Indians. Certainly not Japanese. I don't think anyone's criticizing Japanese people, especially in this day and age, when most Westerners are friendly to Japan and vice versa. But that's a whole separate discussion which I agree we should not get into here unless we want to start a flamewar.

Thank you for clarifying. I agree, it probably refers to Indians, which makes even less sense (who calls an Indian accent "Engrish"?). Anyway, it's in bad taste. I have a lot of respect for people who move to another country and struggle to learn the language and fit in, no matter where they're from, so I could not let the previous last few posts about "Engrish" just stand without comment. However, judging from the reaction, I seem to be alone. This is an international forum for discussing old hardware and games, after all, so I was disappointed to see this kind of stuff here.

Reply 48 of 53, by badmojo

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newtmonkey wrote on Yesterday, 18:35:

Thank you for clarifying. I agree, it probably refers to Indians, which makes even less sense (who calls an Indian accent "Engrish"?). Anyway, it's in bad taste. I have a lot of respect for people who move to another country and struggle to learn the language and fit in, no matter where they're from, so I could not let the previous last few posts about "Engrish" just stand without comment. However, judging from the reaction, I seem to be alone. This is an international forum for discussing old hardware and games, after all, so I was disappointed to see this kind of stuff here.

You're not alone, the tone in this thread has been somewhat small minded.

Life? Don't talk to me about life.

Reply 49 of 53, by Snover

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newtmonkey wrote on Yesterday, 18:35:

Thank you for clarifying. I agree, it probably refers to Indians, which makes even less sense (who calls an Indian accent "Engrish"?). Anyway, it's in bad taste. I have a lot of respect for people who move to another country and struggle to learn the language and fit in, no matter where they're from, so I could not let the previous last few posts about "Engrish" just stand without comment. However, judging from the reaction, I seem to be alone. This is an international forum for discussing old hardware and games, after all, so I was disappointed to see this kind of stuff here.

When someone writes something that is offensive or that you feel is offensive, the lack of a pile-on doesn’t mean that you must be the only person in this community with those feelings. By offering a perspective which is succinct and well-argued, there is little reason for others to chime in and continue to pull a conversation further into flame war territory. And, indeed, there have been complaints from others expressing strong displeasure about this conduct, which is why I am here to address it more directly as well.

I would beg for a moment of reflection from those here who seem to hold negative sentiments toward some ‘other’. Please do not allow the true villains of our time to misdirect your legitimate grievances about their malfeasance onto the targets of their exploitation. Asking why you spent time learning “proper English” is a reasonable question to ask yourself; claiming that it’s “almost racist” to use English in the US or Canada is fatuous. Wherever you picked that up from, don’t follow those people any more. They are trying to make you into a fool.

Each of us has limited time and energy. That someone else might have to spend that energy on something other than what you think they should says less about their motivation or intent than it does about the difficult circumstances of their life. Other people aren’t bad or wrong, or unworthy of care or protection or a reasonable quality of life, because they make different choices, or come from different places, or have different priorities. I hope everyone here can find themselves spending more time and energy on uplifting this community and others, and less on bringing an inculcated culture of grievance into this space. The blame for our collective discontent lies almost entirely on the avaricious and warmongering few who are hoarding most of the world’s prosperity for themselves. Don’t let them steal your empathy for your fellow man too.

None of us gets things right all of the time; it is only by being open to ideas from others, and by the willingness of others to offer us grace in the moments where we make mistakes, that we are able to learn and improve as individuals and as a species. I hope that will be the outcome here today. I apologise for being uncharacteristically soapboxy in this moment, and hope that things can start to steer back on topic from now.

Thanks,

Yes, it’s my fault.

Reply 50 of 53, by Shagittarius

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I find your blaming the warmongering few hoarding the world's prosperity to be a political devisive statement akin to leftist, socialist, or communist statements and don't believe you are difusing the conversation at all , instead just using your power to force people to either agree with you or remain silent.

I suggest you edit your post to remain neutral, if what you really care about is neural civility on this site. Otherwise ban me and continue on like all the "tolerant" do.

Reply 51 of 53, by Snover

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Given for how many years you have been a member here, and given that the central idea of what I wrote is about not attacking those with less power, saying I’m “using my power to force people to agree or remain silent” is certainly an interesting perspective! Anyone here is allowed to disagree with anything that I say. If you’d like, go ahead and create a new topic that lays out your case for how I am being divisive and power tripping. But please don’t continue to derail this thread.

Yes, it’s my fault.

Reply 52 of 53, by Garrett W

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Well said.

Reply 53 of 53, by Law212

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I wont be brow beaten for having legitimate complaints or criticism of the reality around me. If observations offend you then that's not my issue. Though I'd rather get back on topic but long winded blowhard performative virtue is just cringe.