- From: <jon@spin.ie>
- Date: Tue Sep 23 05:25:43 2003
- To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
> That particular article has been offered as a reference many, many > times. Not too long ago there was a debate regarding the topic in the > ciwah newsgroup - it ended, as it always does, with insult. > > However, I would like to offer up a different opinion. Flags as > symbol for languages are not, by users looking for content in their > own language, sees as insulting, stupid, or dysfunctional. Right or wrong, there are a great many people who do find this use of flags insulting, stupid or at least to be in poor taste. The fact that debates on the topic will frequently end in insult surely proves in itself that there is a group for whom the practice provokes a strong negative emotional response. Even amongst those who bear little ill-will against the country in question, that country's flag may be associated with the worse actions that have been carried out in its name. Certainly, where I grew up flags were never free of political connotation, and very often implied a treat of violence against one group or the other. Flags have advantages in such contexts, I'm not going to deny that, but it is incorrect to dismiss the arguments against their use.
Received on Tuesday, 23 September 2003 05:25:43 UTC