The advent of the Internet has sparked concerns about the potential loss of cultural and historical diversity in composition style. Technology has connected computers worldwide, creating a vast network known as the Internet. This groundbreaking development, particularly through the World Wide Web, has revolutionized communication and information exchange. In the past, different forms of media such as voice, paper, radio, and television were used to transmit data. However, digital technology now allows for more efficient transmission methods. Digital messages can range from personal interactions to wide-scale dissemination of information. Throughout history, how messages were delivered reflected their cultural and historical origins. Despite its global reach, the Internet will not erase the distinctiveness and uniqueness inherent in diverse cultures’ composition styles.
Contrary to the misconception that English dominates the Internet and will control global communication, it is important to note that the protocols and scripts necessary for digital functionality actually contain minimal English language. A commonly used example of PERL code demonstrates this point: # Read in text if (&MethGet) { $in = $ENV{‘QUERY_STRING’}; } elsif (&MethPost) { read(STDIN,$in,$ENV{‘CONTENT_LENGTH’}); } @in = split(/[&;]/,$in); The majority of the English words within this code are interchangeable with any other chosen words by programmers. In this instance, these words include “#Read in text,” “QUERY_STRING,” and “CONTENT_LENGTH,” which could have been written in any language. The rest of the code utilizes concise and abbreviated expressions that do not impose English on non-English speaking programmers. Even those fluent in English still need to learn new commands and coding syntax. However, these new “languages” will not contribute to a universal language development akin to Esperanto’s attempted creation in the early 20th century. As more programs aim to simplify user interaction without requiring coding knowledge, fewer individuals will need to learn multiple programming languages or comprehend them fully. This allows users freedom in creating web pages using their preferred design and language preferences. Currently, web pages exist in over 75 languages.
