Re: [Lynx-dev] Proposed patch to init preferred-doc-lang from LANG/LANGUAGE

[Henry Nelson]

On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 11:04:00AM +0900, Atsuhito Kohda wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:05:42 +0000 (UTC), Thorsten Glaser wrote:
> > >Then I doubt that English for the PREFERRED_LANGUAGE 
> > 
> > Actually, no. The best PREFERRED_LANGUAGE default setting is _empty_.
> 
> If so I have an impression that the PREFERRED_LANGUAGE has
> almost no influence, then I'd like to know why some auto-

Why do you get that impression?  If the user has no preference or, in
the case we seem to be discussing here, has no clue as to what AND what
order of language_s_  he/she prefers, then the best thing is to not force
some arbitrary prejudices on what the user _might_ prefer, but to leave
the preference empty, since that is exactly what it is, null.  If the user
later takes the time to study and gain an appreciation for expressing his/her
language preference, then he/she can do that easily through Lynx's Option Menu.

> Do you object to an auto-detection itself or real mechanism of
> auto-detection of the patch?

Both.  You cannot "auto-detect" the preferences of every single user.
All you can do is make _assumptions_ about what the majority of users
might prefer.  Setting general, overriding environment variables to
"auto-detect" a single preference in a particular situation is totally
illogical.

__Henry

  "Using Lynx is like wearing a really good pair of shades: cuts out
   the glare and harmful UV (ultra-vanity), and you feel so-o-o COOL."
                                         -- me, March 1999