# SDMB in another language? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 26, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820 "2002-04-26T18:01:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/1 "2002-04-26T18:01:11Z")
I was reading a thread in GQ about where all the Frenchmen were, and I was wondering if foreign-language threads were officially a no-no here, or if it just works out that people don’t bother, just to respect others? I know that there are quite a few Germans and francophones here, and if a thread were to be opened in another language, would it be closed, or tolerated? I have no intention of doing this (my written english is a lot better than my written french), but I was just curious 🙂 I didn’t find anything in the FAQ (unless I missed it completely) and search kept timing out on me ☹ ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/2 "2002-04-26T19:22:04Z")
I believe their position is that this is an english language board and therefore non-english threads are not appropriate. I’m sure that a mod will be along to confirm or deny. ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/3 "2002-04-26T21:19:49Z")
There was a thread started in… I think Spanish, but I’m not positive. Anyways, it was closed. I know there were some Morse Code threads in MPSIMS that were closed. Basically, because this is a moderated board, all threads must be read by at least one moderator. If you start a thread in a language that none of the forum’s moderators can read, or that none of the moderators at all can read, then there’s no way for them to know if you’re keeping to the rules in terms of content. So, to keep things simple for the moderators, all threads have to be in English. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/4 "2002-04-26T22:07:15Z")
I think Amok has summarized it accurately. If you do post a short sentence/quotation in a foreign language (as, for example, I have seen in threads discussing esperanto), please include an accurate translation. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/5 "2002-04-26T23:37:58Z")
Like this: > [@](#): > > Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn. ‘In His House at R’lyeh Dead Cthulhu waits dreaming, yet He shall rise and His kingdom shall cover the Earth.’ ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/6 "2002-04-26T23:51:02Z")
Anthracite, I hate to have to correct you, but you only have the first part “'In His House at R’lyeh Dead Cthulhu waits dreaming”. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/7 "2002-04-26T23:57:00Z")
If you post in MPSIMS speaking perfect Dutch, I might overlook it. But I’d _better_ not find any errors, dammit! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/8 "2002-04-27T00:28:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*Anthracite, I hate to have to correct you, but you only have the first part “'In His House at R’lyeh Dead Cthulhu waits dreaming”. \*\* You’re correct; I had the page turned to the wrong Psalm. Stupid Latter-Day Cthulhu Bible… ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/9 "2002-04-27T02:16:39Z")
On a related note, what’s the official policy on linking to external sites written in a foreign language where appropriate (i.e., a thread about literature written in another language)? ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/10 "2002-04-27T02:18:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh **wgah’nagl** fhtagn. That’s **wagh’nagl** , thank you very much … unless you were accusing Great Cthulhu of being a vegetarian. Please do not accuse Great Cthulhu of being a vegetarian. It will just force him to eat you. Sincerely, Some Guy, Chairman Pedantry Department The Institute For Aklo Studies ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/11 "2002-04-27T02:19:02Z")
> [@](#): > > On a related note, what’s the official policy on linking to external sites written in a foreign language where appropriate (i.e., a thread about literature written in another language)? That’s OK, provided those sites do not conflict with any of our other rules. So no German porn sites, and no Egyptian pyramid schemes. 😉 [sub]Boy, that was bad.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/12 "2002-04-27T11:10:48Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried_ > **I think Amok has summarized it accurately. If you do post a short sentence/quotation in a foreign language (as, for example, I have seen in threads discussing esperanto), please include an accurate translation.** [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=106495&perpage=50&pagenumber=3#post2028208](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=106495&perpage=50&pagenumber=3#post2028208) > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried_ > **Oderint, dum metuant.** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wisest\_Novel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wisest_novel/32/13329_2.png) [@Wisest\_Novel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisest_Novel)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/13 "2002-04-27T12:50:04Z")
Ah, but that’s OK, **femtosecond**. He had one of his drones post [a translation](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=2029733#post2029733). Perk of the position. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-in-another-language/105820/14 "2002-04-27T17:53:56Z")
It took that stupid drone **13 hours** to translate it! He should give them a better training. Who was it, anyway? Oh… 😃