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Sorry we have had a database glitch
WE have corrected an error that had occurred due to a software issue, Sorry for any interruptions to our news feed over the last 2 weeks on our Mersey Reporter Merseyside Newsbites page. This program error was due to a server update and the offending script was only identified this weekend. Big thanks to all the readers who spotted and contacted us today, telling us that 1 of our news items was dated:- 3 September 2025 and not:- 9 March 2025.
Your input has helped us to solve the mystery that had flummoxed us over the last 2 weeks. This simple error reminded us of a problem the NHS had with patient records and it got us asking, ourselves what is the more common way of putting the date now in the UK as most American Software automatically appears to default to:- month, day, year, and not the UK way of doing it:- day, month, year...? So how do you write the date? This then made us ask an even bigger question as we realised that most spell-checking software automatically corrects errors and ever correctly spelled words to American Spellings and not British spellings, like changing:- realised to realized. It then got us asking what are your thoughts on our dependency on America for most computer software and hardware we use day to day. What are the implications on British culture and language,,? What are your thoughts on this cultural question? Please let us know below or email your views to our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com, Alternatively, you can send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter. COMMENTS (2)
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Rachel Simpson
#2
Mon, 10 March 2025
2:22 pm
I agree, that the future is 'gray' for British English, as I think American spellings are taking over the world with flavor and they are becoming the norm. But it is not just spelling. We now need to think about other things online as it is not just British English spellings and pronunciations that are changing. American uses many different terms as well, and they are seeking into everyday life in the UK now thanks to the dominance of the US in computers and how it is shaping our language... I hate "CAPTCHA" being used on websites as I often find them confusing, but they are also yet another unintentional way for America to change our culture and language. The idea of "CAPTCHA" is to show the system using it that you are human and not a bot. That idea on paper is a good idea, but it has also opened up a can of worms. Even your site, on this page, uses American terms on your system that split humans and bots apart. For example, a "zebra crossing" is on your site a "crosswalk" on your "CAPTCHA" system. if you don't know that within the US a "crosswalk" is "zebra crossing" you might not be able to work out the puzzle to post a reply on your site when you get asked to match photos. Other questions can be confusing as they use the terms like pavement, which is a sidewalk in the US. But it is not just Americanisms that are reshaping how we talk in the UK, for example, a shopping trolley is called a grocery cart in the US, but other places can call them a "buggy" or a "carriage" and I often hear people in the UK now calling them by those names. Other things include satnav calling "roundabouts" "traffic circles" or "rotaries." That's not forgetting the term "nappy" being a "diaper" in the US, and is now sometimes a problem when ordering online. These changes even affect our slang now in the UK, as we are naturally picking them up from American TV, film, and online content. For example, I often hear the slang term "I will take the 5th" being used in the UK.
Blind Dave
#1
Sun, 9 March 2025
7:39 pm
I'm blind and I find most text-to-speech systems use American English with a strong American accent and not a British English accent. Often they are unable to pronounce real English phrases, and names and even mix up the dates. It is shocking how American culture is taking over in ways we do not realize!
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