10 septembre 2008

"Message written in an undesired language"

I undertand that English is the mainstream language in North America, and in Alberta in particular, and that creating spam detection softwares is no small task. But when I keep getting quarantined messages detected as possible spams based on the fact that a "message written in an undesired language" (emphasis added) has been identified, I am plainly and simply pissed off. Can't the server I use at work be more tolerant, even if only by telling me that my language is not undesired, but perhpas not recognized? If I worked for an oil company, maybe I'd understand, but I am working for a research university whose faculty does not only come from all over the world, but whose research is likely conducted in just as many countries in collaboration with international scholars.

I cannot stand that hegemonic attitude the English-speaking world in general, and Canadian society in particular, has towards languages other than English - and may I add towards French! Would it be that hard to have a spam detection software that could recognize at least both official languages? I guess it would. The thing is, most real spam I do get is written in bloody English!