This reminds me of the polytonic Greek issue. If I understand correctly, the Greek government decided to do away with the distinction between accents because this was easier to implement with 1960's computers.
1982. The reasons were manifold, and technological limitations probably played a role, but benefits to literacy were more frequently cited important. One Greek wit characterised it this way: in 1982 the Greeks decided to become monotonous.
I understand that there has been something of a resurgence of polytonic in recent years and, for quality literary publishers, it never went away.
John Hudson
Tiro Typeworks www.tiro.com Vancouver, BC [EMAIL PROTECTED]
The sight of James Cox from the BBC's World at One,
interviewing Robin Oakley, CNN's man in Europe,
surrounded by a scrum of furiously scribbling print
journalists will stand for some time as the apogee of
media cannibalism.
- Emma Brockes, at the EU summit
