Hey kids, This is a long one, but something that I'm honestly shaking my head and my fists about. I won't run too much prefacing or disclaimers here. Just know that I ran a search for "Search Engine Optimisation Perth" and got this guy at #2 (If you run one for "Search Engine Optimisation Perth ignorant arrogance" he's Numero Uno). I saw something and then emailed him, which he then copied and posted on this forum: http://perth.perthperth.com/index.php?showtopic=2048&st=0&p=2824 As it's already public, I'm posting it elsewhere to gather some other, outside, points of view on this. His responses are in bold and are scattered through my original email. -------ORIGINAL POST------- Email CC: Greetings, While I have seen your site(s) on the top of Google for quite a while now and highly admire your efforts Thank you , I feel the need to point out to you an extremely irresponsible statement made on the page: (Here's where I linked his page, but won't here for forum etiquette). “It's all good news. While Americans wallow in their ignorant arrogance, the rest of the English speaking world quietly goes about their search engine optimisation business.†I know it is pushing the limits but it was a case of an American LOL at me when he was the stupido. I also see only American spelling on many American sites. While I think the more phonic spelling is better I believe they're (generally meaning most but not all American web marketers are ignorant and in some cases like the guy who LOL at my spelling, are making a big mistake ignoring the Queen's English. Not that it’s necessary to preach to you about how only the lowliest choose to make themselves look better by making fun of someone else, but to single out one nationality is actually quite reprehensible, regardless of who it is. Think about it in terms of non-Americans. Would it be any better or worse to say, “While the Japanese wallow in their ignorant arrogance� No. HELL no. You’d be tarred and feathered as a racist and you’d probably receive daily death threats. I've been even more critical of Japanese publicly on the old Scarborough Beach forum without death threats and if that did happen I'd be prepared to defend myself. When it comes to Japanese of today I have no hate of their people and love the cultural diversity they bring to my son's school but their government still slaughter whales and still officially endorse singing of the WWII imperial anthem; Heard at my son's school assembly. I hate that and always walk out in protest when they start. Their imperial zero pilots sang that song when they killed my uncle Ben. That was fair aerial warfare but murdering my grandfather and his brother as a slave building the Burma rail line was a war crime. I never knew nor had support from any relatives except my mum and dad. I would have loved to have known them and the love that i missed out on from an extended family. Maybe that lack of love is why I'm a bit twisted and arrogent when it comes to LOL at stupid Americans. I’m all for some anti-American sentiment, for we all know that it is most times well-deserved, but NOT on your business’s site… NOT somewhere that is giving the impression that it is professional. Whilst I don't want to alienate American clients, I believe that telling the truth that some are ignorant and arrogant is the best policy and hopefully a wake up to American marketers who want to export their goods and services beyond their boarders. I've taken heed of your advice and added the word "some" Americans to (same page that I linked to previous) And Yes, I am American, I guessed so and am happily and successfully making a living doing what you do, providing web marketing and search engine optimisation to clients here in Perth, one of which is a highly successful jewellery business downtown. I am a favourite of my clients, because I optimise with colour and flavour, but also with honour. I wish you luck in doing what you do, but I felt the need to draw your attention to this matter, for it is something that I strongly feel needs remedied. You may not like the remedy so we then should agree to disagree. Thank you for your feed back and all the best with your business. Without revealing your name, I have posted this discussion to The Perth Forum for others to join in this interesting topic, hopefully as you, a wise American, has done diplomatically. Feel welcome to respond there. ------MY REPLY------- Forgive my clumsiness, but my choice of the nationality being Japanese was purely meant for example. I did not expect the outrageous tangent that you would take it on. Substitute "Japanese" for ANY nationality and my point remains every bit as valid. Your generalisations about people based on their nationality are inappropriate. Full stop. On the "old Scarborough Beach forum", on your T-shirt or on a bumper sticker, they merely show your ignorance. But on your business's site, in your email, and on YOUR forum, they now show you as a bigot as well (a term that is almost completely comprised of, hell defined by, ignorance). QUOTE(Ben @ Aug 22 2007, 01:45 PM) * I know it is pushing the limits but it was a case of an American LOL at me when he was the stupido. I also see only American spelling on many American sites. While I think the more phonic spelling is better I believe they're (generally meaning most but not all American web marketers are ignorant and in some cases like the guy who LOL at my spelling, are making a big mistake ignoring the Queen's English. /QUOTE You see only American spelling on American sites and think that this makes them ignorant and making a mistake ignoring the Queen's English? America has 300 million people (3rd most in the World) and American English is what they read, write, and speak, yet you claim the web marketers are ignorant because this is what they focus on? Claim ignorance on Americans all you wish, for as I said before, many times it is much deserved. But the statement on your site and the ensuing tirade that you launched about an example of a nationality prove YOU to be the ignorant one... at best. At worst, you're a bigot. This was, and remains, my point. You've taken this discussion public, and for that I commend the courage of your convictions. Allow me a moment though, to point out that this forum seems almost entirely of threads that you yourself have started. According to your stats, you are far and away the most active poster (though I don't know how accurate those stats are being that I apparently could have only 18 posts and be second on your All-time Most Active List - maybe I'm clicking on the wrong thing). Anyway, as this is now public, I am inviting you to post this on other relevant forums. This began as a topic based on SEM, and there are many high quality forums with balanced International influence are available for such discussion. (without any indication, he's removed a is a list of forums that I suggested either he or I post this debate on. In addition to the the list were some of my comments about the fair and open-minded people who frequent these forums). As you wanted this posted publicly and did so, I challenge you to post it in places other than those that are yours. None of these forums are mine, though I will happily post this discussion in any of them if you choose not to. ------HIS REPLY------- I'm not commenting about peoples in general but rather web copywriter, Americans, targting world wide markets especially those who LOL about spelling of "search engine optimisation" If you want to print stickers and T-shirts with "Stop Japanese Whalers" slogan, I'll wear it. If that tars me an ingnorant bigot, too bad. Post away on as many forums as you wish. ------END POSTS------- I'm welcoming all to share their thoughts on this. I'm out of town for the weekend, but will check back on this Monday. Thanks, and enjoy your weekend wherever you are.
That was nearly War & Peace post As an Aussie I always have to think about whether I use US or UK (Aussie) English spelling on my webpages.......so here's my sinmple formula: If the site is .com.au ......it gets UK English If its .com (or other generic top level domain) then its US English. Plus if I want my Aussie site to get US traffic.....then I could setup alternate pages with US spelling if deem appropriate. colour/color harbour/harbor optimisation/optimization organise/organize G'day Mate/Howdy Partner