On the whole Obama thing and its relevance for Europe: http://onlinepolitics.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/what-do-obama-and-meg-ryan-have-in-common/

On already knowing a lot and still getting a stack of new ideas: http://www.eurosocialist.eu/i-attended-pdf09-and-i-will-attend-pdf10/

From a guy who found a real use for Second Life (now, that has to be someone worth listening to): http://www.cottica.net/2009/11/23/pdf-europe-a-first-impressionpdf-europe-prime-impressioni/

On who was best in the conference, and some other stuff too (like the style!): http://www.aribo.eu/2009/11/two-journeys-pdfeu/

http://personaldemocracy.com/blog-entry/hackers-and-hacks-post-mortem-pdf-europe-barcelona

Personally, I notice that the more I tell colleagues and friends about the PDF, the more I realise how much I got out of it.

Originally a linguist myself (despite being British!), I totally sympathise and agree with Alejandro’s point about the cultural significance of language. This is a real problem for social media at the European level.

The EP does its traditional online communications (website) in 22 languages, and indeed we twitter in 22 also, but how can this work for Facebook or a blog? We are trying to enter (help create, possibly) a pan-EU space, and fragmenting it into different language spaces rather defeats the object. This is a circle it is impossible to square.

My only consolation is that what we appear to be seeing is a new language. The English of the European web is not the same as the English of the streets of Manchester, Birmingham et al, but what we might call new variant International English. Sure, people still have to learn it, but it is a vehicle which is less exclusive to native speakers than any other language currently offers.

To contradict myself however, I suspect it will be spoken with a least some American accent.

About the discussion of common language and diversity. I have my own opinion. Language is not only a tool of communication, it is also a container of culture, values and practices. Adapting a language as common is not “culturally neutral”.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to learn English or French or as many languages as possible. Quite the contrary. Each language enriches you beyond the increase in people you can communicate with it.

What it means is that we should not adapt and use a language as common uncritically, and promote it as a great solution to our lack of communication. This is what the sentence you quote does. Enthusiastically takes English as the panacea for cultural diversity arguing, without evidence, that it “makes it possible for us europeans to experience that diversity more.”

I got an impression that he didn’t say it like it would be a disappointment for him, but like he would be trying to speak sense for all those central/southern European people still hoping they would not have to learn any foreign languages.

Somebody from the audience also said something like this: “Common language for the EU isn’t a threat for out beloved cultural diversity, common language just makes it possible for us europeans to experience that diversity more.”

“Yes, but UNFORTUNATELY it will be in English!”