Why UTF-8/16 character encodings?

[Entry]

On Thursday, 30 May 2013 at 09:29:43 UTC, monarch_dodra wrote:
> On Thursday, 30 May 2013 at 08:32:01 UTC, Entry wrote:
>> On Wednesday, 29 May 2013 at 23:57:01 UTC, Peter Williams 
>> wrote:
>>> On 30/05/13 08:40, Entry wrote:
>>>> My personal opinion is that code should only be in English.
>>>
>>> But why would you want to impose this restriction on others?
>>>
>>> Peter
>>
>> I wouldn't say impose. I'd say that programming in a unified 
>> language (D) should not be sabotaged by comments and variable 
>> names in various human languages (Swedish, Russian), but be 
>> accompanied by a similarly 'unified' language that we all know 
>> - English. It is only my opinion though and I wouldn't force 
>> it upon anyone.
>
> But programming IS a human tool, and thus, subject to human 
> language.
>
> Also, I don't see how a programming language is any more 
> unified than, say, a library.
>
> While you wouldn't force it on anyone, would it also be your 
> opinion that putting a French book in a french library be a 
> sabotage of the world's librarial institutions?

What a way to attack a straw-man and completely miss the point at 
the same time.