Why UTF-8/16 character encodings?

[monarch_dodra]

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?