Evolving language
The version of the English language we refer to as ‘texting’ has been with us since we first sent messages from our mobile phones. It’s still early for this particular oddity to have evolved into anything and it is difficult to imagine how it could evolve much further. We all know that ‘4’ is a substitute for ‘for’, FDL means ‘falling down laughing’ and we ‘rcgnze wrds wtht vwls’ but can it be called a language? Surely evolution has something to do with our ability and propensity to say the same things as each other. Not many years ago, no one said, ‘no prob’; now, it’s all you hear after thanking someone. Abbreviations have always been popular and got a boost with the advent of the tiniest keyboards. Can we come up with a better organisation of letters than what we have at present? We have been struggling with the ‘Qwerty’ organisation of keys, all this time. But if we don’t change it, the letters C, F, I, L, O, S, V and Z will disappear from our text messages. Zoo keepers with messages about zebras will find texting more difficult, the continuous tenses will vanish, reading will become ‘readng’, swimming will morph into ‘swmng’ and so on. Now that’s evolution the survival of the fittest!
From Mr Robert L. Fielding
Al Ain

Left to guess the right bus
The concept of yellow school buses is similar to what we have seen in many other countries. In those countries, most schools are located within the community. However, in the UAE, buses from different schools go past the same pick-up point with only a very small tag displaying the school’s name. Children rush to catch their respective buses but often get confused and there is a risk of them boarding the wrong bus. During a dust storm or rain, pupils waiting at the entrance of their buildings have to go out and check every bus to see if it’s theirs. I would say the yellow bus is a good idea, but they should have larger signboards to display the school’s name, preferably on all sides of the
bus.
From Mr Asif M. G. Sarwar
Dubai

Tone down celebrations
Whenever teams have played and won football matches, we’ve had sleepless nights (“Readers hope soccer fans will stay away from violence”, Gulf News, November 18). Football fans tend to celebrate their joy in a socially unacceptable manner and disturb the entire neighbourhood. It’s hard to explain the impact of such nuisance. At 1.30am, you hear people screaming. I would like to share my apprehension regarding such acts. Children have to go to school and adults have to go to work the next morning. I wish the authorities would take a look into this situation and ensure necessary support for the other residents.
From Mr Feroz Haneef
Abu Dhabi

Shameful behaviour
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) should stop both Egypt and Algeria from participating in the World Cup if the fans resort to violence. It is a shame. After all, sport is supposed to bring people closer. As an Algerian, I feel ashamed, and, if I was an Egyptian, I would feel ashamed, too.
From A Reader
Abu Dhabi

Skewed perspective
After having read the report on Egypt and Algeria’s football match, I was extremely upset (“Egypt braces for football frenzy”, Gulf News, November 18). It was clearly one-sided. No Algerians were interviewed in the report and it focused only on the Egyptian perspective. It should have been more balanced.
From Mr Ahmad
UAE

Hotline comment
Balanced coverage, please
When reporting about an issue such as the conflict between Egyptians and Algerians in light of football matches, the media should take into account both sides of the story. It is their duty to paint a fair picture. The report in Gulf News was very partial, as it only highlighted the Egyptian point of view. The Algerian perspective should have been considered, too.
From Mr Z. Messelmi
UAE

Hotline comment
Editor’s note: There was no intent of bias. The focus of the story was on the Egyptians — to get the mood on the street. Our report was factual. We have in the past published stories that have the Algerian point of view. You would find them on gulfnews.com