Fastfood registers have little picture of fries, malts, burgers for yrs. Because the reading ability

[CK_John]

of the US is down to about the 4 grade level. It's the dirty secret everyone knows, especially business. The business world has adapted, powerpoint, pictured cash registers, ipods, video games, video conference, smiley buttons, etc.

Being visual doesn't mean mean people are stupid, but that they can NOT understand or follow written directions.

That is why the ballot process needs to be overhauled to have party symbols on the ballots and the registration process needs to be just a finger print or some other visual process. Many places in the world already use these processes.

The GOP understand this and we better forget about depending out reams of position papers but learn to rely on audio/visual to get our voters to the polls.

[JerseygirlCT]

1. Yeah, that's a good point.

Personally, I get a bit lost in that. Like elevators - I can't tell which of those symbols is supposed to mean "open" and "closed". How I wish for a couple of simple words!

But I do take your point. And add to illiteracy a certain level of laziness - we don't have the attention spans for anything but that quick visual and audio bite.

[MH1]

2. Not necessarily.

Fast food joints have been hiring immigrants for a LONG time. (Maybe you don't see that in your part of the country, but I sure have noticed it for awhile - and I don't have a problem with it).

Immigrants don't always speak English. Also, even if someone can read English perfectly well, the mind can process icons faster (why do you think most of us use icons in our browsers for common functions).

I don't think your conclusion is necessarily incorrect, but I don't think it follows from your observation about symbol use at fast food restaurants.

[hlthe2b]

4. It may also be faster visually than text....

And since speed is everything....

[elkston]

3. LOL. Sinbad had a joke about this years ago.

He said the McDonalds registers had little pictures of the food for the cashiers. :)

[slackmaster]

5. Around here many of them don't speak English very well

That is why the ballot process needs to be overhauled to have party symbols on the ballots and the registration process needs to be just a finger print or some other visual process.

We could appoint Garry Trudeau as the official selector of icons.

[CK_John]

6. Reading English will not help you in most parts of the world. There are hundreds of languages in

NYC alone. The world has internation driving symbols. Reading/writing english with only 5% of so of the world population will not have any value in the future. It is being darwinned-out.

[slackmaster]

10. Inability to speak English constitutes a serious economic handicap in most of the USA

It gives a significant advantage to those of us who do speak it well.

[CK_John]

14. True, but IMO it is a short term advantage. n/t

[slackmaster]

15. It's been working in my favor for almost 50 years

I don't see your point.

(BTW I am proficient in Spanish, which has been very useful over the years.)

[CK_John]

16. Try to buy real estate in China Town, San Francisco or in areas Michigan where farsi is required.

we are changing.

[slackmaster]

17. I have no interest in living in either of those places

But thanks for the clarification.

[CreekDog]

19. didn't have trouble buying here in English

:shrug:

[Tesha]

12. The emerging global language is colloquially known as "Chinglish".

Here's a full, free version of an article about the evolution of English
that originally appeared in New Scientist magazine:

http://postbiota.org/pipermail/tt/2008-March/002686.html

Tesha

[enfield collector]

7. something should be done to make the voting process more

inclusive, however the paranoid side of me would prefer our fingerprints not be used. it would make things a lot easier for our overlords to identify those who need religious re-education after the "rapture".

[CK_John]

8. Maybe a voice print but this is no different than registering now. They need to know who and where

you live in order to show you are citizen and live in the district you vote and are taxed.

[Tesha]

9. In most "Fast Food" restaurants, I just wish they'd let *ME* enter *MY* order.

I'd get my order right without requiring several minutes of back-and-forth
discussion. "No, NO fries." "Yes, a CHEESEburger". "No, NOT the meal deal!"
Honestly, I can't see why FF restaurants haven't adopted the same "self-
check" model as most of the larger stores now have.

Tesha

[CK_John]

13. They used to have places like that in NYC in the 40's and 50's, called the automat.

[Tesha]

18. Thanks -- I actually remember one or two!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_&_Hardart

But I'm thinking more along the lines of keeping the exact same back-end
processing that the fast-food restaurants now have (each order gets posted
on a CRT, people scurry around and pick/build the items on the order, and
slap 'em on a tray for you) but that they let the customers drive the order-
entry terminal. It's clear that a lot of the front-end crew members now being
hired simply aren't up to that relatively simple task.

Tesha

[bidenista]

11. hmmm

Wouldn't making it easier for uneducated people to vote just boost the Republican numbers?

:P