[Haskell-cafe] Re: String vs ByteString

[Yitzchak Gale]

Bryan O'Sullivan wrote:
> In general, Unicode uptake is increasing rapidly:
> http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/unicode-nearing-50-of-web.html

These Google graphs are the oft-quoted source of
Unicode's growing dominance. But the data for those graphs
is taken from Google's own web indexing. Google is a
U.S. company that appears to have a strong Western
culture bias - viz. their recent high-profile struggles with
China. Google is far from being the dominant market
leader in CJK countries that they are in Western countries.
Their level of understanding of those markets is clearly not
the same.

It could be this really is true for CJK countries as well,
or it could be that the data is skewed by Google's web
indexing methods. I won't believe that source until it is
highly corroborated with data and opinions that are native
to CJK countries, from sources that do not have a vested
interest in Unicode adoption.

What we have heard in the past from members of our own
community in CJK countries does not agree at all with
Google's claims, but that may be changing. It would be
great to hear more from them.

Regards,
Yitz