Traditional vs Simplified characters

[Shelley]

氵and ⻈ are much harder to tell apart than 氵and訁.

 

I am confused what are you comparing here?

[Yang Chuanzhang]

What I meant is that it's easier to mistake⻈for氵while the difference between訁and氵is much more clear. A character like 說 is more distinct in traditional form.

 

To me, none of these arguments really make a huge difference. Simplified characters work well and so do traditional ones. I just think that there are good arguments on both sides and it's not a situation where one is clearly superior to the other.

[imron]

At a quick glance and at small font sizes

Once again, the problem here then is small font sizes.

[XiaoXi]

Once again, the problem here then is small font sizes.

 

I don't see how that can ever be avoided. If you're using a phone then its just gonna be really small.

 

That's a tad exaggerated.  They're plenty practical for day to day use and tens of millions of people use them with electronic devices everyday without any trouble.

 

They use them certainly but that doesn't mean its a good system. The world is full of systems in use by millions for all manner of things but the systems are absolutely awful.

[OneEye]

Nor does one person's dislike of it make it a bad system. 

 

Edit: and if personal opinion is the criterion we're going by, I think this thread's poll makes it clear which system is the (slightly) preferred one.

[Yang Chuanzhang]

Once again, the problem here then is small font sizes.

 

That certainly exacerbates it, but I think it goes beyond size and resolution problems.

 

It's interesting how developments in technology keep changing the pros and cons for both systems. Simplified characters had the advantage for being easier to write for a long time, that essentially went away with pinyin input methods, but screens and phone displays created low resolution issues (which may soon be resolved by retina displays).

 

 

 

If you're using a phone then its just gonna be really small.

 

I actually think the opposite is true. On phones you have native apps where it seems to be more common to have Chinese set in larger fonts than on the web.

[XiaoXi]

I actually think the opposite is true. On phones you have native apps where it seems to be more common to have Chinese set in larger fonts than on the web. 

 

Well no...its not. I just measured side by side and the text on my iPhone 4S is smaller than the fonts on my web browser on my computer.

[OneEye]

Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Text Size

 

That won't cover everything (some apps won't have adjustable text sizes), but it'll help.

[XiaoXi]

Nor does one person's dislike of it make it a bad system.  

 

Edit: and if personal opinion is the criterion we're going by, I think this thread's poll makes it clear which system is the (slightly) preferred one.

 

More than likely because so many prefer to learn in Taiwan than the mainland. Have you ever actually zoomed in on traditional characters and compared them with a large clear version? I think you'll find they are seriously wrong a lot of the time. They're just very rough approximations that roughly look right at small size.

[XiaoXi]

Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Text Size

 

That won't cover everything (some apps won't have adjustable text sizes), but it'll help.

 

Its ok I don't need to 'cos I'm using simplified characters. I was just remarking is all.

[Yang Chuanzhang]

I think you'll find they are seriously wrong a lot of the time. They're just very rough approximations that roughly look right at small size.

 

You're way overstating the severity of the problem and you're also ignoring that it's on the verge of being solved. What you are saying was true a few years ago but it just isn't any more. Have a look: http://i.imgur.com/7rpl3j6.png Surely you agree that this isn't a "rough approximation" and this screen shot wasn't even taken on a new machine which have even higher PPI (especially phones).

[Thiago Brazil]

I very like of the Traditional Characters, and I have deep respect for the Simplified Characters. However, I read in websites about Chinese language that the Traditional characters will end! This websites also say that Hong Kong and Taiwan will adopt the Simplified. I confess I was very worried, because I love the Traditional. You confirm if this informations are true or likely to occur?

[889]

Where did you read this?

My guess is that traditional characters are here to stay.

[Hofmann]

At this point, it's hard to contribute anything new to this topic. Got credible sources?

[Flickserve]

Quite opinion based. Traditional characters is still used in school in HK and in Taiwan. And in general use in the community. If it is going to die, it will be a very slow death!

[oceancalligraphy]

What websites are you reading? Do you have links?

 

I do not think Hong Kong and Taiwan will replace traditional characters with simplified characters.

[Shelley]

Hmmm

[Silent]

Nothing is for eternity so there will be an end to traditional characters too.

[edelweis]

Yes, but maybe not during the next century?

After all, Hong Kong has been reunited with the mainland for 18 years, but they are still using traditional characters. And as far as I know the Taiwanese government is independent from the mainland and opposed to the use of simplified characters.

Even on the mainland, isn't there a committee that is considering "unsimplifying" some characters?

@Thiago: if you want to learn traditional characters to a high proficiency (to be able to read newspapers etc), it will take a long time and lots of effort. But after that, learning to read the simplified characters will require much less effort, perhaps just a few months.

So if you like the traditional characters, go ahead and learn them. Whatever happens, it won't be totally wasted effort.

[Thiago Brazil]

Thanks Edel, this the words that I'd like listen! "it won't be totally wasted effort."

 

Actually, the websites are comments. I never say about the End this amazing Characters, but what I read in this comments.