Software engineer and symphonic chorister and opera singer in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Just registered for @fediforum , an unconference about the social web held virtually 6-7 Oct 2026. I will propose a session on #GloballyInclusiveHandles and #i18n in general. I will have my #COSCUP2026 slides, "@小明@範例.測試, or, Fediverse handles in every language", if anyone wants to see them. #Fediverse #Fediforum #GloballyInclusive #Internationalization #GILT
**@小明@範例.測試, or, Fediverse handles in every language**
is the proposal I just submitted to @COSCUP . Abstract:
A person's handle is their name and address on the Fediverse. But despite people using the Fediverse in many languages from all over the world, almost all handles are limited to Latin script letters and numbers: **@somebody@example.com** . Instead, people should be able to use a handle in their own language and characters, e.g. **@小明@範例.測試** or **@김@예시.테스트**. We call this "globally inclusive Fediverse handles".
This talk explains the reasons why handles are now limited…. We look at the role of specifications, and existing software…. We look at the history of internationalising other address types such as email addresses ( जिम@डाटामेल.भारत ) and domain names ( http://ยูเอทดสอบ.ไทย ). We list some rules from DNS, Unicode, and IETF…: the Fediverse can build on them.
We propose a path forward….
#GloballyInclusiveHandles #GloballyInclusiveFediverse #i18n
Thank you @hongminhee for your encouragement!