You've probably seen this but...

[BurnsInternet]

http://www.domainbits.com/idns-death/

IDNs Prevent Death

I've said before that IDNs are going to do well simply because even if people know English fluently as a second language, they prefer to use their native tongue when using the internet. Now an extreme example of the importance of IDNs has just surfaced - because IDNs weren't available, two people died and three people are in jail.

The story reads like something from the twilight zone. A couple in Turkey split up and the wife had moved back in with her family. The couple were text messaging each other. The wife's cell phone didn't have IDN capabilities - and could not read or write the closed i or "ı". So, the letter i showed in place of the closed i.

As the article states:


The use of "i" resulted in an SMS with a completely twisted meaning: instead of writing the word "sıkısınca" it looked like he wrote "sikisince." Ramazan wanted to write "You change the topic every time you run out of arguments" (sounds familiar enough) but what Emine read was, "You change the topic every time they are f***ing you" (sounds familiar too.)

Wife then shows father the message, father accuses husband of treating wife as a prostitute, husband show's up at father's house to apologize, is greeted by the father and several family members wielding knives, husband is stabbed and seriously injured (later kills himself), husband takes knife that stabbed him and uses it to stab his wife, dad and two family members are now in jail.

Not only do IDNs save lives, IDNs are what people want and need. Buy 'em while they're still affordable.

'Nuff said.