[JimDabell]

You’re talking about the Accept-Language header. They are asking about the cookie.

To answer the question, yes, normally you would have some kind of manual switcher that sets the cookie. Please don’t use flags for this, because flags indicate countries, not languages. Don’t make a Russian-speaking Ukrainian seek out the Russian flag, and don’t make an English-speaking Irish person seek out the Union Flag.

[rrr_oh_man]

> To answer the question, yes, normally you would have some kind of manual switcher that sets the cookie. Please don’t use flags for this, because flags indicate countries, not languages. Don’t make a Russian-speaking Ukrainian seek out the Russian flag, and don’t make an English-speaking Irish person seek out the Union Flag.

Yes, why make things easy. :-)

Controversial opinion: Flags are great as a visual aid, shorthand, look neat, and give a better UX for 90+% of users, even if it hurts some linguists' and nationalists' feelings.

[graemep]

Its not just a matter of hurt feelings, it has multiple problems. If it was just hurt feelings I might agree with you, but it is ambiguous, inconsistent and fails to cover many cases. That is bad UI.

What flags to you suggest people use for Cantonese, Tamil, Arabic and Xhosa?

Why use the Union flag for English? If the language is en-US surely an American flag would be more accurate? You can then use the British flag for en-GB. However, if you offer Welsh you would use the Welsh flag (and presumably the Scottish one for Scottish Gaelic, although I cannot recall ever seeing that) so it would surely be more consistent to use the English flag for British? Even for or generic English?

[tmtvl]

I dunno, which flag would serve as a comprehensible shorthand for Arabic? How many Arabic readers would recognise that flag? How many Spanish speakers would recognise the Spanish flag?

If you use flags I would still recommend putting the language name in the language next to it, for example the French flag next to 'Français'.

[nicolaslegland]

Better yet: Offer en_CA, en_GB, en_IE, and en_US, with appropriate flags.

(Bonus point for fr_CA with the CA-QC flag)

[Cyberdog]

But then where's the flag for Liberia and Belize and Singapore? What if I'm in Indonesia and you don't offer an Indonesian option but I know enough English to get by - what country's flag should I click?

Just don't use flags, man. It's ridiculous that this is even still a discussion.

[JimDabell]

I gave an example of Russian-speaking Ukrainians. Why are you characterising this as “hurting some linguists' and nationalists' feelings”? It’s not nationalism or pedantry to be offended at being forced to identify with the flag of the country that is currently murdering your friends and family.

[edoceo]

I like when the language is in it's own name, eg: Suomi -- makes it easier to find.

[atemerev]

Except when the names are in non-Latin script and therefore sorted arbitrarily.