This is a European blog and there are how many official languages of the EU?  You felt left out by the French diary, but how many French people feel left out by your diaries?  (Rhetorical.  Maybe none do. Who knows?)  I often feel left out when trying to read the diaries on energy and economic theory.  Seriously feels like a foriegn language.  

Why do I even care?  I'm neither European nor particularly fluent in another language.  But I guess I am just sensitive to the fact that English, while maybe the most widely spoken language here, is not everyone's language, and is it ok to say, "well if you don't want to speak English, we don't want to hear from you?" but not ok to allow diaries in other languages because some of us might feel left out?  Ya know?  And having them labelled has been referred to as "segregation" and "ghettoization."  Fine.  What would you call not having them at all?  

I'm also a big proponent of the idea that knowledge of other languages, and attempting to see the world through the eyes of others -which language is extremely useful for- is essential for overcoming our differences and working together for a common good.  So I see a multitude of languages, while chaotic and frustrating, a way of gleaning insight into other cultures in a way we can't do if we all speak English.

Of course, these are all big lofty philosophies and have little to do with the practical day-to-day management of a website.

But if and when a decision is reached on the subject, I think at least the preferences of our non-native English speaking contributers should be given equal weight as those of the Americans, English, Irish, etc.  

stepping down from soapbox...

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire