Unicode
Sean McGrath at ITworld – Unicode:
"Let us start by looking at four main variables in the space : language, country, culture and technology. Language. Let us take that one first. How hard can that be?
[…] Oh dear, when we hit the Middle East we hit languages that drive the wrong way on the page. Right to left! That changes essentially everything user-interface-related in most software. Further east we hit ideographics. The concept of a "letter" has just flew out of the occidental window. Not only that but the text is laid out top to bottom. What to do?"
(Via Sam Ruby.)