Those interested in the Tongyong Pinyin vs Hanyu Pinyin debate might want to check out When in Rome, shut up and fit in, a provocative, pro-Tongyong piece.
it is almost certainly the case that the tongyong pinyin system was selected for the political reason of avoiding using the PRC’s favored method, and to further the cause of instilling a Taiwanese identity. This surely is reason enough, however.
Thanks to Taffy for the alert.
source: When in Rome, shut up and fit in, Taiwan Journal, Vol. XXIII No. 38, September 29, 2006
Michael also sent this link to me in a comment. I feel motivated to write a whole rebuttal and post it on my site, except that I get the feeling he’s just trolling.
I know exactly what you mean. That’s why I decided to leave it to commentators to rebut it. I suspected a troll too — note the mention of blogs, which seems clearly a shot at Doubting to Shuo, David on Formosa, and Pinyin News. I haven’t weighed in on it.
Michael
I’ve edited the original post to add its source: Taiwan Journal, which, BTW, is often well worth reading. So when considering whether it’s worth responding, consider that these anti-Hanyu Pinyin comments appeared in a publication sponsored by the government of Taiwan (the Government Information Office) and distributed throughout the world.