evidence: So, to be clear, the story from German-speaking Europe is that Ulster Scots is worthy or respect and study; it does not require a written standard; yet it may decide it wants one in which case ridicule is inevitable; however, the first attempt at one may need to be abandoned. In other words, the ridicule may be illegitimate but actually it may be legitimate, provided it is aimed at what is presented rather than at the overall process of language study. I should add that I am slightly troubled by the question in the census, and let us go back again to Luxembourgish. The question asks if I "speak, read, understand or write" Irish or Ulster Scots, or if I have "no ability". With Irish, none of those applies in my case – I cannot claim really to "speak", "read", "understand" or "write" it in any way approaching proficiency, yet nor do I have "no ability"; I was forced, reluctantly, to tick the latter option on the basis I really could not claim any of the others. With Ulster Scots, conversely, almost everyone in Ulster (all of it) will "understand" Ulster Scots and most will "read" it; whether they "speak" it is more questionable and whether anyone really "writes" it is unclear – and the census translation demonstrates that. [...] We need to be careful not to ridicule Ulster Scots itself on the basis of some poor choices in linguistic development.