From cr@cosmicray.co.uk Sun Aug 16 04:47:04 2009 Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list llg-members); Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:47:05 -0700 (PDT) Received: from moutng.kundenserver.de ([212.227.126.188]) by chain.digitalkingdom.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1MceCJ-000309-RA for llg-members@lojban.org; Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:47:03 -0700 Received: from [192.168.1.100] (82-71-48-121.dsl.in-addr.zen.co.uk [82.71.48.121]) by mrelayeu.kundenserver.de (node=mreu0) with ESMTP (Nemesis) id 0MKuxg-1MceCC2g8A-000RF7; Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:46:45 +0200 Message-ID: <4A87F1A6.7080300@cosmicray.co.uk> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:46:46 +0100 From: CosmicRay User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.22 (Windows/20090605) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: llg-members@lojban.org Subject: [llg-members] Re: [cr@cosmicray.co.uk: [Fwd: Lojban Ideas]] References: <20090816032146.GC21886@mercury.ccil.org> In-Reply-To: <20090816032146.GC21886@mercury.ccil.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Provags-ID: V01U2FsdGVkX188YmRgYDylqv/OROychBihqPfLhr9zWI866r2 3rOJ2xgNmjmTWiYL5HIljVBh8VnljNtfljCe70sdfLicMNzBiL YSYEzpomSA/YefRDYZbXg== X-archive-position: 723 X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0 Sender: llg-members-bounce@lojban.org Errors-to: llg-members-bounce@lojban.org X-original-sender: cr@cosmicray.co.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-to: llg-members@lojban.org X-list: llg-members Dear LLG Members, Firstly many heartfelt thanks for considering me for the LLG, it has come as a total surprise, but a pleasant one at that :-) By way of introduction, my name is Paul Swift, I was born and live in the UK, work as a software developer with a focus on LAMP web applications, and am fairly new to the Lojban language. With regard to credentials I believe would be pertinent to helping the LLG: I hold a Computer Science degree from Reading University (www.rdg.ac.uk/csi/ graduating with honours in '99), am a former Mensa member, was for a time fluent in Spanish (I'm ashamed to admit that much of that has gone through lack of use), and have a keen interest in learning - and motivating others to learn - a culturally-neutral language to the level of being able to think in it. Again I thank you for even considering me as a candidate to help so closely with the LLG's activities, and even if that doesn't come about, I'll enjoy promoting Lojban in my own special way :-) Warmest regards, kozmikreis John Cowan wrote: > Based on the below message, I formally nominate the author for > LLG membership. I have talked to him on IRC and believe he > understands what is involved. > > > ----- Forwarded message from CosmicRay ----- > > Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:11:07 +0100 > From: CosmicRay > To: cowan@ccil.org > Subject: [Fwd: Lojban Ideas] > > Dear LLG Board, > > I hope you don't mind but while you are in session I thought I'd send > you some ideas I've had to promote Lojban, widen the LLG's reach, and > also add to the coffers of the LLG. > > > > 1. Conversational Lojban site with subscription access lessons and forum > > I was wondering, would it be good to put together a conversational > Lojban website, with a set of lessons that are free for the initial > stuff, and then paid access (but cheap!) for intermediate and higher > levels, with proceeds going to the running of the site, the lesson > authors, and the LLG? > > Or, the lessons could be completely free, but if a user pays a > subscription they get assigned a tutor (an expert from the Lojban > community who has agreed to participate and gets paid through the > subscription model) with whom they can interact with via the website, > and also get full access to the forum. > > The forum can be split in two: an open access part that anyone can > sign up to and read/post in, and a subscription-based part for the more > advanced students and where the tutors hang out. Perhaps the > paid-access forums are still available to all, but are read-only for > non-subscribers, so that Lojban isn't perceived to have some kind of > secret levels to learning it. > > Benefits: > > * It'd make Lojban more accessible, encouraging take-up > * Raises money for the LLG > * Structured lessons with tutors ensures a thorough grounding > * Ties in well with idea 3 below > > > > 2. Charter for regional websites/groups > > I'd like to set up lojban.org.uk as a UK-centric hub of Lojban > activity, and was thinking how it would be good to have a charter issed > by the LLG for it. The charter could be optional for any pro-Lojban > site to adopt, and can include principles that cover the quality of site > and content, freshness of the Lojban published on it as the language > evolves, and agreement to donate a percentage of any operating profit to > the LLG. In return for adopting the charter, a site gets an official > LLG seal to display and show its affiliation status, and can call on > LLG-certified experts on various matters (within a predefined service > level agreement of sorts). > > I believe having a charter and encouraging localised groups to form > and adopt it, both in location and native language, will be like > franchising Lojban and giving it wider exposure than the one official > plus random scattering of fan-looking sites there currently is can > manage. It will also ensure that more Lojban domain names are snapped > up and used well (without hitting LLG funds, quite the opposite), rather > than taken over by cybersquatters or other people with bad deeds in mind. > > Benefits: > > * The LLG can ensure that 3rd party sites adhere to codes of quality and > freshness in the Lojban they expound > * Lojban gets much wider exposure and acceptance as an international > language > * Regional activities and events will be easier to organise and attend > * Raises money for the LLG > > > > 3. Exams and qualifications > > Many people learn languages for many reasons, and sometimes the best > mark for themselves and others is to measure how much they've achieved > through exams and qualifications. Having official LLG-approved > qualifications to head for can give students a tangible goal to achieve, > and so that they can accurately tell when they've reached various levels > of competence. > > I propose a project to design one or more levels of qualification > with exams split into a few parts that can be conducted remotely such as: > > * Basic comprehension through timed multiple-choice exams, can be > completely automated via web > * Listening and written comprehension exams, with work submitted to a > human examiner via web > * Spoken exams, with a human examiner, via Skype > > Qualifications can be graded in much the same way as those for any > other language, with the highest levels of candidate being awarded > diplomas and lettering. Exams must be paid for by the student or an > accredited body, adding credence and authority to the exam being sat, > and adding to the LLG's funds. > > Benefits: > > * Lojban students have something clear to aim for, rather than aimlessly > studying alone without a defined goal > * Helps legitimise Lojban studies - perhaps one day not far off colleges > and universities could teach it > * Existing language institutions could use course materal and exams to > promote Lojban > * Lojban experts can be recognised by their certification and lettering > * Lojban would even be promoted through people adding it to their resumés > * Raises money for the LLG > > > > 4. Translation projects > > This one may be later down the line, based on the materials generated > and funding raised from the previous ideas. It would be good to see > more internationalisation through getting non-native-English speakers > involved. The early steps could begin by paying for English-based > Lojban materials to be translated into other languages, at least until > there's enough inertia and community energy within those languages to > carry it on. > > Benefits: > > * The heavily English-speaking Lojbanic community becomes more balanced > * Lojban gains greater international exposure, credibility and acceptance > * In the long term, this in turn raises money for the LLG > > > > 5. iPhone / Android / Symbian apps > > All the cool kids have apps on their mobile devices these days, but > Lojbanic apps are currently sadly lacking. I'm sure that within the > existing community there is the expertise to address this, and if not, > the extra funding from the above ideas could perhaps pay for 3rd parties > to develop them via services like iphoneappquotes.com > > The apps could be as simple as flash card learning tools, phrasebooks > and dictionaries, or as complex as multiplayer games. > > Benefits: > > * Learning Lojban easier to integrate into daily life > * Wider exposure to new audiences > * New ways of learning can develop to suit different tastes > * In the long term, this in turn raises money for the LLG > > > > 6. Podcasts > > The iTunes Store's podcast section is awash with language podcasts > for all the major languages as well as some conlangs and lesser known > varieties. Lojban should be among them! Even one of the existing books > serialised into bite-size chunks and made into an audio broadcast would > be excellent podcast fodder. > > Benefits: > > * Learning Lojban easier to integrate into daily life > * Wider exposure to new audiences > * In the long term, this in turn raises money for the LLG > > > > I have many more ideas, and as you can see with each of these there's > a focus on bringing in some money, so that the LLG can expand into even > more ways of raising its profile and getting Lojban "out there". I'd > like to explore ideas 1, 2 and 5 with you, let me know what you think :-) > > Regards, > > kozmikreis. > (Currently CosmicRay on the #lojban IRC channel) > > > > ----- End forwarded message ----- > >