Return-Path: Message-Id: Date: Sat, 8 Jun 91 13:01 EDT From: lojbab (Bob LeChevalier) To: lojban-list Subject: LogFest Status: RO X-From-Space-Date: Sat Jun 8 13:01:42 1991 X-From-Space-Address: lojbab Time to remind people that LogFest is coming up in two weeks. LogFest is the annual get-together of The Logical Language Group, centered around our corporate meeting. LogFest runs from 21-24 June this year, with most people coming for the weekend proper (in other words, its OK to come a little early or stay a little late). The gathering is here in Fairfax near Washington DC, at lojbab's house. Most people who come bring a sleeping bag and spend the weekend (and sometimes a little more). We have four or 5 spare beds for those who can't conveniently bring a sleeping bag. We also have a large back yard, and people have sometimes set up a tent back there. As such we can accomodate families, provided that you let us know for logistic purposes. If your family members aren't interested in Lojban, they can always go into the city and sightsee - we are close to the subway. If you are coming from out-of-town, you can take a train to Union Station or a plane to National Airport and transfer to the Metro subway, thus not needing a rental car. From Dulles Airport, there is a shuttle bus to the Metro line, or, depending on timing, someone may be able to come pick you up, so you may not need a car from their, either. We plan for up to 50 people to attend, though usually we run about 20-30. We thus have plenty of food, drinks, etc. Please let us know of any special food needs (allergies, etc.) - we are used to supporting such special needs. (Oh, and there is a cat here, in case someone is allergic). We spend around $600-$800 to put on LogFest, including food, and ask people to donate their fair share of this amount ($30-40 per person for the weekend). There is no mandatory admission or attendance charge, though. LogFest has five aspects, all intertwined. The exact mix of people determines which aspects dominate. With the exception of the formal annual meeting, there is no schedule - we do what the people attending want to do at any given time, and there are usually at least two things going on at once. LogFest is a learning opportunity for new Lojbanists - we plan several activities for new people to bring them up to speed quickly, including Athelstan's introductory mini-lesson, given when there is demand (and we have a videotape of my version of the mini-lesson in case Athelstan is busy at the time you are ready.) Various more advanced teaching sessions are scheduled based on demand. I will no doubt end up trying to teach about Lojban's tense/modal system, for example. LogFest is a chance to use the language with others, regardless of your level of skill. A group of Lojbanists here have been planning several activities for LogFest to involve people from beginner to advanced levels in actually using the language (Please! Bring your word-lists!) These range from translation activities to role playing. Sylvia Rutiser may attempt to teach people to sew in Lojban, Athelstan is trying to finish his translation of the Careers board game (the OTHER invention of James Cooke Brown) and has some other games in mind even if that doesn't come through. And of course, we will have Lojban conversations scheduled or unscheduled at various times - probably longer ones than in previous years since there is a core group of us for whom an hour of conversation is not a difficult thing any more. If you've made a good effort at learning the vocabulary, you may find it is not difficult for you either. We've had people come to our conversation sessions who have been able to follow much of the conversation within an hour or two (we talk slow to help them - and us - out, there are as yet no really fluent speakers of the language.) LogFest is a chance to participate in the organized development/ evolution of the language. All attendees are welcome to participate in discussions of critical issues, and these discussions are much livelier and with better explanations than we can manage on this mailing list. Everyone who participates in a discussion has a vote - we do not have an 'inner circle' as has sometimes been suggested on the list. Among the discussions likely to occur this year will be the recent cleft place structures issue; we also expect to have the community clearly tell John Cowan and me to stop fiddling with the grammar - it sometimes takes a little community expression of will to keep things moving. I also expect to be deservedly castigated for slow progress on the textbook, though I'll try to have some useful progress to show at the meeting. LogFest includes our annual organizational meeting as required by law. This meeting is the only time-scheduled activity, and will be on Sunday at 10AM, probably lasting for a couple of hours. We have some tough organizational issues to discuss - how to get our finances in order, the electronic distribution policy, and software pricing. A few bylaw amendments are being proposed to make the organization more flexible as it grows, and to reduce bureaucratic distractions. Finally, LogFest is a social activity - a chance to get together with other Lojbanists, meet them and develop ties that strengthen the community. A language with few speakers needs to develop a strong community (a 'nation' so to speak) to surivive and prosper. The success of Esperanto among artificial languages is due to the Esperantists' sense of community - knowing deep down that the language is worthwhile because others like them are speaking, using, and working with the language. Ties formed at LogFest sustain us the rest of the year in geographical dispersion. Not all discussion at LogFest are about Lojban or language; indeed the bounds of conversation at LogFest haven't been discovered. Discussions continue late into the night (sometimes keeping people up rather later than they expected), and resume at early hours (well - not that early). Among miscellaneous activities, we will have our entire product line here, and you can see before buying. Our various software programs will be available for demonstration. We are especially interested in getting people to try the new version of LogFlash, which we hope to release in late summer, and John Cowan's new Parser, with a similar target date. In addition, Art Wieners, who has developed a UNIX flash card program that works entirely differently from LogFlash, will be showing this off again; Art is also interested in discussions of computer processing of Lojban text and speech, which he has been thinking about for several years. Now the bottom line. I don't need firm commitments, though I'll certainly accept and prefer them. But I need as many of you as possible to tell me whether you are coming (and if not for the whole weekend, then for which part), so that we can buy food and be prepared for the onslaught. So send me a message saying you are coming (if you are) and telling how many others are coming with you, when you expect to arrive, and what you need in sleeping arrangements. I can also give directions if needed via telephone or mail. We have a map used in previous years, that I can post to people who need it, provided that you let me know right away (the last week before LogFest is too late). I hope to see as many of you as possible, and that you will see for yourself that Lojban is a real language that people are learning and using. ---- lojbab = Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc. 2904 Beau Lane, Fairfax VA 22031-1303 USA 703-385-0273 lojbab@snark.thyrsus.com