Message-Id: <4.2.2.20000316015705.00b5fa50@127.0.0.1>
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 02:14:27 -0500
To: lojban@onelist.com
Subject: Volunteer needed to write English AND Lojban poster text
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From: Bob LeChevalier-Logical Language Group <lojbab@lojban.org>
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One of the members of Auxlang has proposed a little test, one somewhat 
skewed against a language like Lojban, but still worthwhile should we 
choose to participate.

By next Thursday, the 23rd, he needs to receive a text per the description 
below.  The poster is going to prepare posters regarding each of the 
languages submitted and post them in the Cambridge MA area.  The idea is a 
multi-facetted test: 1) to determine how many people in that area are 
familiar with the various languages, and/r who support them, 2) for those 
languages that claim at-sight readability, whether indeed those languages 
are readable (Lojban is not a contender in this arena), and 3) bring these 
people together for a discussion on neutral territory of the pros and cons 
of the various languages.

I would like to see Lojban represented.  If I were doing it, I would use 
the bulletized summary of Lojban found on our home page, and try to find 
some suitable text - in my opinion there would be something poetic as well 
as something prosaic.  But all this is probably not possible in the short 
space being allotted.

As people know, I am not particularly skilled at brevity, so I would like 
someone else who thinks they can do better to provide Charles with a poster 
text.  If more than one volunteers I suggest that the posters post their 
text to the list so that others besides myself pick the one to be submitted.

One suggestion, not explicitly prohibited, would be to include our web site 
address in the blurb.

Time is short, but the amount to be written is short as well.

lojbab

>Date:    Wed, 15 Mar 2000 14:53:15 -0500
>From:    Charles George Haberl <haberl@FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
>Subject: Re: A Modest Proposal
>
> > This is very much what I had in mind. However, I still have reservations
> > about individual posters for each language. Would it make sense to scrap
> > that aspect, and advertise an IAL workshop?
>
>         I would not be opposed to this idea.  Chris and Zeno are very much
>correct when they state that the person-on-the-street might be attracted
>to a flashy poster, without noting the relative merits of the IAL
>represented.
>         However, I am still interested in "beating the bushes" for folks
>who are currently involved with one or the other IAL.  Perhaps we would be
>best advised to adopt Zeno's proposal of a standardized poster.  At the
>moment I'm not quite sure what such a poster would entail (any
>suggestions?)  However, we are working against a deadline, so I will
>suggest the following:
>         The poster should include the name of the IAL, a short blurb on
>the language (in English and/or the language of choice), and a sample of
>the language itself (especially if the author has chosen to compose the
>information previous information in English).  By "short blurb" I intend
>100 words or less a piece.  All told, the total amount of text should not
>exceed 200 words.  I will format the text to be in the same typefont and
>to occupy roughly the same space on each page.
>         We will shoot to have the Cambridge IAL workshop on the 7th of
>April.  I will advertise this workshop, in English, without mentioning any
>of the languages involved.  As for the people who respond to the posters
>in the various IALs, I will attempt to ascertain whether they have any
>real experience with IALs (beyond simple name recognition), and depending
>on the volume of responses, I will decide whether we should consider a
>second, separate, workshop for folks already involved with IALs.  However,
>I think it unlikely that this will be much of a consideration.
>
>Tell me what you think,
>Charles H.
>vima_kadphises@yahoo.com

----
lojbab                                             lojbab@lojban.org
Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc.
2904 Beau Lane, Fairfax VA 22031-1303 USA                    703-385-0273
Artificial language Loglan/Lojban:  http://www.lojban.org (newly updated!)