From lojban-out@lojban.org Sat Jan 21 16:34:28 2006 Return-Path: X-Sender: lojban-out@lojban.org X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 67819 invoked from network); 22 Jan 2006 00:34:27 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.172) by m34.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 22 Jan 2006 00:34:27 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO chain.digitalkingdom.org) (64.81.49.134) by mta4.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 22 Jan 2006 00:34:27 -0000 Received: from lojban-out by chain.digitalkingdom.org with local (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1F0T5L-0006se-DB for lojban@yahoogroups.com; Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:27:59 -0800 Received: from chain.digitalkingdom.org ([64.81.49.134]) by chain.digitalkingdom.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1F0T3U-0006rJ-Ak; Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:26:05 -0800 Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list lojban-list); Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:25:53 -0800 (PST) Received: from nobody by chain.digitalkingdom.org with local (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1F0Sog-0006iX-0g for lojban-list-real@lojban.org; Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:10:46 -0800 Received: from xproxy.gmail.com ([66.249.82.194]) by chain.digitalkingdom.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1F0Sob-0006iJ-Ro for lojban-list@lojban.org; Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:10:45 -0800 Received: by xproxy.gmail.com with SMTP id h29so467143wxd for ; Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:10:40 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.70.74.19 with SMTP id w19mr4149410wxa; Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:10:39 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.70.112.4 with HTTP; Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:10:39 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <646661980601211610s5caaacbfnec8e7180b6ce6b38@mail.gmail.com> Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:10:39 -0800 In-Reply-To: <646661980601192045m1c2badeaqb7b779815db1c2b9@mail.gmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_Part_20210_9446184.1137888639041" References: <646661980601192045m1c2badeaqb7b779815db1c2b9@mail.gmail.com> X-Spam-Score: -2.6 (--) X-archive-position: 11059 X-Approved-By: rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0 Errors-to: lojban-list-bounce@lojban.org X-original-sender: sai@saizai.com X-list: lojban-list X-Spam-Score: -2.6 (--) To: lojban@yahoogroups.com X-Originating-IP: 64.81.49.134 X-eGroups-Msg-Info: 1:12:0:0 X-eGroups-From: Sai Emrys From: Sai Emrys Reply-To: sai@saizai.com Subject: [lojban] Fwd: Conlangs Symposium @ Cal X-Yahoo-Group-Post: member; u=116389790; y=fWy10dABHlkPjuqQyWx-VqYmuHFulZzTlOhR2YRqhWdCpu_b_Q X-Yahoo-Profile: lojban_out X-Yahoo-Message-Num: 25460 ------=_Part_20210_9446184.1137888639041 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Sound like something y'all would be interested in? - Sai ----- Hello, everyone. I am planning a constructed languages symposium / conference on campus for late April / early May, on behalf of the newly-created UCB student group, the Language Creation Society (LCS). It will probably be in a fairly 'traditional' format - speakers on various topics, panel discussions, chats over canap=E9s, etc. For those of you who don't know: constructed languages - or 'conlangs' - are languages that are intentionally created. People do this for a wide variety of reasons and in an even wider variety of ways; Esperanto, Klingon, and Elvish (Quenya/Sindarin) are the most famous examples. I am teaching a DE-Cal about conlangs this semester, for the second time. If that's not clear enough or you find your mind boggling (in a good way, I hope), look it up on Wikipedia or email me w/ your questions. The range of topics for this conference will be anything directly related to language design & creation, and created languages. For example: sociological issues about conlangers; how to spread a conlang; creating new vocabulary in a 'good' way (fill in what that means); creating linguistically-interesting languages to test or demonstrate some theorie(s); creating unusual languages (e.g. signed or written mode only); philosophical perspectives; etc. This is by no means intended as a specific list of topics - just some suggestions. There are only two restrictions: it has to be related to conlanging (or adapted to fit the forum - eg to reuse a talk originally given to linguists or sociologists or Xists), and no proselytizing (i.e. no teaching of any *particular* language except for using it as an example of how to [not?] do X [like make a auxlang, or a women's lang, or whatever else of interest to the general conlanger]). Aside from that no-proselytization part, I do not see any particular need to discriminate against auxlangers. It is likely that I will have some funding available for event costs - and possibly even for honoraria (i.e. to pay someone to come out here). I don't know yet how much that would be, but if that's a significant consideration for you (and you think you have something cool to talk about), let me know. So, what does this mean for you? First: Would you like to be a speaker? Think you have an interesting topic to talk about? Know someone who does? TELL ME! I'm definitely open to suggestions. (And FWIW they need not be strictly from any particular perspective - e.g. if your 'thing' is linguistics, or computers, or sociology, or cog psych... as long as it would be of interest to attendees, have at it.) For those of you who are into more traditional branches of linguistics or psychology, please consider that there are actually many topics that very directly relate; for example: * language revitalization (all conlangs start with only 1-2 L2 speakers; how do you address the issue of keeping the language alive past its creator(s)?) * language engineering (you want good, natural vocabulary with rich and unique meanings [not just glosses]) * cognitive psychology / cognitive linguistics (mini-conlangs are used in research into language acquisition, language processing, etc.) * language universals / typology (can you create a conlang that breaks a universal? What are the real, hard limits of what languages are capable of, or the rules they must follow?) * metaphor, frames, knowledge structure, & Sapir-Whorf (what are commonly overlooked aspects of language design that are carried over from L1 assumptions? What happens if you intentionally create languages to encode particular ways of looking at the world? How much can an unusual language affect thinking - longterm, shortterm, and for L1 speakers if any exist?) ... etc. I'm sure you can think of more. I know that many of you are experts in your respective fields (or keen observers thereof at least); though conlanging may sound a bit odd at first, I think you'll see that we are interested in many of the same issues - so that paper you just wrote for some other conference or journal may well apply here as well. Second: Do you have suggestions for the conference? Anything from pragmatics of running the thing (I'll have some help from the Office of Student Life people, but nevertheless I've not done this before), to whom to invite, to what to talk about, to what format to use, to when to hold it... whatever to help it be a worthwhile (and attended) event, let me know. Third: Come! I'll be sending more info as it becomes available to those who have emailed me their prereg form (attached). Anyone interested in conlanging for whatever reason is welcome to attend. If it sounds like something you're interested in but may or may not attend, send it to me anyway and tell me about your situation. I would like to get as many interested (and interesting!) people as possible, and the time I need to start planning the details of budget, scheduling, etc., is right now.... so the more (and more quickly) I know, the better. Lastly: Tell others! Not everyone reads this forum, and I know there are plenty of 'closeted' conlangers out there, some of whom you know. So, spread the word. This isn't (alas) a topic that has a ready avenue for advertising, given that it's still somewhat taboo for academics to take seriously and etc... Feel free to copy this email to any forum you like. (Just please send me a link to your posting when you do.) That's all for now. See you in a few months! - Sai P.S. One question I'd like to ask you all (under promise of anonymity - I know that some of you are closeted about it): Have you ever dabbled in language construction before? If yes, how has it impacted your academic or other interests, your life in general, or your perspective on the world? ------=_Part_20210_9446184.1137888639041 Content-Type: text/plain; name=prereg.txt; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="prereg.txt" Conlangs Symposium @ UCB - Pre-Registration Form Please answer these questions, and EMAIL ME at conlangs@saizai.com with the subject line: Conlangs PreReg (for ease of sorting). I don't yet know if our budget will require us to have a door fee or not (I hope not). There are also a few questions for format / content suggestions. Please send me this if there is ANY plausibility that you will be attending. All of these questions are approximate; I'm not asking you to commit to anything, just to give me a sense of what I'm dealing with. Thanks! - Sai NAME(S): (if you'd be bringing more than one person) EMAIL: (I promise not to sell it to anyone) POSSIBLE DATES: (delete those you couldn't come to) April 22 April 23 April 29 April 30 May 6 May 7 May 13 May 14 HOW LIKELY YOU'D ATTEND (1-10): (assuming it's on one of the above dates - if this varies a lot, tell me) COULD YOU HELP OUT?: (running a conference does require people for registration, tech help, general running around, speaker prep, tables setup, cleanup, etc etc...) ENTRANCE FEE YOU COULD AFFORD: (I'll try to make this $0, but that'll entirely depend on our budget) AMT. YOU COULD DONATE: (tax-deductible nonprofit!) ORGANIZATION(S) YOU'RE AFFILIATED WITH: (incl. universities) ORGANIZATION(S) YOU KNOW THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SPONSORING THE EVENT: (e.g. in return for ad space on the program or etc; perhaps your company / university / etc - tell me any details for me to follow up with) TOPIC(S) YOU COULD SPEAK ABOUT: (if you're interested in being a speaker) TOPIC(S) YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT: PEOPLE I SHOULD INVITE: IDEAL LENGTH OF CONFERENCE (HRS): (with breaks every hour or so for milling & food) IF YOU CAN RIDESHARE - # PASSENGERS & LOCATION: (if you want to carpool with someone else, just location) SWAG YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN: (delete / insert as applicable) Conlang flag (http://wiki.frath.net/Conlang_flag) Conlang flag lapel pins other: CONTINGENCIES: (i.e. you would come IF [insert something that I might be able to affect]) ANY ADAPTATIONS I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT: (e.g. restricted diet [vegetarian / vegan / meat-only / etc], need an ASL interpreter, loop headsets, etc) WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN HAVING A TABLE: (not allowed to sell things on campus [except as fundraising for us], but you're allowed to pitch them or hand out flyers etc) OTHER COMMENTS / SUGGESTIONS / GLARING MISTAKES ON MY PART: ------=_Part_20210_9446184.1137888639041--