Re: On international applications of Lojban

[Robin Turner <robin@xxxxxxx.xxx.xxx]

Bob LeChevalier-Logical Language Group wrote:
> 
> From: Bob LeChevalier-Logical Language Group <lojbab@lojban.org>
> 
> The following was posted to Auxlang mailing list by Paul Bartlett. I have
> been trying for months to figure a way to explain why I support the
> European Patent usage of Lojban, but have not been willing to commit
> significant resources to selling the idea. Besides having a dictionary to
> do, that is ...
> 
> This sums up one of my major concerns, as to why Lojban as a community may
> not be quite ready for adoption, even if we can show a good and useful
> translation of a patent. Maybe people can be looking at what we need to do
> in order to be able to promote the use of Lojban other than as a toy or as
> a medium of personal expression (both of these are worthwhile in
> themselves, but surely are not all that is possible for the language).
> 
[original post cut]

Here's my two-pennorth (or two cents)

1. The first priority is to produce a user-friendly basic Lojban
course on the web and later in book form. Oh, er, I'm supposed
to be doing that, aren't I? Oops.

2. Ditto dictionary.

3. Find a small number of areas where Lojban has a potential
area of use / support e.g. patent law, computer science / AI,
philosophy etc. Form working groups to promote the language in
thoise areas, primiarily by coining the necessary vocabulary. 
Produce interim specialist dictionaries for these language areas.

4. If and when Lojban starts to gain acceptance in one of these
areas, put as much resources as we can into that area. Write,
translate, teach. Go for grants, sponsorships etc. Get
endorsements from major figures in the field. Obviously the
methods we use will depend on the area we're in; with patent law
the emphasis would be on precision and proving that Lojban is
more suitable for patents than natlangs, while if we were using
Lojban within, say, the Linux / Free Software community, the geek
factor would be more important (as I pointed out on Auxlang, I
mentioned Lojban to one of the Comp.Sci. people here and his
response was "You've got unambiguous syntax? Wow, you guys must
have really strict scope-marking!").

Having said all this, I'm not in favour of going overboard on the
promotion side. Over the top promotion can be counter-productive
(as readers of the Auxlang list will know!), and once the
language is up to scratch people will naturally "promote" it in
the areas they are interested in.

co'o mi'e robin.