On Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 5:02 PM, Robin Lee Powell <rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org> wrote:FOLLOWUPS TO: The main list. OK, been promising it for a while; here it is. http://teddyb.org/robin/tiki-index.php?page=Lojban%3A+You're+Doing+It+Wrong There are all *sorts* of finicky details we could discuss, but right now I and others would very much just like to get a sense of where the community stands on these sorts of issues, so, if we could *please* keep the discussion for now (1) on the main list and (2) agree/disagree answer to the following question, after you've read (as much as you wish to) of the essay: I would like Lojban to remain as close as it possibly can to its current state, regardless of whether I or a group of experienced Lojbanists see that improvements could be made. Agree or disagree?
Both, depending on timeframe and definitions of terms.Lojban needs to remain stable and resistant to change, especially in the near term. When numbers of Lojbanists and formal documentation are both strong enough, then "improvements" will generally be made by usage, not by fiat, with skilled Lojbanists being the only ones having the capability to demonstrate and explain their variant usages in-language, and other skilled Lojbanists voting-with-their-usage to adopt the variation.
That is what the phrase "let usage decide" was supposed to refer to - the asymptotic reduction of change-by-fiat to nil, in favor of natural evolution through usage. Shakespeare introduced considerable new vocabulary and usage to the English language, and needed no byfy to approve his efforts.
Thus in the near term, I agree. In the longer term, I disagree, but require that "improvements" are introduced through usage, and explanation in-language when necessary, and not by fiat.
Of course, by "current state", I mean the language that the byfy is attempting to document, and not the state of half-documented-ness that persists.
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