Subject: Lojban Portal (was: presentation of lojban

From: Invent Yourself <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2001 03:52:09 -0500 (EST)

On Sat, 24 Nov 2001, Bob LeChevalier (lojbab) wrote:

> At 05:05 PM 11/23/01 -0500, Rob Speer wrote:
> >
> >On that end, I think we need either an update of lojban.org or a new
> >site that we can point people interested in Lojban to - someone coming
> >across the web page now would get the impression that nothing has been done
> >with the language for a year, and if they persist in being interested,
> >they're directed to various aging web sites and old texts. It's a wonder
> >anyone at all shows up on lojban-beginners, because I haven't seen it
> >publicized _anywhere_.
>
> Unfortunately, my coming from the pre-Internet generation, I have not
> had the creativity nor even the understanding to fathom why the main page
> would be expected to change frequently when the language is now baselined
> and not changing, and when we have few new products.

If the "main page" is the front door to a cache of important reference
materials, then I can see why you would be mystified at the directive that
it should change constantly.

However, it is important that the first, or central Lojban website that
newcomers see, be one that reflects the vivacity of the community. It
should not give a stale appearance, but show not only that there is a lot
of material in and about Lojban, but also that there are a lot of people
working on things right now.

The internet, and the world at large, is littered with dead projects,
failed revolutions, and great ideas that went nowhere. Whenever I
encounter something new I the first question on my mind is: is this alive
or abandoned?

> Instead, I put the link to Evguenie Sklyanin's links page, which DOES
> change often and which points to the variety of other pages that also
> change, and the link to the Web ring that also links to key sites that
> change, and hoped that this would do. Alas it hasn't been enough, and
> I am happy to turn over the job of making the pages interesting, while
> preserving their primary archival function, to Robin.

Sklyanin's page used to be "The Bomb", but he hasn't updated it since
June.

Tonight Rob Speer and I kicked around some html, and we ended up with the
beginning of a Lojban Portal. It will contain links to much (not all)
Lojban stuff. And it will be updated roughly bi-weekly; whenever something
occurs worth noting. Friends of Lojban will be able to monitor the life
and progress of the community without swimming through the mailing list
messages.

http://www.sixgirls.org/xod/lojban/

I surely intend to fill in the link categories on the left, and probably
alter the headings as well.

If Robin Powell wants to use this as the front page of lojban.org, that's
fine. If he doesn't, that's fine too. Two portals are not worse than one!

-- 
The tao that can be tar(1)ed
is not the entire Tao.
The path that can be specified
is not the Full Path.