Subject: Re: [lojban] to-do list (was Re: New Members, Board of Directors, other LogFest results)

From: Jay F Kominek <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 20:19:01 -0600

On Wed, Jul 24, 2002 at 09:28:12PM -0400, Bob LeChevalier wrote:
> >How complicated can a dictionnary spec be?
> 
> I dunno. People seem to think we need something more than is being done, 
> but there have been no articulated specifics.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lojban/message/14204
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lojban/message/6906

http://nuzban.wiw.org/wiki/index.php?The%20Lojban%20Dictionary
http://nuzban.wiw.org/wiki/index.php?Great%20Dictionary%20Problem
http://nuzban.wiw.org/wiki/index.php?jbovlaste

There have been more messages, but it'd take too long to find them, and
I just don't care at this point, beyond preventing this slandering.

I've been on this for quite awhile, trying to get feedback as to what
other people think is important in the system.

> You have to understand that many people don't want to install ANY software 
> downloaded from the net.

I have, at no point, ever suggested doing this as anything except a web
based system. Anything beyond that would be entirely optional on the user's
part.

I have some vague idea how to design software appropriate for a given
target audience. I've been doing it for quite awhile, now. I'm able to
eat and putz about on the Internet because I'm paid to develop
software. I'm told I'm fairly good at it. So could we maybe at least
stop with the concerns that all the evil, horrible, mean UNIX-using
Lojbanists are incapable of making something usable by plebes? Its
tiresomeg, and insulting.

> But for me also it is simply learning curve. Time spent learning news 
> software cuts into the time I can spend doing what I do now, and I don't 
> have enough time for THAT.

Most people can use their web browser and fill out forms.

(And, since you'll likely not read the URLs I've posted above, I'll simply
readdress the concern you had last time, wherein you said that you normally
did a few hundred words at a time, and wouldn't want to deal with a form
each time. (How many times have you done a block of a few hundred words, by
the way? There are only 1350 some odd gismu. And what are you doing with
them?) I can easily set something up so that people who want to make a
bulk contribution can write themselves up a specially formatted text file
and upload that to the web site. Why, hypothetically, it could even
read stupid fixed column width ACII files.)

Thats all the skill I have asked of anyone at any point in my designs.

> I have the impression that several people have done that already. Since I 
> can't imagine using the computer to look up individual words, I've never 
> seen much use in it.

Looking a word up as quickly as you can type it is in no way appealing to
you?

-- 
Jay Kominek <[email-masked]>
Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Or any other orifice, for that matter.