Subject: [lojban] Re: a new kind of fundamentalism

From: "And Rosta" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 21:14:30 +0100

Jordan:
> On Sat, Oct 05, 2002 at 09:07:51PM +0100, And Rosta wrote:
> > Jay:
> [...]
> > > There is no reason or need for people to run around changing Lojban. 
> > 
> > There's reason to run around changing Lojban, and there's reason to
> > not run around changing Lojban. I agree that brand recognition matters
> > much more for an unchanging version trying to attract learners.
> 
> So way don't you start calling your modifications by a new name? Perhaps
> even "jboskebau"? You could then make any changes you want with a much
> smaller amount of oposition.

I do have my own engelang that I don't discuss on this list, because it
would be off-topic. To lojban-related lists, I post only on lojban-related
topics (barring the very very occasional item of chat).

I don't try to make baseline-violating modifications to Lojban. 
Occasionally I point out baseline-violating alternatives, but this
falls within the proper domain of lojbanology, which in turn is
properly lojbanic.

> > > People who want to change things, rather
> > > than work out problems with ill-defined portions of Lojban, should go
> > > play with Lojban2 or Andban or something, using Lojban as a base, but
> > > not calling it 'Lojban'. The name is of no consequence to those parties,
> > > but 'brand recognition' is key to growing the speaker base.
> > 
> > I agree. Since the baseline was imposed, I have never tried to change
> > the baseline -- at least not as far as I can recall. I've even said
> > in several places that I'm opposed to officially changing the baseline.
> 
> You have said that, yes. However, have you not also said "I am in
> favour of anything that subverts the baseline, on the grounds that
> I see no virtue in it except the simple fact that 99% of Lojbanists
> wanted it." (From your wiki page).
> 
> I suppose someone could've been writing there and pretending to be
> you, but that just seems so much like something you would say,
> despite the apparent contraditions :)

You're right: it does sound like me, and was written by me. I've addressed
the apparent contradiction in a reply to Jay.

There are laws in Britain that I dislike, but not enough to want to
emigrate, and I don't try to change them -- e.g. laws against same-sex
marriage, bans on images of erect penises, laws against cannabis smoking,
laws against against blasphemy. (Whether I obey the laws is a separate
issue.) I feel similarly as a citizen of Lojbanistan. 

--And.