Subject: Re: [lojban] Re: html tag ethics

From: Jim Carter <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 10:45:20 -0800 (PST)

On Tue, 10 Dec 2002, Robert LeChevalier wrote:
--- snip ---
> But the bottom line is that we are trying to cooperate with TLI, not to
> undercut them (at this stage, they'll live or die without our help), and
> perceptions can be more important than reality. If we start promoting
> "Loglan" on our web pages merely in order to get hits from Steven's 500
> looking for Loglan, it LOOKS to everyone else like "hype" and "poaching",
> and will be understood by TLI and by most readers as such. It would be
> better to negotiate a relationship whereby TLI puts a more prominent link
> on their page pointing to ours as another implementation of JCB's ideas
> with an active community, and we put a respectful link on our page
> acknowledging their site as documenting what we recognize as the
> predecessor language to Lojban. This is honest, aboveboard, and
> communicates the way the languages relate to each other.
>
> That is the sort of thing I am trying to do with Bob McIvor (and if he and
> Robin want to work out mutually acceptable wording for mutual pointers
> along the lines I describe above, I approve)

The voice of reason and experience makes progress, at the same time
throwing a wet blanket over ... Well, I won't continue the metaphor, but I
remember the debate over hexadecimal. I also remember the frenzied
squabble between MSN and AOL over instant messenger formats, which
obviously ought to be interoperable, but their whole purpose was to poach
customers from each other, and they ruined what could have ended up as a
benefit to the community.

Can this please be the last message about HTML meta keywords? My "D" key
is wearing out. I look forward to the text crossreferences on the
respective web pages.

James F. Carter Voice 310 825 2897 FAX 310 206 6673
UCLA-Mathnet; 6115 MSA; 405 Hilgard Ave.; Los Angeles, CA, USA 90095-1555
Email: [email-masked] http://www.math.ucla.edu/~jimc (q.v. for PGP key)