Subject: Re: [lojban] how can i help lojban? what can $ do?

From: "Bob LeChevalier (lojbab)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 14:30:35 -0400

At 07:48 PM 07/20/2001 -0600, you wrote:
>On Fri, 20 Jul 2001, Bob LeChevalier (lojbab) wrote:
> > We did prepare an AI research proposal aimed at bigger bucks to support a
> > few technical people full time, and indeed we have ideas on how we would
> > spend larger amounts, but no one has even thought about $1 million, much
> > less $10 million.
>
>Where would you submit such a proposal to? NSF?

In our case, yes.

>(I was wondering, just this morning, if you'd consider doing grant
>proposals and such. :)

We tried that once. Did not even make the cut to get feedback on why we 
did not win, unfortunately. Probably because the job was too hurried.

But JCB sought 3 different NSF grants in the late 70s and we know what 
feedback he got, and thus we know a lot of errors to avoid.

> > Money to pay people could support AI research, or more cheaply either
> > getting someone to handle orders and paperwork so it gets done
> > promptly.
>
>What does handling orders consist of?

Mostly it is the bookkeeping that bogs me down, and the fact that I have no 
dedicated Lojban space in my house (that stays dedicated for more than a 
few days) so that I am continually packing up the Lojban paperwork into 
boxes so it doesn't get lost and then having to get it out, sort out where 
I was and continuing the next time.

>I could print out smallish
>information packets at no cost to myself, and wouldn't mind absorbing the
>cost of mailing them out, assuming they're not too big, and not too often.
>(50 pages a week or so would be no problem.) I could even get them mailed
>in a timely fashion. Just have to tell me what file to send to who.

We were considering something like this last LogFest. But the problems 
always return back to the paperwork issues. Keeping books. Paying sales 
tax on things we sell as opposed to hand out. Making sure that no orders 
get lost. Making sure that credit cards get charged, but only when we 
actually fill the order, rather than when we get the order.

A lot of the problem comes down to my own personal foibles and 
limitations. If I had a little better self-discipline, things would be a 
lot better. If I could keep my interest level up working on such things 
rather than writing dictionaries and translating the Arabian Nights into 
Lojban, they probably would get done. As it is, I have lots of situational 
handicaps interfering with getting stuff done, compounded with an anxiety 
streak whenever I face up to the magnitude of undone paperwork.

lojbab
--
lojbab [email-masked]
Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc.
2904 Beau Lane, Fairfax VA 22031-1303 USA 703-385-0273
Artificial language Loglan/Lojban: http://www.lojban.org