Re: proposed conlang database

The idea of creating such a database is praiseworthy.
I'm very much in favour.
If I might make a few suggestions:

1. Don't make it too complicated. A database entry is,
in my opinion not supposed to cover the whole grammar
of a language. Besides,  if it would take one hour to
fill one entry, this might discourage many people from
adding an entry.

2. Let's not limit ourselves to entries about those
who explicitly wish to be in the database. It would
probably stagnate at somewhere between 15 and 50
entries, which would be a pity. My ideal database
would contain every conlang ever created, no matter
when or for what purpose, no matter if alive or dead.
If this would mean 20,000 entries, so be it!

3. There are some very useful resources for this
purpose (Kennaway, Harrison, Rosenfelder, and others).
I created one such database myself, currently with
over 900 entries. The only problem is, that it is in
(don't laugh) dBase III+. It can be converted to MS
Access or something like that.

4. I do not entirely agree with your system for
qualifying a language. As a counterproposal I will
send you a system I created myself, that is slightly
more detailed. Right now I don't have it available
here, but I can send it afterwards.

Yours, Jan


=====
"You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought,
wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that
happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great
comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe." --- J.
Michael Straczynski

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