Re: CHAT: LUNATIC again; was: META,CHAT: Anyone see the irony? AND "Let's , Return to Conlang...

On Tue, 3 Nov 1998, Robert J. Petry wrote:

> Sally Caves wrote:
>
> > [kut]
> >
> > As for Bob's remark that Matt Pearson so eloquently responded to--that he
> > had somewhat "undiplomatically" criticized new "projects" devised by one
> > person as not being "languages," I'm going to have to side with Matt on
> > this issue:  that's a criticism for an "auxlang."  [kut]
>
> Sally,
> I don't mind criticism. Sometimes, as you know, it helps, and sometimes it hinders.
> And, sometimes, only time tells which is which. However, here I wish you had been
> more specific. I don't remember being a part of this particular criticizing of new
> "projects". Siding with Matt is fine, assuming I made such a criticism. I don't think
> I did, and that you may be mixing someone else in here. Which post are you referring
> to?
>
> Al l sue,
> Bob, x+
>
Hi Bob... my humble apologies.  This was Lojbab, who signs off as "Bob" I
think, or whose name is "Bob" in his closing signature.  Me all blushing
as the T. would say to either of you if I got this wrong.  I wonder if you
would like to respond to the survey, and if you think it's fair.  Lojbab
too.  Rereading this, I realize that I use "Bob" twice, and quite
ambiguously.  Yry poy myeebihs...

I also think I took some umbrage to "Lojbab" for implying in his
criticisms of new conlangs that Teonaht is not a language, only because it
has a speaker of one, and a small vocabulary (that is, compared to a real
language). Maybe I'm exempt from his criticism because T. is over thirty
years old.  Over the course of the years, I have written prayers in T.  I
have written poetry; translations;  some people have even heard my
tentative voice in Peter Clarke's thoughtful Slova pages.  Some of you
might even have heard my songs (practice wav.files).  Some of you have
responded in T., to my amazement. It's being used like a language.  Who
would have thought it!  Thank Yrlo for this group.  But there's just no
point in taking umbrage.  So, again, apologies.

Also: I realize I know very little about auxlangs, and would like to hear
a defense of them (see survey in other post).  They don't appeal to me
because I'm a loner not a joiner, if I paint I want to do the painting
myself and not a join a group of other painters, same goes for writing
fiction, and I want to be free to make my language as difficult or as
politically incorrect as I feel disposed to do.  I design cities that way.
They've still got their slums.  In my stories about future cities, there
are still insurmountable problems.  I think, basically, that I'm not
utopian.  And that's the real difference, perhaps, between what I do and
what you do.

 Sally
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Sally Caves

Li fetil'aiba, dam hoja-le uen.
volwin ly, vul inua aiba bronib.

This leaf, the wind takes her.
She's old, and born this year.
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