Re: Lunatic Survey

Hi Sally,

Just want to tell you this survey was a good idea. And here are my =
answers.


THE SURVEY:

        1)  To what extent is your conlang an "intensely peersonal"
pursuit--one that you don't often reveal to people other than =
conlangers?

R: Not to a great extent -- not self-compulsory. I'm a bit of an =
exhibicionist about this, but then I'm also a bit shy when it comes to =
the moment of truth, and finally, I don't have an interested audience =
outside other conlangers.

        2)  If so, to what extent do you feel that the listserv =
"Conlang"
has given you a _raison d'etre_ for

                a) pursuing your invented language
                b) making it public?

R:
  a) Conlang has given me a new point of view. I've realized there are =
people sharing this obsession, and that they are making an effort about =
it. Conlang has given me a push, so to speak; I need to be up and =
working on my conlangs because I don't to think about myself as a lazy =
creator who doesn't finishes things.
  b) Conlang hasn't given a reason to make it public -- only a medium, =
which is as much important.

        3)  How many of you, in mentioning your conlang to an
acquaintance, received a belittling reply?  Condescension?  Disapproval?

R: Count one more. I've found a bit of condescension -- more like =
indifference. I've also found surprise ("What do you mean, you're =
inventing a language?"). And confusion ("It's like making hieroglyphs, =
right?"). I'm pretty sensitive about this, but I get over it quickly ;-)

        4)  How many of you are:

                a) high school students or younger?
                b) undergraduates?
                c) graduates?
                c) out of school altogether and supporting yourselves?
                d) Not in school, never went?


        4a) What is your profession, or your desired profession?

R: Perhaps I need to explain the school system here. In Argentina we =
have primary school, secondary school, and university. I'm at my fourth =
year at university. The career is Information Systems Engineering and =
it's supposed to be taken in five years, but I won't graduate at least =
until two or three years from now. My desired profession would be =
working as a systems administrator or a programmer. But I'd be glad if I =
could make a living out of writing SF stories, or as a science =
divulgator.


        5)  How many of you have invented a language because

                a) you are solely interested in language experiments
                   and linguistics?

                        i) for personal experiments...
                        ii) because you like participating in the
                        development of an auxiliary language and its
                        socio-political effects?

                b) you are interested in world-building

                        i) for fiction
                        ii) for role-playing and other social activities
                        iii) just for your own amusement?

R: I'm interested in conlangs and concultures for fiction. Not =
necessarily SF stories that could be published -- also for my own =
amusement and the satisfaction of seeing a coherent structure that I've =
created. About RPG, my brother is more into that than me, and once I =
invented a bit of a conlang for a project of his, but it didn't go far.

        5) How many of you take the time to learn another's conlang?

R: Unfortunately I'm too much absorbed by my own creations. I love to =
see comprehensive descriptions of conlangs and natlangs, but not to =
learn them -- I don't have the patience to learn that way. If someone =
provided free live-video interactive classes maybe :)

        6) How many of you are women?

Don't count me.

        7) Who is lurking period?  [these questions I don't expect
                public answers to--if any answers--but I ask it anyway
                to see what happens]

Not me at the moment -- constant chatting about anything related to =
language is like heaven to me and fortunately I have time to do it.

        7a) If you are women and you are lurking, why are you not
contributing?  This is a shamefully gendered question, but gender and
participation has been raised, and I'm curious.

You could have asked that in general. Male lurkers could have had =
something to say ;-)

        8) Which of you would give me permission to (or object to) my
mentioning your conlang and webpage (if any) at a convention, in an
academic article?  I'll protect names if so desired [as though this is
writing pornography!-- now there's something]

I would, of course! Academic publicity is something I've dreamed of. But =
I don't know if you'll find my conlangs interesting... Anyway, my =
Language Creation stuff is at =
<http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/1021/language.html>. The most =
developed conlang there is Drasel=E9q. There's a comprehensive grammar =
and phonology description, an Encyclopaedia, and a conculture history. =
It all begins at =
<http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/1021/draseleq.html>. But be aware =
that Drasel=E9q is at present under dramatic revisions -- almost only in =
the verbal system, tho. I'll upload the updated pages some time starting =
from the next two o three weeks. But you can check it out now and won't =
see that much difference afterwards.


        9) For how many of you is "exoticness" in your invented language
and absolute must?  How many of you pursue more familiar models... and
why to both?

R: "Absolute must" is redundant. I'd say exoticness in my language is a =
"powerful should". Too much exoticness is bothering -- you have to think =
hard before writing anything. I prefer subtle differences, a "charming =
deformity" here and there, to give the language a special character.


        9)  FINALLY: what is the appeal of an invented language for you?
Wherein is its "sexiness"?  Its spirituality?  its sensuality?  What =
keeps
you at it?  How does it benefit you?  Does it harm you?  heal you?

R: I love making a balance between chaos and order. And that's language: =
chaos derived from a lot of human (or alien) minds, constantly fighting =
with order, born to make communication possible. I love making languages =
for the same reason I like strategic computer games: you have to be =
controlling little parts of it all the time, as you watch it grow. It =
benefits me by intellectual pleasure and by avoiding boredom, which is =
my Enemy. It heals me after seeing the wounds that mediocrity, the =
yellow press and narrow-minded people are inflicting to our society. It =
harms me when I see myself in the web of my own creation -- I created =
rules and now the rules imprison me. But that happens to anyone with =
principles and ideas that s/he won't break, I guess.


--Pablo Flores