Re: A Nice Conlang News Article

JQ> There is a nice article today in the Seattle Times on conlanging.
JQ> >http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2001876073_elvish14.html

Thanks!  I'm surprised that Lojban didn't get a mention in the section
about neutrality and experimentation on language.  Good on Sarah for
getting Teonaht's name mentioned, though. :)


DK> My only complaint would be that I don't recall China ever banning
DK> Esperanto (well, I'm not a historian; at least in the writer's use of
DK> the word "recently").

According to Don Harlow (http://www.webcom.com/~donh/efaq.html):

	The Communist Chinese government has been ambiguous about its
	attitude toward Esperanto. Learning Esperanto under official
	auspices for official purposes has been not only tolerated
	but encouraged and (in one case of which I am personally
	aware) even required. Learning Esperanto outside official
	channels for personal use was, until around 1980, considered
	beyond the pale, and during the Cultural Revolution could
	lead to prison or worse.

DK> The Chinese, in my experience, have been avid Esperantists.

I think you mean that you have met avid Esperantists who were Chinese,
or perhaps that most or all of the Chinese Esperantists you have met
have been avid.  I don't think the average Chinese is any more likely
than the average European to be an Esperantist, regardless of avidity.
:)

-Mark