Reactions to the secret vice (was: Steg's wonderful sig.)

Boudewijn Rempt wrote:


> I've met all kinds of reactions from the outside world. Interested,
> but dismissive from my University teacher, hostile from the last
> esperantist in Leyden, impressed from collegues at work, and the one
> case were some told me I couldn't make languages because that was
> impossible. But generally, people seem interested (unless you start
> to tell them grammatical facts - they like to hear a phrase or two,
> especially if the contents are off-colour). But there are a lot of
> weird hobbies around in the Netherlands - comes of having far too
> much spare time ;-).
The reaction I got recently from an academic friend (I'm beginning to
come out
of the closet a little more now that I've been writing about this in
academic circles) was:  "how ARROGANT!"

Addressing the (to him) arrogant assumption that any one
person could replicate the complexity and history of a real language.

I asked him if he would have the same response to "I am building a
miniature city."

As soon as I invoked the "miniature" element, he could understand.
See, he thought, at first, that I and all the rest of you are trying
to build full-sized cities, all by ourselves.  <G>

Sally
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SALLY CAVES
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Niffodyr tweluenrem lis teuim an.
"The gods have retractible claws."
                                from _The Gospel of Bastet_
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