Re: Saving endangered langs (was Re: Extrapolating languages)

Joe wrote:

> Dirk Elzinga wrote:
>
>> Hey.
>>
>> Being a professional linguist engaged in language preservation (I am
>> currently working with the Chemehuevis and several Shoshoni communities
>> on language preservation and documentation), I probably ought to
>> respond to this.
>>
>> I think that the *sole* determining factor concerning language
>> preservation efforts should be the wishes of the community. As Padraic
>> says, some people really don't care if a language survives or not. What
>> surprises many is that these indifferent souls may also *be* speakers
>> of the language.
>
>
>
> I disagree.

Um, actually, I don't, at least fully.  I'd like to retract those first
two words.