tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jun 25 08:03:21 1996

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Criticism (was Re: translation)

Frank writes:

> Wouldn't it be more scholarly to treat Paramount issues in theoretical 
> treatises?

Whether this is so or not doesn't alter the fact that some people will choose 
other directions.  They may not be the best, but are they inappropriate?

> [Paramount] is not exclusively in the 
> business of making Star Trek but they do OWN the language don't they.

This is a legal point that really is less than clear.  What does it mean to 
"own" a language.  It's pretty murky.  As compared, for example, to TKD.  TKD is
a published work, protected by international copyright law.   
> 
> "Ideas need to be challenged, to see if they hold up, if they work, to test 
> their consistency and validity."
> But not what is appropriate for discussion on this List, it seems.  ;)

Now you're just being silly.  By definition, the list serves a specific function
and not others.  You don't plant corn in the nave of a church, nor order a pizza
from a tuxedo store; that's not what they're there for.  Maybe you like eating 
pizza while in a top hat and tails, but that doesn't change the reality.

> Ignoring or outlawing topics which may or may not pertain seems to be 
> short-sighted.  There are some posts which clearly do not pertain [RE:  my 
> cupholder story] but posts about Gowron being at a convention is at least 
> semi-appropriate.  Both of these produced very salient threads, btw.

That something useful came out of inappropriate posts I won't dispute, but also 
a lot of wasted energy and bandwidth.  As for Robert O'Reilly making a 
convention appearance, this is not really about Klingon, it's about fandom.  So,
nope, <buzzzzzz>

> It seems to me that complaining ON-LIST about OFF-TOPIC posts is 
> inappropriate too.  There should be one arbiter of Appropriateness [and I 
> believe that there is] and he should reply to off-topic posts privately and 
> politely.

I somewhat agree.  However, if the post does include something relevant, or 
brings progress to the list (e.g., making positions clear and ending wasted 
bandwidth) perhaps that's justifiable.

> There are people who post "I'll be on vacation" in English.  This is neither 
> in Klingon nor about Klingon, but yet it draws no flak.  A Klingon wouldn't 
> announce his departure, he would just leave.

Well, it's rather pointless to post complaints to someone who has gone off on 
vacation, isn't it?


On a related (and linguistic) topic, how might one express the concept of 
criticism in Klingon?  Is it an argument or debate (which suggests the use of 
<ghoH>), or would a variation on complain be more on the mark (<bepHa'> doesn't 
really work for me).  Since we seem to engage in so much of this, for good or 
ill, we ought to have a term for it.  

Lawrence

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Dr Lawrence M Schoen, Director   :: The KLI is a nonprofit ::
:: The Klingon Language Institute   :: tax exempt corporation ::
:: POB 634, Flourtown, PA 19031 USA :: DaH HuchlIj'e' ghonob  ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::  [email protected]  :: http://www.kli.org ::  215/836-4955  ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Back to archive top level