tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jun 25 08:03:21 1996
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Re: Criticism (was Re: translation)
- From: "Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Criticism (was Re: translation)
- Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 08:03:21 -0700
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
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