LogFest

[lojbab (Bob LeChevalier)]

Time to remind people that LogFest is coming up in two weeks.  LogFest
is the annual get-together of The Logical Language Group, centered
around our corporate meeting.  LogFest runs from 21-24 June this year,
with most people coming for the weekend proper (in other words, its OK
to come a little early or stay a little late).

The gathering is here in Fairfax near Washington DC, at lojbab's house.
Most people who come bring a sleeping bag and spend the weekend (and
sometimes a little more).  We have four or 5 spare beds for those who
can't conveniently bring a sleeping bag.  We also have a large back
yard, and people have sometimes set up a tent back there.  As such we
can accomodate families, provided that you let us know for logistic
purposes.  If your family members aren't interested in Lojban, they can
always go into the city and sightsee - we are close to the subway.

If you are coming from out-of-town, you can take a train to Union
Station or a plane to National Airport and transfer to the Metro subway,
thus not needing a rental car.  From Dulles Airport, there is a shuttle
bus to the Metro line, or, depending on timing, someone may be able to
come pick you up, so you may not need a car from their, either.

We plan for up to 50 people to attend, though usually we run about
20-30.  We thus have plenty of food, drinks, etc.  Please let us know of
any special food needs (allergies, etc.)  - we are used to supporting
such special needs.  (Oh, and there is a cat here, in case someone is
allergic).  We spend around $600-$800 to put on LogFest, including food,
and ask people to donate their fair share of this amount ($30-40 per
person for the weekend).  There is no mandatory admission or attendance
charge, though.

LogFest has five aspects, all intertwined.  The exact mix of people
determines which aspects dominate.  With the exception of the formal
annual meeting, there is no schedule - we do what the people attending
want to do at any given time, and there are usually at least two things
going on at once.

LogFest is a learning opportunity for new Lojbanists - we plan several
activities for new people to bring them up to speed quickly, including
Athelstan's introductory mini-lesson, given when there is demand (and we
have a videotape of my version of the mini-lesson in case Athelstan is
busy at the time you are ready.)  Various more advanced teaching
sessions are scheduled based on demand.  I will no doubt end up trying
to teach about Lojban's tense/modal system, for example.

LogFest is a chance to use the language with others, regardless of your
level of skill.  A group of Lojbanists here have been planning several
activities for LogFest to involve people from beginner to advanced
levels in actually using the language (Please!  Bring your word-lists!)
These range from translation activities to role playing.  Sylvia Rutiser
may attempt to teach people to sew in Lojban, Athelstan is trying to
finish his translation of the Careers board game (the OTHER invention of
James Cooke Brown) and has some other games in mind even if that doesn't
come through.  And of course, we will have Lojban conversations
scheduled or unscheduled at various times - probably longer ones than in
previous years since there is a core group of us for whom an hour of
conversation is not a difficult thing any more.  If you've made a good
effort at learning the vocabulary, you may find it is not difficult for
you either.  We've had people come to our conversation sessions who have
been able to follow much of the conversation within an hour or two (we
talk slow to help them - and us - out, there are as yet no really fluent
speakers of the language.)

LogFest is a chance to participate in the organized development/
evolution of the language.  All attendees are welcome to participate in
discussions of critical issues, and these discussions are much livelier
and with better explanations than we can manage on this mailing list.
Everyone who participates in a discussion has a vote - we do not have an
'inner circle' as has sometimes been suggested on the list.  Among the
discussions likely to occur this year will be the recent cleft place
structures issue; we also expect to have the community clearly tell John
Cowan and me to stop fiddling with the grammar - it sometimes takes a
little community expression of will to keep things moving.  I also
expect to be deservedly castigated for slow progress on the textbook,
though I'll try to have some useful progress to show at the meeting.

LogFest includes our annual organizational meeting as required by law.
This meeting is the only time-scheduled activity, and will be on Sunday
at 10AM, probably lasting for a couple of hours.  We have some tough
organizational issues to discuss - how to get our finances in order, the
electronic distribution policy, and software pricing.  A few bylaw
amendments are being proposed to make the organization more flexible as
it grows, and to reduce bureaucratic distractions.

Finally, LogFest is a social activity - a chance to get together with
other Lojbanists, meet them and develop ties that strengthen the
community.  A language with few speakers needs to develop a strong
community (a 'nation' so to speak) to surivive and prosper.  The success
of Esperanto among artificial languages is due to the Esperantists'
sense of community - knowing deep down that the language is worthwhile
because others like them are speaking, using, and working with the
language.  Ties formed at LogFest sustain us the rest of the year in
geographical dispersion.  Not all discussion at LogFest are about Lojban
or language; indeed the bounds of conversation at LogFest haven't been
discovered.  Discussions continue late into the night (sometimes keeping
people up rather later than they expected), and resume at early hours
(well - not that early).

Among miscellaneous activities, we will have our entire product line
here, and you can see before buying.  Our various software programs will
be available for demonstration.  We are especially interested in getting
people to try the new version of LogFlash, which we hope to release in
late summer, and John Cowan's new Parser, with a similar target date.
In addition, Art Wieners, who has developed a UNIX flash card program
that works entirely differently from LogFlash, will be showing this off
again; Art is also interested in discussions of computer processing of
Lojban text and speech, which he has been thinking about for several
years.

Now the bottom line.  I don't need firm commitments, though I'll
certainly accept and prefer them.  But I need as many of you as possible
to tell me whether you are coming (and if not for the whole weekend,
then for which part), so that we can buy food and be prepared for the
onslaught.  So send me a message saying you are coming (if you are) and
telling how many others are coming with you, when you expect to arrive,
and what you need in sleeping arrangements.

I can also give directions if needed via telephone or mail.  We have a
map used in previous years, that I can post to people who need it,
provided that you let me know right away (the last week before LogFest
is too late).

I hope to see as many of you as possible, and that you will see for
yourself that Lojban is a real language that people are learning and
using.
----
lojbab = Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc.
         2904 Beau Lane, Fairfax VA 22031-1303 USA
         703-385-0273
         lojbab@snark.thyrsus.com