From: Bennett Dina <bennettd@ERE.UMontreal.CA>
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 1997 19:26:42 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: SOWPODS as a METAPHOR
Message-id: <Pine.3.89.9710011854.A25117-0100000@tornade.ERE.UMontreal.CA>
On Tue, 30 Sep 1997, Jim Miller wrote:
Imagine if our schools started teaching an "International English" which attempted to give equal time to all English dialect spoken everywhere, in some misguided attempt to foster English unity or something. How would that feel to the local kids?While I agree that any artificial attempt to unify the english language is both unwanted and impossible anayways, I fail to see how that has ANYTHING to do with unifying a couple of dictionaries for the purposes of playing a word game.
You made the point that there has to be some reasonable place to draw the line in terms of what are "appropriate" words. I agree. However, that line -no matter where ait is drawn- is always going to be an artificial one. Every single person on this list would draw that line differently if given the opportunity. I for one LIKE all the Spenserian crap that almost everyone else hates. I see no reason why topnotch scrabble should not include some "homages to the history of the language". And besides, most of those spellings are far more esthetically pleasing (if less functional) than some of the more boring modern spellings. But thats just me. ( please no one bother to argue this with me - it would be like arguing over which food tastes better)
My point is that your opinion on where to draw the line is no more or less valid than mine, or Ron's or Lee's or even Dan pratt's, :) and the only question to resolve is how many lines are we going to draw? Right now there are three, all artificial and equally valid. My hope is that one day we can reduce this to one. Others such as yourself see no reason to budge from the ospd line. You clearly have a less international outlook on life than I, but what the heck, I see nothing wrong with that. Just don't try to tell me or anyone else that we have some sort of "obligation" to "the Game" that requires us to forgo playing with the lexicon of our choosing. That's wrong. "The Game" is precisely that: a game. It has almost no value outside of its own intrinsic beauty. It owes nothing and is owed nothing. Similarily, I owe nothing to you, nor you to me, if we go our separate lexica. Altho I hope not.
Within the next five years, this issue is likely to be decided one way or the other. If NA stays ospd, it will be because thats what most players want, and I will either have to lump it, or move to asia, and make a living off sowpods :). I hope you will be able to do likewise.
Daveboys