[Spellyans] Open and honest discussion and the good of the Cornish language

[Michael Everson]

Everyone: It's remarkable,  isn't it,  to compare the strategies which  
different groups employ. Previously when we had the Kernowak list, we  
also had the adversarial AHG process going on. So much that we were  
discussing in UdnFormScrefys was not made public, because we had to  
keep our cards close to our chest. So did our adversaries on their  
Kaskyrgh list.

Now, however, we are no longer engaged in hostile negotiations. The  
AHG process is finished. Experts like Ken George and Wella Brown, who  
did not want to see a Fifth Orthography developed at all, were kept  
out of active participation in the process. Experts like Nicholas and  
me, who did very much want to see a suitable Fifth Orthography  
developed, were kept out of active participation in the process --  
evidently because we might have pushed the orthography "away" from KK.  
So the AHG process finished up, producing a draft SWF and asking for  
comments, but taking none of those comments into account -- making no  
attempt to improve the orthography on the basis of linguistic  
expertise or expertise in orthography design. So what we have is a  
semi-Authentic SWF, based firmly in KS but mistakenly ignoring its  
precision. The public authorities can use it. Evidently they are  
constrained to use the ugly Main Form only, which is sad enough. But  
the AHG process is finished. We are no longer engaged in hostile  
negotiations.

That's why Spellyans has an open and public archive. That's why  
Spellyans is open to anyone for membership. All anyone has to do is  
use his or her real name, and remain civil.

So why have we got hostiles amongst us? Harry Fraiser is Tim Saunders.  
I personally suspect Penny Squire of being Paul Dunbar. And Tom  
Trethewey of being Ken George. I could be wrong about those, of  
course. I don't mind being wrong. But some things they say suggest it.  
Yet why should they hide? Our archive is public. Anyone on the whole  
web can read what we say.

We've made a lot of progress analysing the shortcomings,  
inconsistencies and errors in the SWF. There's no reason for anyone to  
be hostile about us engaging in this activity -- we're free to do so,  
the AHG process now being completed. We're not obliged to use the SWF  
if it has inconsistencies and errors. None of those inconsistencies or  
errors was necessary -- they were pointed out during the process. Two  
people in authority told me that we should consider using our own  
Authentic Written Form. Since we care about Cornish, that is what we  
must do.

And we are doing it. We are making good progress. I'm keeping a reign  
on things to try to minimize the distanct between the SWF and the form  
of KS which we are developing. It will not be long before we can  
finalize the orthographic rules and publish our findings.

Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com
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