Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>
> If you're not even aware of my publications, what are you doing on a
> list devoted to the study of what they are about, viz., writing systems?

I am aware of the publications that you (the person on this list) claim
to have written. How could I not be? You often reference it. Seriously
though, I did know of the WWS before being on this list.

But I don't know you, and so I can't vouch for the veracity of the
claim. I suspect others on the list do know you, and I respect their
opinion, and also since no one to my knowledge has doubted that the
person who writes your emails is also the person who wrote the
publications, all that carries enough weight for me to proceed as though
it is true. But that is how the world works - with fuzzy and incomplete
information.

But I don't know what you claim to be true with 100% certainty, and I am
OK with that. It is funny to me that you seem not OK with the
uncertainty of who I am - are you like that with everyone or do you have
trouble in general in situations requiring acting on and/or accepting
incomplete information?

No need to answer - I am just musing. I don't really want to know the
answer to that last question.

>
> I also thought of the Australianist linguist Barry Blake.

Barry is actually a more common name then I thought as a child. To this
day I am always somewhat surprised when I come across another one.

>
> And you have no publications anywhere that might interest qalamites?
> Then, once more, why are you here?

That is not true. It is just you dreaming that I have no qualifications
appropriate to this list. Anyone interested can easily find out my
professional history. They don't need my permission to do so. There is
ample public record of it.

Why I am here is to learn more details about writing systems - just like
the topic of the list. It benefits me professionally, and perhaps others
benefit when I participate.

What I wonder is why that matters to you at all. I personally think you
hold yourself in such high regard that only a few people in the whole
world are deemed by you to be worthy of having opinions on matters that
you care about. Which is all well and good and you have the right to
that opinion.

But if that is accurate, I suggest you create your own private list with
just those people, and leave this one for the rest of us proletariats.
Or participate in this list in a manner befitting everyone else here.

OK, that is getting to be enough in this thread...all I wanted to know
is why the list split in the first place when there seems to be enough
overlap in topics with the new list that folks on that one feel the need
to come back here and announce what they are talking abut because it
might be of interest here.

And then the topic gets discussed both here and there....That is why I
think a single list is better.


Best,

Barry