sudanglo:Point 1. is that we know that those learning Esperanto are often language enthusiasts rather than finvenkistoj. Compare the 3000 plus registrations at Lernu with the membership of EAB, or look at the comments in almost any thread in the forums.

Speaking of which - don't forget to send us some information to send out to our users (teamo@lernu.net). Include a subject line, the text of the informational e-mail, and who you want it sent to. If you want to send it out to the UK and Ireland in English, and to France and Belgium in French, that would be fine, or for example, to the UK and Ireland in English, and to the rest of Europe in Esperanto. You might pick up more continental attendees than you think (could be that someone is thinking of visiting the UK and wants to tack on your Kongreso to the beginning or end of their trip - you could emphasize that in an e-mail to Europe).

On the language issue, it's an interesting thing. I've only been to a couple of landaj kongresoj in the US. The attendees were mostly domestic. The programming was in Esperanto only (except for when there's a guest speaker who doesn't speak Esperanto, in which case it's in English, but since we get almost no foreign attendees, everyone can speak English). Conversation in hallways - a mix of English and Esperanto, depending on the level of the individual in question. I always found it pretty friendly and supportive to beginners whose Esperanto was poor or nonexistent.

However, when we had our LK here in DC, I did get a complaint from one attendee on the last day. He told me how much money he spent on his trip to come and stay in the hotel, and started listing all of his expenses (including, confusingly, the cruise he planned to take afterwards - which had nothing to do with us!). He complained that he spent all of this money to attend an Esperanto event and he expected to come and hear Esperanto but 'everyone' was speaking English. I reminded him that all of the official programming was in Esperanto except one or two things, and that we were not going to police the language of the hallways, and that people who don't yet speak Esperanto shouldn't be barred from attending. He still seemed unhappy.

At any rate. I'm definitely not advocating the 'kongreso language police' and I like your idea of designated krokodiloj. But I suggest having some prepared responses to criticism that you will doubtlessly hear from some quarters. It's a difficult balance at a kongreso between people who speak Esperanto well and just want to 'do' Esperanto (and foreigners who may attend and not speak the local language), and catering to beginners who don't yet speak Esperanto and want to be included, as well as generally making Esperanto look like a fun thing to do. It's something that the movement will have to deal with in the coming years.

erinja:However, when we had our LK here in DC, I did get a complaint from one attendee on the last day.

Bah. Just a crank. They've been cited as a problem for years, the earliest example of which I can think of being from the great Lapenna after the UK in Berne, 1947.

At any rate. I'm definitely not advocating the 'kongreso language police' and I like your idea of designated krokodiloj.

Well, as I said earlier, it strikes me that most of us are smart enough to pick up that compelling someone who can't really speak Esperanto to do so is obnoxious. I run a charity that primarily caters to beginners, which means I'm often the first "known" person they meet at an event. I have no qualms about saying "saluton" and then switching to English once it becomes clear they're struggling, before presenting them to others in English too. If that's not a long-time sensible approach, then it surprises me somewhat, since it's a pretty obvious sensible form of conduct.

It's something that the movement will have to deal with in the coming years.

Totally agreed. My experience over the last few years suggests that people in general are getting used to it. I've not heard "ne krokodilu!", that disgusting term, since 2005, I think.

You might pick up more continental attendees than you think (could be that someone is thinking of visiting the UK and wants to tack on your Kongreso to the beginning or end of their trip - you could emphasize that in an e-mail to Europe).

Yes the same thought had occurred to me Erinja. We have made provision too for a special low-price one-day pass for those who just want to make a flying visit, and its half price for full attendance for all eksterlandanoj.

I'll start working on an email to be distributed (so much to do) to Lernu members.

It's an interesting question as to how how many Lernu members never read the forum. Those who do, will already have seen the link to the Congress website. Last time I looked one of my posts on the Congress in the English forum had received some 2,500 hits, but perhaps they were all from Americans, and Australians.

I don't know if it's genuinely novel or not, but the Ramsgate Congress has its own forum in which prospective participants can express their views on any aspect of the congress, and in which the organization and preparations for same are laid bare.

So if anybody wants to voice complaints, the ready reply is why did you not say something earlier. But maybe I'll appoint someone with good people skills to man (or woman) a complaints and suggestion stand during the Congress, and just send them there.

Also, as an addition to the krokodila servo, it might be a good wheeze to have some designated kongresanoj sport badges showing that they are part of the por-komencanta servo. That's a bit long. Anybody got a suggestion for a snappier designation (pacienculo?).

Tim, I'd be sorry to see the 'Ne krodilu' become archaic.

I've always enjoyed hiding behind seats at the back or the room and shouting it out (hee, hee - such fun), or sidling up to a group of eternaj komencantoj, invoking the incantation, and running away. Even better is sweeping imperiously past unsuspecting members of the general public in the street and uttering the menacing reprimand.

Estas mi, Esperantisto! Verda, mia koro!

sudanglo:It's an interesting question as to how how many Lernu members never read the forum.

Many, I think. Also on the pageviews - if someone checks back multiple times to see new additions to a thread, those count as multiple views.

sudanglo:But maybe I'll appoint someone with good people skills to man (or woman) a complaints and suggestion stand during the Congress, and just send them there.

Sounds like a punishment to me! Usually people just approach organizers with all of their complaints and suggestions. Or anyone who looks remotely like they might be an organizer, even if they are not.

sudanglo:Also, as an addition to the krokodila servo, it might be a good wheeze to have some designated kongresanoj sport badges showing that they are part of the por-komencanta servo. That's a bit long. Anybody got a suggestion for a snappier designation (pacienculo?).

They have that at SES. They call them "anĝeloj". It's a name I don't love but I admit that I can't think of anything better, with a couple of minutes' consideration, at any rate.