Saluton! Nice to meet you all. My name's Eve, I'm a linguist and huge conlang nerd, and ten years ago I wrote my dissertation on the factors that contribute to the success of a constructed language. As well as looking at conlangs created to overcome language barriers (like Esperanto), I researched conlangs made for movies, books and games. Now a whole decade later I'm revamping my dissertation for public release and doing some fresh research.

If any of you would be happy to answer a few questions, I'd really appreciate it. I'm sure that some of these questions may also have been discussed already in the forums, so apologies in advance if I'm retreading old arguments. Your responses will be completely anonymous but by replying in this thread I will assume you are giving me permission to share or use any of your words. If there is something you explicitly do not want me to use in this research, please say so somewhere in your message. You don't have to answer all the questions if you don't want to.

1. How do you feel about community-created words? Do you personally use any? Do you think changes or additions to the language should come from an authority like the the Akademio de Esperanto or should they be community-led?
2. Do you think Esperanto is well-suited to being an international language?
3. What gender-neutral pronoun do you use when referring to other people: ĝi, ri, or something else? Why do you use that one?
4. Do you use the -iĉ- affix? eg. knabo -> knabiĉo
5. Do you use the -ip- affix? eg. amiko -> amikipo
6. Do you use the ge- prefix in the singular? eg. patro -> gepatro
7. Are there any proposed grammar reforms you strongly feel don't belong in Esperanto?
8. A general question that maybe only a few of you can answer: how many actual active users/learners do you think there are on this website?

If there's anything else you'd like to mention about your experiences with Esperanto or conlangs in general please don't hesitate to do so! And of course, when the piece is finished, I'll pop back in here to share it with you!

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to respond.

1. Why not / not too much/ both

2. Although not perfect, yes

3. It's not a problem of my generation. I don't feel the need. "Li aŭ ŝi" is enough for me.

4, 5. No

6. Yes. Esperanto doesn't need exceptions. "Unu el la gepatroj" is too complicated.

7. Esperanto doesn't need reforms. But one can discuss about them.

8. I don't know. Look at the statistics.

Esperanto estis menciinda intereso de mia patro, sed por hi Esperanto estis nur menciinda kiel kuriozajxo historia aux bona ideo kiu inspiris kiniston Cxaplin kaj idealismajn gosxulojn kaj poste malaperis kaj nur restis en dikaj enciklopedioj: Zamenhof, juda okulisto, konflikte multlingva Bialistoko, malbabeliga adoa revo, afiksplena plej lernfacila senescepta "malsanulejo", jehova dekordono igxis 16regula gramatiko, Volapuko, promeso "se miliono promesos...", ricxa bopatro, interna ideo, homaranismo, kongresoj, publikajxoj, komunumo regas la lingvon, UNESKO, dua komuna lingvo por mal realpolitika mondo, introdukinda en lernejojn, mondaj kongresoj, pasporta servo, reto de helpemaj UEA-delegitoj...
Jxusmajora, mi lancxis min lerni, kongresumi kaj aktivuli por Esperanto. Mia patro infektis min per insidaj aludoj, kelkfoje ekde mia tenera infanagxo. Hi neniam lernis gxin sed eble konsideris gxin bona ideo se la mondo idealus.

Pri via enketo. Cxu reala sciencenketo povas esti tiom banala?