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The value of Toki Pona is in making fewer distinctions rather than more. You really couldn't have the conversation we're having right now in Toki Pona, but that

The value of Toki Pona is in making fewer distinctions rather than more. You really couldn't have the conversation we're having right now in Toki Pona, but that's not what it's made for. Criticizing it in these terms is a bit like criticizing Perl because it's hard to read over the phone.

cnlevy 10y ago
Right. Let's translate this whole thread into Toki Pona !
- fusiongyro 10y ago
  What's funny about that is, it would turn the thread into "I like Good Talk," "I think this: Good Talk is yucky!" which exposes as much as it conceals. :)
yiyus 10y ago
I see it more like praising Toki Pona because of its simplicity is a bit like praising Brainfuck for its simplicity. Sure, it is easy to learn its handful of commands, but it cannot be used for anything practical.
- fusiongyro 10y ago
  If your imagination is limited to the practical, this isn't the hobby for you.
  - yiyus 10y ago
    I'm not looking for a hobby, but thank you for the hint. I was just pointing out that your analogy with Perl was not a very fortunate one. What was being criticized about the language is that it is so simple that it needs too much composition to express ideas (which in my opinion should be the main goal of a language). In your analogy, you make it look like if the problem was that this (hackernews? an internet forum? written language?) is not the right medium to communicate using Toki Pona, as a phone is not the right medium for Perl programs. My question is: what would the right medium be?
    - fusiongyro 10y ago
      See, you're overcomplicated things so much with your precision, you're really missing the point. You can communicate by giving flowers, but you won't be able to convey this conversation with them. Nevertheless, on the occasions when you might use flowers to say something to someone, if you instead try to use a lengthy thread on Hacker News, your precision level will be very high but you will completely miss the point. You should consider taking up Toki Pona as a hobby. You should try and take meeting notes in Toki Pona at work. You'll be surprised at what you find yourself thinking—even though you won't be able to use the notes in the way you would your normal notes.

cnlevy 10y ago

Right. Let's translate this whole thread into Toki Pona !

fusiongyro 10y ago
What's funny about that is, it would turn the thread into "I like Good Talk," "I think this: Good Talk is yucky!" which exposes as much as it conceals. :)

yiyus 10y ago

I see it more like praising Toki Pona because of its simplicity is a bit like praising Brainfuck for its simplicity. Sure, it is easy to learn its handful of commands, but it cannot be used for anything practical.

fusiongyro 10y ago
If your imagination is limited to the practical, this isn't the hobby for you.
- yiyus 10y ago
  I'm not looking for a hobby, but thank you for the hint. I was just pointing out that your analogy with Perl was not a very fortunate one. What was being criticized about the language is that it is so simple that it needs too much composition to express ideas (which in my opinion should be the main goal of a language). In your analogy, you make it look like if the problem was that this (hackernews? an internet forum? written language?) is not the right medium to communicate using Toki Pona, as a phone is not the right medium for Perl programs. My question is: what would the right medium be?
  - fusiongyro 10y ago
    See, you're overcomplicated things so much with your precision, you're really missing the point. You can communicate by giving flowers, but you won't be able to convey this conversation with them. Nevertheless, on the occasions when you might use flowers to say something to someone, if you instead try to use a lengthy thread on Hacker News, your precision level will be very high but you will completely miss the point. You should consider taking up Toki Pona as a hobby. You should try and take meeting notes in Toki Pona at work. You'll be surprised at what you find yourself thinking—even though you won't be able to use the notes in the way you would your normal notes.