(Video and attachment)

[solo_patria]

[Something of the Enjolras spirit that people may remember seems to have returned as the video pops onto the screen. His eyes are rather less haunted, his hair is loosely hanging, he is dressed down to his shirt sleeves and those are rolled up past his elbows to accommodate the heat. His waistcoat is unbuttoned, too, and his cravat is hanging rather loosely around his neck. In fact, aside from the lack of coat, he looks to be feeling much more himself again. And, as small as his smile is, at least it is not feigned. And then, when he begins to speak, calm as his voice is, there's an undercurrent in it too, of something very like excitement.]

If I may have everyone's attention for the moment, please, I've something of an announcement. In the interest of making certain everyone who lives here might benefit from the newspaper that we are attempting to put together, I've prepared a poll with some questions that I would very much appreciate you answering. It will be arriving shortly in your inboxes soon, or it should, at least, if I have done this right.

We would all very much value your opinions on the questions we are asking, and, for those of you who are first hearing about this, would welcome anyone who wished to join our staff to share news of interest to Foreigners here.

Thank you.

[And soon people will have noticed a poll arriving in their inboxes, which looks rather like this.]

Poll #15774 Foreigner News Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

View Respondents

I am most comfortable reading in:

View Answers

English
2 (40.0%)

Chinese
3 (60.0%)

French
1 (20.0%)

Japanese
2 (40.0%)

Spanish
1 (20.0%)

Other (please tell us in the comments)
2 (40.0%)

I would like to see ______ in my newspaper

View Answers

human interest stories
1 (20.0%)

current events updates
4 (80.0%)

coverage of social activities
1 (20.0%)

personal advertisements
1 (20.0%)

war news
4 (80.0%)

cartoons
0 (0.0%)

cultural information
4 (80.0%)

a combination of these (please specify in comments)
1 (20.0%)

other (please specify)
0 (0.0%)

I would ideally prefer for a newspaper to be delivered

View Answers

daily
2 (40.0%)

weekly
4 (80.0%)

on alternating days of the week
0 (0.0%)

evenings and mornings
0 (0.0%)

I would prefer for my newspaper to be delivered ___

View Answers

via the network
1 (20.0%)

via hard copy and distribution
4 (80.0%)

I have been led to believe that I must ask a question about the ticky box for you to answer here

View Answers

ticky box?
1 (20.0%)

tick?
0 (0.0%)

box?
0 (0.0%)

I have no idea what I am doing
2 (40.0%)

just click one of these please?
2 (40.0%)

((mun note: Please answer IC if your characters would participate in such a poll and feel free to include character comments on this post! -The Management

Edit: having issues with the poll, though I set it to users and not access list. I'll get this figured out tomorrow/technically later today!))

Comments

video

[unetrustworthy]

[Of course, since they'd already spoken about this, Midii wasn't too surprised.]

You've been busy.

video

[solo_patria]

[There is a nod from Enjolras, and a bit of a smile.]

Well, I did think it best to get things slightly moving before too long. Is there anything you might have added, though?

video

[unetrustworthy]

Nothing that would have been relevant to the newspaper, only.

[Questions she might have asked in general? Dozens.]

video

[solo_patria]

Oh good then.

[Or at least...he hopes so. He's pausing at the wording though, right there.]

Then there is something else,as well?

video

[unetrustworthy]

Somewhat.

It has to do with the languages question. We talked about this last time, remember?

video;

[gistful]

Would it be possible to order your newspapers in bulk? I own a Hotel and would like to make such resources available to my patrons.


[ooc: pst! the poll errors with a 'permission denied' error when I try to answer it.]

video;

[solo_patria]

I think that could be arranged. It does sound like quite a good way to arrange some distribution, actually.

[OOC: Lemme take a look at the poll itself. It's telling me it's open to registered users so I'm not sure what's going on there! /Goes to check coding]

video;

[gistful]

It may. The Hotel's state allows it to access all five sectors similtaneously. Unfortunately, one can only exit the Hotel from the sector which they entered it. I am still in the process of determining how I might change the Hotel's entrance at will.

[Ponder ponder.]

However, if you would prefer a stall of some fashion in the reception hall, I am sure we can come to an arrangement.

video;

[solo_patria]

Does it, at that?

[Okay, Enjolras looks quite interested when it comes to that sort of thing. Leaving papers somewhere around each of the entrances on publishing days could work out, maybe, or...the stall idea sounds like something of a good one too, at that.]

I can see where that may work as well, once things have built up a little. I will certainly keep in touch, if you do not mind it.

video;

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Hi. I'm not familiar with any of those... I'm guessing they're languages? The language I'm speaking right now, we call it Basic where I come from but I'm assuming you call it something else and that it's somewhere on that list. I just don't know which one it is but you can count that one as my answer.

And this might be a bit too much to request but I've noticed that most every written word here, particularly on the network consoles, is written in the High Galactic alphabet which I can't read very well. Enough to get by but it's frustrating and slow. Since I'm the only one here from my home galaxy that I know of I'm guessing no one else has requested the news in Aurebesh?

If so then forget I said anything and I'll just learn to read High Galactic.

[Luke sounds a bit embarrassed. High Galactic is a bit of a hoity-toity thing back home and being surrounded by people who can read it just fine while he struggles makes him feel like more of a backwater farmboy than he's felt in years.]

((btw I'm also getting the 'permission denied' error.))

video;

[solo_patria]

[This is exactly the sort of situation that Enjolras had envisioned when he'd listed the other category. English continues to be something of a struggle for him, and he had disliked the idea of anyone needing to struggle to read things of importance, particularly when it came to the other worldly aspect. At any rate, Luke will be getting something of a smile there.]

Ah, yes, those are. They seem to be the most common languages used here, though I admit, my list is certainly not quite as specific as I would have liked. I've not heard of a situation like yours before, actually, but I can imagine how frustrating that is. I've had some problems myself, here, when it comes to things people write down. English, another of the languages spoken n my world, seems to be the one people most often choose to write things down in. And I...am very slow with it so far.

[This is accompanied by a slight wrinkle of his nose here. Enjolras realizes the importance of adding another written language, especially when it is a common one, but that does not stop it being a difficulty he's not had to deal with before here.]

It IS odd that the language that you speak , and hear, is not the language that your console gives you. Most of the systems here seem to be able to achieve a fairly good translation of the languages that we are most familiar with. I am...We did not have anything like this sort of technology where I am from, so I am not certain how it WORKS, but I would think that someone here may have an answer as to how that could be arranged.

[The last thing he wants to do is make reading uncomfortable for anyone. It feels like a disservice to a friend, well, two in particular.]

If the console could be arranged to display your Aurebesh for you, most of the time, a copy of the news could easily be transmitted to your communication device and it should translate then. I am not the person to ask about how that works, but I would be happy to send your copies directly to your device, and I can certainly keep an eye out for someone who might be able to help you program a language you are more comfortable with reading into the system.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[That does clear up a little bit of this for him and Luke smiles gratefully, though it seems Enjolras is a bit confused by his wording. He's not sure if it's a language barrier or just a misunderstanding.]

Uh-- well no, actually the language is fine. You said English, right? We call it something else back home but it's still the same language.

It's the alphabet, the symbols that are the problem. I don't know what the alphabet's called where you're from but at home 'A', 'B', 'C' is called High Galactic and it was taught in my school as sort of an afterthought. I don't suppose you or anyone you know is familiar with 'Aurek', 'Besh', 'Cresh'?

[Honestly the idea of programming his console to use a different alphabet doesn't sound too hard, if only he can get past the anti-tampering system. Perhaps he'd better make a trip to the Welcome Center and ask there.]

[solo_patria]

[That does help things along considerably, in that case, actually. Enjolras does know a few people who have languages that, when written, translate not into words as anyone using a system of ABC could understand them. When he had first arrived here, Korra had been working on writing things in English, and he knows that Wan has a language that apparently equates to Chinese, or that the Welcome Center had at least considered a close equivalent.

From what he recalls of Chinese, at home, which admittedly, is not very much, limited to seeing a small quantity of tea in some of the shops on occasion, it is a language that, when written, is made up of symbols as well. Whether the characters involved mean letters or words is something he is unclear on, but he's getting something of the idea by considering the larger question in that way. ]

Ah, that does clear things up. I cannot say that I have heard of any of those languages, no. [And he does look genuinely regretful there.]

Although, I have only been here for a year or so. Someone who knows them might have come through here before I arrived. It could be worth asking that at the center too. I think of anyone, they might have the best chance of helping you find out.

video;

[wintershepherd]

[ Newspapers are awesome, they were Jack's link to the world for a very long time. He's pretty excited looking himself. ]

Count me in for a subscription. Can I get some for the Welcome Center, too?

video;

[solo_patria]

That seems like a really good suggestion. It would let everyone know what all is going on at once, instead of stumbling into things.

Re: video;

[wintershepherd]

Sounds great. Is there any way I can help?

As long as it doesn't involve being outside for too long...

video;

[solo_patria]

Actually...some sort of piece featuring the Welcome Center would likely be a good idea once I have some idea of when something can be expected to be published. Something of an overview of all the work you do, instead of just the very obvious one. It may be helpful to people who are newly arrived if they have some general idea of what you are all about or encourage those who have friends arriving here to point them in that direction.

[gathersnomoss]

It may help to include some kind of primer, for those of us who had to learn those languages. Like... sort of the picture books they give children to learn to read?

Video:

[solo_patria]

That sounds like it could be a very good idea. Perhaps some sort of guide would work for that. Thank you for the suggestion.

Re: Video:

[gathersnomoss]

You're welcome. Since I'm the only one who writes my native language here, I've had to pick up a lot.

Video:

[solo_patria]

[Another language that the Visitors Center probably couldn't identify. It makes Enjolras think of the others he's talked to, due to the survey, and he can't deny that some good points, really good points, have been raised here.]

I can imagine that must be incredibly difficult. Is there anything besides that which could help you?

[Back home, he'd been the leader of what posed as an educational society after all. He'd picked up a couple of things, even if they're the 1830's version of things.]

[raavashing]

((real quick before I get to an IC response: safe to assume all questions are asked in all languages listed?))

[solo_patria]

((OOC: Yup, based on the assumption that the consoles translate languages entered into them!))

[raavashing]

((Wan's console is still set on 'english' as the default and he has no idea how to make it Chinese. But eh, we'll go with it for now so he can vote.))

What do you mean by 'hard copy'?

[solo_patria]

Ah, sorry. It is a term I've only learned here too. It means an actual printed copy of something. A physical one,so to speak. There is also the option of simply sending the paper along to everyone via their consoles. I believe that was done once before here, with an update to the laws that we were meant to know.