In October 2023, a thread was started for members of this site to select a Voynich Manuscript annual observance day. The date selected was 4 August, which is a play on the Beinecke VM manuscript number (408 = 4th day of the 8th month). 2024 is the first observance. This thread is for planning discussions for the 2024 observance. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Fun themed ideas for online participation here, local events (hosted or meetups), external virtual events (BYOW: bring your own webinar details), panel topics, calls for papers, guest speakers, artwork, year in review...any and all ideas will be considered. This can be as structured or as casual (or both!) as this site's members would like. If/when we have a 2024 agenda and/or program schedule for structured activities, they will be posted in a separate thread closer to time and added as known to the 2024 event in the calendar.
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Remember: This is by all of you for all of you so I hope everyone will participate in both these discussions and in Voynich Manuscript Day on 4 August 2024.
Thank you in advance!
One thing I could do is shift my "State of the Voynich" poll, which I have done a few times at the end of the year, over to July, so that I can present the results on 4 August. It is basically a series of questions aimed to monitor the beliefs about the manuscript in our community, and how they change over time (both as a result of evolving insights and changing member composition). It could be one of the yearly traditions that mark the day as special.
I guess it does not have to stop at one particular option or theme.
One thing could be to bake a Voynich-themed cake (or cookies) and present the result.
(This example taken from international Wombat day). I personally would not participate in that, as it exceeds my capabilities.
Another option could be that it would be completely acceptable on this day to deliberately post:
- a Voynich nonsense theory
- an invalid fact(oid)
This as long as it is not done inside an existing serious thread. Possibly even in a fixed thread set up specifically for the purpose (a new one each year).
Kind of like a Voynich-dedicated April fools' day.
Post photos of plants that are strongly suspected to be in the MS. (I like this one least of the three)
More ideas welcome. I am sure that most people reading and writing here have a lively imagination.
This way there could be something for everyone to look forward to.
Edit:
Yet another option would be to have 8 April as the non-serious day, exactly one week after April 1st, and 4 August as the serious day.
I like the idea of having everything on one day rather than splitting it up. And then you have various threads that are like stands at a carnival.
It is probably most feasible to focus on the online part. IRL meetings are hard and will always exclude the majority of possibly interested people due to location/time constraints. Any IRL events are best organized on an ad hoc basis.
I could compose some music! Maybe a song called "Nymphs". I've been planning to do it for a while but voynich day would be the perfect time.
You could also invite a guest for a video interview to celebrate. I've always enjoyed watching the videos in the past.
(06-11-2023, 02:51 PM)Lissu Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I could compose some music! Maybe a song called "Nymphs". I've been planning to do it for a while but voynich day would be the perfect time.
That's a very good idea, we could have an artistic component as well. I can check with Cary if she could unveil a new sculpture on Voynich Manuscript day for example. And maybe there are other members with artistic skills (not me).
bi3mw: I have other plans in that direction, will discuss soon.
(06-11-2023, 03:52 PM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.bi3mw: I have other plans in that direction, will discuss soon.
I'm really looking forward to that.
(06-11-2023, 10:19 AM)ReneZ Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Another option could be that it would be completely acceptable on this day to deliberately post:
- a Voynich nonsense theory
- an invalid fact(oid)
This as long as it is not done inside an existing serious thread. Possibly even in a fixed thread set up specifically for the purpose (a new one each year).
Kind of like a Voynich-dedicated April fools' day.
...
Yet another option would be to have 8 April as the non-serious day, exactly one week after April 1st, and 4 August as the serious day.
(06-11-2023, 11:03 AM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I like the idea of having everything on one day rather than splitting it up. And then you have various threads that are like stands at a carnival.
April 8 was one of the alternate dates in the tie breaker vote. 4th month 8th day = MS 408. I don't like the idea of splitting up into 2 separate observance dates any more than Koen but maybe we could start setting up for the 4 August date on April 8. Members can submit their Voynich themed April Fools entries on April 8 in a dedicated thread then we could have a poll to vote on the best ones, which could then be presented in a separate dedicated thread on 4 August.
Similarly, if there will be any other polls in advance of VM Day, we could start those dedicated threads on April 8 as well and then present the results in a new thread on 4 August. There might be other activities we could set up similarly, like a call for papers or submitting artwork or music
All 4 August presentation thread links would then be included in the agenda/program thread and in the event in the calendar and all those threads could then contain links back to the original setup threads.
(06-11-2023, 11:03 AM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.It is probably most feasible to focus on the online part. IRL meetings are hard and will always exclude the majority of possibly interested people due to location/time constraints. Any IRL events are best organized on an ad hoc basis.
At the convention I used to work for we had a bulletin board onsite where any attendee could post messages for other attendees, like messages to meet up. These days that same convention has their journalist staff handle such postings electronically, though I think there may still be physical boards onsite as well. We could do the same by setting up a dedicated IRL meetup thread so members can connect with other members in their vicinity to set up such VM Day meetups.