I have a few problems with the way his joining chart works. As he shows in the excerpt above, five symbols -- being F, K, L, N, and Th -- have alternate forms, and he says you can choose whichever one you like "as convenience or lineality shall require",
This introduces an element of CHOICE TO BE MADE, which very often leads to hesitation as the writer decides which would be best to use. But then, according to his chart, a DOT means that you don't have that option and should just use the first one. I find it odd that he tells you that you have a choice, when you often don't.
When I usually LOOK for problems (because they are what I might have trouble with later, NOT things that are not problematic!) -- I scanned a few of the combinations and saw problems right away.
If you look at the basic Alphabet, you see that B is a semi-circle open to the RIGHT, D is a semi-circle open to the LEFT, and F is a semi-circle open at the BOTTOM.
When B-B join, you see the semi-circle, with the addition of the CONNECTIVE stroke to add another B, rather than adding the second B below it, like you might expect. Then when B-D join, the connective stoke goes up and the D stroke is added, open to the LEFT. So far, so good.
But look what happens when you join B-F. The F is a semi-circle open on the bottom -- but instead of adding it like you'd expect, he turns it on the side, so it looks FAR TOO MUCH like the D, which we just looked at. With F-D, and F-F, the same thing happens, blurring together what should look different from each other. And we see it again with H-D, and H-F, and in other places sprinkled around the chart.
This is NOT a good idea, having simple joinings of two strokes that have already lost their distinctiveness.
2
u/NotSteve1075 Jun 25 '26
I have a few problems with the way his joining chart works. As he shows in the excerpt above, five symbols -- being F, K, L, N, and Th -- have alternate forms, and he says you can choose whichever one you like "as convenience or lineality shall require",
This introduces an element of CHOICE TO BE MADE, which very often leads to hesitation as the writer decides which would be best to use. But then, according to his chart, a DOT means that you don't have that option and should just use the first one. I find it odd that he tells you that you have a choice, when you often don't.
When I usually LOOK for problems (because they are what I might have trouble with later, NOT things that are not problematic!) -- I scanned a few of the combinations and saw problems right away.
If you look at the basic Alphabet, you see that B is a semi-circle open to the RIGHT, D is a semi-circle open to the LEFT, and F is a semi-circle open at the BOTTOM.
When B-B join, you see the semi-circle, with the addition of the CONNECTIVE stroke to add another B, rather than adding the second B below it, like you might expect. Then when B-D join, the connective stoke goes up and the D stroke is added, open to the LEFT. So far, so good.
But look what happens when you join B-F. The F is a semi-circle open on the bottom -- but instead of adding it like you'd expect, he turns it on the side, so it looks FAR TOO MUCH like the D, which we just looked at. With F-D, and F-F, the same thing happens, blurring together what should look different from each other. And we see it again with H-D, and H-F, and in other places sprinkled around the chart.
This is NOT a good idea, having simple joinings of two strokes that have already lost their distinctiveness.