Cofa Tsui wrote:

> Hello Nath, thanks for your comments. As far as I know, a formal discussion
> on the related topic has never established. It was raised but just could not
> proceed. 

Hello Cofa,

The subject was discussed many times but each time somebody told you
your idea wasn't so great you stopped at it.

Some random feedbacks to your proposed terminology found with a simple 
Google Groups search:

"Yes, it would [be nice if the vocabulary of mahjong would be the same
all over the world.]  Which is exactly my point.  We need /less/ terms
for things, not /more/. Since there are already several
language-specific terminology systems in place, we ought to use those
rather than create new ones. "- (3 Jul 1998, ACTSEARCH)

"I entirely disagree that [a standardized set of English terms should be
created in such a way that (a) each terms are pronounced as close to the
corresponding Chinese term as possible; and (b) have similar meaning of
the corresponding Chinese term.]"- (1 Apr 2003, Julian Bratfield)

"Sure, as a mathematical teenager obsessed with consistency and
order[...] I wanted to standardize Mah-Jong; but having grown up, I find
the human aspects of Mah-Jong, in particular the way it varies and
evolves, add greatly to the interest of the game."- (1 Apr 2003, Julian
Bratfield)

"The IMJ despite written good intentions, is a cultural bane to China
and completely deromantasizes playing mahjong (if one plays by their
system) through the incorporation of such a ridiculous naming scheme."-
(22 May 2003, Jesse)

"[...]imposing revised terms upon the English-speaking mah-jongg world
as a whole is doomed to failure from the start, and would thus be a
pointless exercise."- (4 Apr 2003, Tom Sloper)

I cannot agree with everything said about your proposal. I surely agree 
a standardization of mahjong terms cannot hurt. But it is obvious you're 
the only one who thinks the World needs "unios", "pais", "jongas", 
"nextas", "opposas", etc. to improve the English terminology of mahjong.

"Yes, a standardized lexicon will make communication between players 
easier, but inventing a new, unified, language will not cure incoherent 
rules of play and scoring. Using the name "pie" or "pai" instead of 
"tile" won't improve the inner working of the game. It's only a way of 
calling things differently only for the sake of making sure your variant 
of Mahjong is different enough to be eligible for a trademark patent."- 
(8 sept 2003, Nath)

At least since 1998, you tried to sell IMJ to players and game 
manufacturers. Nobody bought it. No book presented IMJ as the way 
mahjong should be played. No international tournament considered using 
your system. No store sold IMJ sets. No player association uses your 
rules. IMJ is nothing but a failure of a world gathering mahjong.

 > I don't know how large the "mahjong community" you are referring
> to, or how large you expect it could actually be.

For sure, it is larger than a single guy who represents nobody but
himself and sells his stuff under the misleading name of
"International(sic) Mahjong". On your own website *you* estimated that
"the world's total population of mahjong players could
be over 98 million players." (rec.games.mahjong, 17 Nov 2002) One could
hope that an *international* set of rules could at least be use in
several countries by millions of players. Never outside your little
groups of friends has anybody adopted your terminology nor your game
system. Maybe not even your friends... Your variant of mahjong should be
called Cofa Tsui's Mahjong, not World Unified or International Mahjong.

> If you think things mahjong should stand still at where they are at today,
 > or if you prefer they should continue to EVOLVE freely
 > as they have been since long time ago, this discussion
> might not be for you.

Putting a commercial trademark on the expression "International 
Mahjong", forbidding it use even in non-profit situations, stubbornly 
trying to sell a system nobody wants, refusing to give control to 
non-profit organization directed by a community of players, is not what 
I call an evolution nor a development toward a world unified mahjong. It 
only a selfish attempt to make a buck.

> [...] You and those who hesitate in participating in the discussions [...]

If one thing I didn't do is to be shy and not tell you what I think
about IMJ.

> But if not me, who else do you see who has organized discussions of this type?

The good question would be "Who else but you thinks IMJ Terminology is a 
great solution to a crucial problem?"

> If there were a formal conclusion, which I believe would be beneficial to
> all authors and developers of different brand names of mahjong games, I
> would definitely consider to go with it!

As you know, at least since 1999, in the FAQ there is an inventory of 
all the words used by authors and developers of different brand names of 
mahjong games. -> Rosetta stone, FAQ 6. "I Need A Unified Set of 
Mah-Jongg Terms!" http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/mjfaq06.htm

Let see what English speaking authors have adopted to describe a tile
since the early 1920's :

      * Babcock......Tile (or piece)
      * Bell.........Tile (or piece)
      * BMJA.........Tile
      * Carkner......Tile
      * Constantino..Tile
      * Glass........Tile
      * Huang........Tile
      * IMJ..........Pie (or pai)!!
      * K & F........Tile
      * Kohnen.......Tile
      * Li...........Tile
      * Lo...........Tile
      * Millington...Tile
      * MJM..........Tile
      * NMJL.........Tile
      * P & C........Tile
      * Pritchard....Tile
      * Robertson....Tile
      * S & E........Tile
      * Shanghai.....Tile
      * T & M........Tile
      * Tjoa.........Tile
      * Whitney......Tile
      * Willoughby...Tile
      * WPAFB........Tile
      * Wu...........Tile

There is only one exception : you! You insist to use "Pai" or "pie"
because they sound like the Chinese word for tiles.

>>If, at a date set by you, IMJ becomes the mahjong equivalent of the
>>International Olympic Committee and you are acclaimed as the "Pierre de
>>Coubertin" of mahjong, I will offer you the most luxurious mahjong
>>*pais* ever build. But, if at the end of the term, you are still working
>>on pathetic attempts to gain fame and fortune, you'll send me a regular
>>set of *tiles*. Are you up to it?
> 
> 
> Well, life is full of gambling, why don't you set the standards of all the
> aspects of your challenge, and I'll see if I could set a date for it ^_^

When the official rules of international tournaments held in the vast 
majority of English speaking countries will be those of IMJ, or when 980 
000 (1% of 98 millions) IMJ sets are sold, I will consider you have won. 
   At what conditions will you consider yourself beaten?

I wait anxiously for your answer
Nath