Software

[Susan Penfield]

Thanks for the detailed reply, Mia..
I goofed by not explaining that this was not fully set up (which is why you
couldn't find a number of things) -- and sound can be attached..and more.
But, clearly, I will consider your comments -- and I have been considering a
Wiki too..
Best,
Susan

On 2/26/06, Mia Kalish <MiaKalish at learningforpeople.us> wrote:
>
>  Hi, Sue,
>
>
>
> I checked the page out that you gave me. . . . J
>
>
>
> Yesterday, we had a discussion about creating materials for Communities to
> use . . . and, I'm not sure this is it, at least, not as a final output. I
> think that if it has an export function, that it could be really useful for
> the middle-level data collection that would then be used to create the
> Community materials.
>
>
>
> My first observation of the site was that it looked very much like the
> search and retrieval system our library uses here at NMSU. These systems are
> an outgrowth of the Retrieve/Browse paradigm of early computer systems when
> there really was a space/functionality constraint. (My first invoice/cash
> application had 32K of computer memory. That's 1/100th of what I have
> today on this laptop; which I don't have to share).
>
>
>
> First, I searched for one of my favorite polysemic words, "object", and
> didn't find anything.
>
>
>
> Then, I read that the words were about the Southwest, so I searched for
> "cactus". "Cactus" showed up at the top of the retrieved list which then
> went on to show such things as California Redwoods. Every once in a very
> great while I find this kind of option useful, but usually only to confirm
> the bad news, that what I was looking for isn't there. I thought perhaps the
> alphabetic listing might be useful for helping people correct spelling
> errors, so I went back and looked for "cactus". I didn't find anything,
> which surprised me. This means that the application is using a database that
> supports browse after keyed access. IBM's DB2 used to have that facility. .
> . . Most non-commercial applications aren't coded this way; this kind of
> functionality is useful when you have multiple items coded under an
> identifying key, as for example Customer #/Invoice 1, Customer #/Invoice 2,
> and so on. It might also be useful for Cactus:Cholla, Cactus:Sequaro,
> Cactus:Rainbow. But it doesn't appear to be working that way . . . . back
> soon . . . I put in "cactus" again and selected the "Each term followed by
> its relationships" radio button. Again, I got the StartKey:Browse List
> configuration.
>
>
>
> Interestingly enough, you can input "c" and get a list of items beginning
> with that letter. You can input "ce" and get the list commencing with "ce".
> . .  but if you input "cectus", you get item not found. . . . I wondered if
> the function was perhaps dependent on input string length. I input "cec" and
> again got a Not Found.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I have some issues with the list of metadata types. These are all highly
> abstracted, culturally embedded terms. I'll bet there is only one entry for
> "preferred term". . . Having spent several to many years in an institution
> that is famous for its critical pedagogy, I have to has, Preferred By WHOM?
> It also is limited in that to make the categories work for different
> disciplines, you have to identify each one of them as a language. Lastly, I
> tracked through these categories long enough to realize that the
> relationships form a Network. Both the search keys and the outputs are all
> terms. I did find a place where there was a description. I found it kind of
> frustrating because I felt like I was "always on the road" never "at the
> Inn". In other words, I was always searching, always searching, and because
> the responses were so broad, and crossed so many categories, I never felt
> like I was done.
>
>
>
>      PT – Preferred Term
>      SY – Synonym
>      BT – Broader Term
>      NT – Narrower Term
>      FR –  Functionally Related
>      CR – Conceptually Related
>      TR – Temporally Related
>      PS – Physically/Spatially Related
>
>
>
> You mentioned that this was pretty easy to use. . . there is a kind of
> Rule of Interaction in Computer Science that says that the easier something
> is to assemble on the front end, the less sophisticated the functionality
> will be on the back end.  I was a bit worried that there was a Search
> Everywhere option, that allowed you to go to Google. IMHO, this is an
> hypertext application without the graphics and sophisticated search engine
> tools. It probably doesn't even allow you to embed special fonts for
> languages that require characters other than those supported even by
> Unicode. (like Athapascan languages). Given the sophistication of today's
> technologies, I don't think users will want this for anything more than the
> mid-level interface tool . . .
>
>
>
> A final, final note: This is very Modern (one view, one meaning) as
> opposed to PostModern (many voices) and PostStructuralist (lots of pieces,
> diachronic component).
>
>
>
> It seems you might like a Wiki better. . . it gives you places for people
> to participate. The people I have worked with always seem to think there is
> only one word for something in their language, and one way to say that word.
> The battles that ensue around this idea tend to halt revitalization rather
> than facilitate it. . . Oh: SWT doesn't seem to have a place for sound. . .
> . no pictures? All Text?
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:
> ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Susan Penfield
> *Sent:* Sunday, February 26, 2006 8:29 AM
> *To:* ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> *Subject:* [ILAT] Software
>
>
>
> Hi,
> Yesterday I mentioned that I have been looking at a new software which
> might be usable
> for creating thematic dictionaries (a very user-friendly option) . I would
> like some others to take a look
> to see what they think of it . Check out www.swt.arizona.edu.
> Best,
> Susan
>
> --
> Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.
>
> Department of English
> Affiliate faculty: Department of Linguistics
> and the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Program
> American Indian Language Development Institute
> Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836
>



--
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Department of English
Affiliate faculty: Department of Linguistics
and the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Program
American Indian Language Development Institute
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ilat/attachments/20060226/a30603fa/attachment.htm>