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<p class=MsoNormal>As part of a small research project I will be undertaking
early next year on policies in Africa concerning multilingual information
technology and localization, I've set up a new list called
"A12n-policy." See <a
href="http://lists.bisharat.net/mailman/listinfo/a12n-policy">http://lists.bisharat.net/mailman/listinfo/a12n-policy</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The policy issues of concern here relate to two broader
areas of policy: language policy and information (and communications)
technology policy (ICT policy). With increasing importance of ICT throughout
the world, including in places where people do not have command of the dominant
languages of the internet and software applications, the issue of what
languages to provide for in computers and internet content for development,
education, and governance is becoming more of an issue. In the case of Asia, a
project there uses the term "local language computing policy."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>However termed - and whether it is most properly considered
a subset of language policy, ICT policy, both, or an emerging new area in its
own right - it would seem to merit attention in the case of Africa too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>"A12n" is a term coined several years ago,
standing for "Africanization" and in the same form as other abbreviations
common in the field of ICT: L10n (localization), i18n (internationalization),
etc. The formula is: initial consonant + number of letters between that and the
final consonant + final consonant. The context of "A12n," then, is explicitly
that of ICT. It relates both to factors necessary to enable African language
use on computers and the internet, and to efforts to "localize"
software and internet content.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>A12n-policy joins another A12n list -
"A12n-collaboration" - which concerns technical issues related to
support of African languages in ICT. It began as an informal online working group
in 2001 and has been mirrored on LinguistList since 2004.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Don Osborn<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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