ASL Wikipedia Project on Wikimedia Labs

[Valerie Sutton]

August 23, 2012

Dear SLLING List Members...

There is a new development related to writing sign languages with the SignWriting script. For years, Steve Slevinski has worked on developing a way for Wikipedia articles to be written in sign languages. The result is the SignWriting MediaWiki Plugin (SWMP). Recently, the Wikimedia Foundation, and Wikimedia Labs  provided space on their server for us to test it. Although there is more software development to be completed, nonetheless, Adam Frost composed and posted the first article for the new ASL Wikipedia located on Wikimedia Labs … Read the first article here:

Charles-Michel de l'Epée
http://ase.wikipedia.wmflabs.org/wiki/Charles-Michel_de_l%27Epee

So the new project is still in the "test stage", but we are adding articles in written ASL, while Steve and other technicians work on the technical software aspects in the background. Once we have a good number of articles for readers to enjoy, our test ASL Wikipedia will be reviewed and then we hope, someday, it will be approved to become an "official Wikipedia". That has not happened yet, but we are working towards that goal.

Once the ASL Wikipedia Project is working well and producing article after article, we hope to start testing Wikipedias for other written sign languages too. If any of you would like a Wikipedia in your sign language, please write to us and we can discuss it with the Wikimedia Foundation…I know there has been interest in other sign language Wikipedias in the past, for example, possibly in German Sign Language (DGS) or Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS)… any sign language is welcome and we look forward to working with you…

We appreciate the encouragement from the Wikimedia Foundation and Labs, and from Wikipedia users around the world…

Thank you! 

Valerie Sutton,
sutton at signwriting.org

ASL Wikipedia Project on Wikimedia Labs
http://ase.wikipedia.wmflabs.org

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