<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Personally, I prefer notation systems because they provide a handy way to reference a sign mentally. For raw data, video is wonderful and unsurpassed in details (if filmed right). But a notation of the sign helps to grab the important information about the articulators so that I have something to look at without having to use spoken language to describe or identify it. Granted, all notation systems have assumptions that will not grab all the details of a sign to the same degree as a video. But isn't that true of any notation system whether for spoken or sign languages? Does a spoken notation manage all the details of audio raw data? Similarly, I don't think that expectation should limit the use of notation systems.<div><br></div><div>Admittedly, I prefer SignWriting. I haven't seen anything yet that matches its flexibility in terms of notation. And, frankly, I continue to be perplexed why it faces so much opposition when notation systems do not even appear to be an issue in spoken linguistics (at least as far as I have encountered it). (For the record, I'm not focused here on the issue of using it as a regular orthography for everyday use.)</div><div><br></div><div>But for the purposes of a database, how difficult is it really to include notations in a database using several of the major notation systems (SignWriting, HamNoSys, Stokoe, etc.)? Those who utilize the notations in their research can have that opportunity without necessarily requiring anyone to embrace any particular notation system at this time. I'm sure there is a wonderful research opportunity for those who are interested in computers and database storage of sign language data to work with the advocates of various notation systems to come up with a "plug-in" that can make it easy for data to be entered in a given notation system and append it easily to a web-base database and display it upon request. That shouldn't be too hard. Even XML could be a way to store the relevant notation data. It adds a little more work to the database, but I think it is worth the effort and allows various perspectives of the sign.</div><div><br></div><div>Just my thoughts on the matter.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div><br></div><div>Stuart Thiessen</div><div><br></div><div><div><div><html>On 11 Apr 2008, at 10:43 , Kathy H. wrote:</html><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Optima; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div class="hmmessage" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; ">In response to questions about annotating or transcribing the signs on wiki-sign sites (Asian, French, etc.)--<br> <br>I suppose that the point in providing transcription for signs would be to clarify details that might not be clear in the videos. The French signs were described verbally. However, if the viewer cannot read French, then the description does not help. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>In like manner, though, if the signs were transcribed in some notation system, well, there is no "universal" transcription system for signed languages. There would still be viewers who could not understand the notation. What "language" (written words of which spoken language, which written notation) should be used? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>I suppose to answer that question, it would be necessary to know who would be the most frequent user of the sites. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>Also, as soon as one starts encoding a sign (or even describing it verbally), theoretical assumptions start to come into play. That would potentially skew someone else's consideration or analysis of the data, through the influence of the transcription, however inadvertant that influence might be. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>How much would these signs be used in actual research, though? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>Kathy H.<br> <br><br><hr>More immediate than e-mail?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_instantaccess_042008" target="_new">Get instant access with Windows Live Messenger.</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>= _______________________________________________<br>SLLING-L mailing list<br><a href="mailto:SLLING-L@majordomo.valenciacc.edu">SLLING-L@majordomo.valenciacc.edu</a><br><a href="http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/slling-l">http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/slling-l</a><br></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>=