<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>My only hope on Gallaudet is that perhaps with a doctoral student there they may take it seriously again. I taught a pilot course there more than 15 years ago and all the textbooks they have there are more than 12 years old. I live less than 5 miles from the school, and my attempts to engage any of the departments there has been fruitless, even for an informal class on campus.</DIV>
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<DIV>I will try to save my pennies, apply to the London conference early, and maybe try to do something formal on signwriting, maybe on body switching. I'm not connected to a university, so it makes it a challenge. I'm hoping we get continued funding from Rachel to continue our perspectus.</DIV>
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<DIV>The one experiment we have not done is taking SignTyp and using a sign that has been dissected in this system and projecting backward into SignWriting. Then we'd have a true conversion program that can take Hamnosys and several other systems and cross the barrier so communication can happen across linguistic transcription systems.</DIV>
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<DIV>Charles butler</DIV>
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<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Shane K. Gilchrist <shane.gilchrist@GMAIL.COM><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Fri, October 8, 2010 8:28:14 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Gallaudet & TISLR<BR></FONT><BR>Hi everyone,<BR><BR>sorry for the silence here - im on the plane to London after my 3 weeks stay in the States. I have enjoyed myself very much there.<BR><BR>Want to talk about two things here:<BR><BR><U><B>1. Adam Frost at Gallaudet</B></U><BR>To my surprise, I found myself sitting beside Adam Frost in one of the linguistics classes at Gallaudet - I didnt expect him to be there (I didnt know he was doing his MA at Gallaudet - maybe he did say something abt it on SW-L but I didnt follow SW-L until a few weeks ago :-( I have really enjoyed getting to know him and hes a cool guy - quite smart
for sure :-)<BR><BR>I was wondering maybe Adam can set up an informal class after Xmas at Gally to teach signwriting and I could talk to Gaurav one of the assistant professors in the Linguistics department to see if they can set up a course module (creditable) next year to teach SW there - but they might not buy the idea.<BR><BR><U><B>2. TISLR Conference</B></U><BR>As many of you know, TISLR is THE conference for sign linguists and researchers so it was natural that I had to be there - 400 were registered to attend but most did come - got to meet many big names and made new friends etc. There were a lot of SW supporters, especially the Belgians but unfortunately there were no talks on signwriting - it has to be addressed (no I didnt submit in time!) but hopefully that ll change at the next TISLR conference - it ll be in London - 2013 - maybe Adam and I can submit a paper together there :-)<BR><BR>I got to meet Charles Butler - it was really nice seeing
him - I introduced him to a few SignWriters there.<BR><BR>More signwriters there:<BR><BR>Isabella Heyrecik (sp?)<BR>Thierry Haesanne<BR>Danny de Woordt<BR>Mim Veer-something ;-)<BR><BR>some more but I forgot their name - either way, we can get a special session on signwriting at TISLR11 as it will be hosted by Bencie Woll who is a supporter of SignWriting :-)<BR><BR>Shane<BR><BR><BR>On 3 October 2010 18:17:37 UTC+1, Erika Hoffmann <<A href="mailto:erhoffma@oberlin.edu" target=_blank rel=nofollow ymailto="mailto:erhoffma@oberlin.edu">erhoffma@oberlin.edu</A>> wrote:<BR>> Wow! I really regret that I was unable to get funding to attend TISLR<BR>> this year - not only could I have me you and the SignWriting people<BR>> you mentioned, but I just learned that a Deaf Nepali friend was there!<BR>> Best,<BR>> Erika<BR>><BR>> On Sun, Oct 3, 2010 at 12:33 PM, Valerie Sutton <<A href="mailto:sutton@signwriting.org" target=_blank
rel=nofollow ymailto="mailto:sutton@signwriting.org">sutton@signwriting.org</A>><BR>> wrote:<BR>>> SignWriting List<BR>>> October 3, 2010<BR>>><BR>>> Hello Charles and everyone!<BR>>><BR>>> I am sooo glad you enjoyed the TISLR! And that you saw so many people -<BR>>> terrific! And I am really impressed and happy with the poster presentation<BR>>> on SignTyp and SignWriting that was presented at TISLR by you and Rachel<BR>>> Channon from the University of Connecticut. Thank you to you both for your<BR>>> hard work on that project.<BR>>><BR>>> Yes, typing fingerspelling in vertical columns would be a wonderful<BR>>> feature in any computer program. The old SignWriter DOS program can only<BR>>> type fingerspelling from left to right like English...<BR>>><BR>>> Regarding the older program....Anyone is welcome to use SignWriter DOS<BR>>> right
now...just use DOS BOX on either Mac or Windows, and SignWriter DOS<BR>>> works on modern computers...You can download it for free on the internet.<BR>>><BR>>> Richard Gleaves and I worked hard on the development of SignWriter and<BR>>> certainly loved the keyboarding we developed together, but there was never<BR>>> any mouse action in SignWriter - there is literally NO capability to use a<BR>>> mouse in any SignWriter program, whether it was SignWriter DOS, SignWriter<BR>>> Java or the old SignWriter for the Apple //e and //c.<BR>>><BR>>> When we switch countries in SignWriter DOS, it is always done through the<BR>>> keyboard...the entire thing is keyboarded, with NO mouse.<BR>>><BR>>> The reason I do not personally use SignWriter DOS any longer? Because<BR>>> Lucinda O'Grady Batch and other Deaf people who are members of our Deaf<BR>>> Action Committee (DAC) requested
that we write down in vertical columns, and<BR>>> that is what we have with SignPuddle software by Steve Slevinski, and with<BR>>> other programs such as the new SignWriter Studio by Jonathan Duncan, that is<BR>>> not ready yet but is coming...I know Steve would love to add keyboarding to<BR>>> SignPuddle someday...it is just a big job to program that, and meanwhile<BR>>> some people love using a mouse to drag and drop - not everyone loved<BR>>> keyboarding, by the way...only some people do - I used to get complaints<BR>>> from some people that they didn't want to learn to type and preferred a<BR>>> mouse, back before SignPuddle was developed...so since people think and work<BR>>> differently it would be nice to have BOTH options...<BR>>><BR>>> So what we really need is to combine the old with the new...we need the<BR>>> keyboarding of SignWriter DOS and Java, with the vertical
columns of<BR>>> SignPuddle - and then we are set - ha!<BR>>><BR>>> Meanwhile, if you want to use SignWriter DOS or Java right now, I can help<BR>>> you set it up on your computer so you can keyboard again if you prefer...it<BR>>> doesn't use the up-to-date symbols of course - that is another drawback,<BR>>> darn it...<BR>>><BR>>> Welcome home, Charles - smile -<BR>>><BR>>> Val ;-)<BR>>><BR>>> ----------<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>> On Oct 3, 2010, at 9:10 AM, Charles Butler wrote:<BR>>><BR>>>> TISLR was fantastic, I just wish I had not been so antsy and having to<BR>>>> get back so early.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Shane Gilchrist<BR>>>> Ronice Quadros<BR>>>> Lucinda Batch O-Grady<BR>>>> Charles Butler<BR>>>> Eyasu Tamene<BR>>>><BR>>>> These were the people I recognized immediately by face
from on line. It<BR>>>> was so good to be among so many people that are using sign writing even in<BR>>>> the face of opposition. I met one professor (name gone) whose doctoral<BR>>>> student is doing a project on keyboarding SignWriting, which I really<BR>>>> believe would be a good thing. I used the SignWriter program in Brazil.<BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>> There were so many things that one could do on the old SignWriter program<BR>>>> that are awkward to do at best.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Fingerspelling is one, you can't simply TYPE and get fingerspelling, you<BR>>>> have to look up each sign individually. The old interface was better as you<BR>>>> could learn to type a sign in at speed without thinking. A mouse you have<BR>>>> to look for everything all the time.<BR>>>><BR>>>> We need to really look at all
the developments that are happening in<BR>>>> processing and find our way back in new computer languages to our old<BR>>>> capabilities.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Before, with a swipe of a mouse I could change from English to ASL (or<BR>>>> other language) fingerspelling, substitute vocabulary in English sentence<BR>>>> phrase by phrase and eventually end with an ASL sentence in proper<BR>>>> grammatical order.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Can't do that on the computer anymore, everything is mouse-mouse-mouse,<BR>>>> and no interaction between two writing systems. We do it in space, and on<BR>>>> paper, we need to be able to do the same thing on computer.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Charles<BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>> From: Shane K. Gilchrist <<A href="mailto:shane.gilchrist@GMAIL.COM" target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:shane.gilchrist@GMAIL.COM">shane.gilchrist@GMAIL.COM</A>><BR>>>> To: <A href="mailto:SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU" target=_blank rel=nofollow ymailto="mailto:SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU">SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU</A><BR>>>> Sent: Mon, September 27, 2010 1:40:16 AM<BR>>>> Subject: Re: SignWorkshop OASLTA<BR>>>><BR>>>> Don't worry Charles<BR>>>><BR>>>> I used to be one of the skeptics until Belgium's Kathleen & Sara<BR>>>> discreetly introduced me to SW.<BR>>>><BR>>>> The rest is history.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Sent from my iPad<BR>>>><BR>>>> On 26 Sep 2010, at 20:45, "Valerie Sutton" <<A href="mailto:sutton@SIGNWRITING.ORG" target=_blank rel=nofollow ymailto="mailto:sutton@SIGNWRITING.ORG">sutton@SIGNWRITING.ORG</A>><BR>>>> wrote:<BR>>>><BR>>>> > SignWriting
List<BR>>>> > September 26, 2010<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > Hello Charles!<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > First of all, a big hug from me, and a big THANK YOU for being so brave<BR>>>> > to present at any conference - It takes courage to present in front of a<BR>>>> > skeptical audience (if that was what they were...they may not have been)...<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > I am sure you did an excellent job and please do not be hard on<BR>>>> > yourself...<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > All presentations help SignWriting, no matter what the reaction,<BR>>>> > because people become interested later. Even if they express some doubts<BR>>>> > right now, it is because it is the first time they have heard of it and we<BR>>>> > all are skeptical about new ideas - but then later, they hear about it a<BR>>>> > second
time from someone else, and they remember the discussions with you<BR>>>> > the first time they heard about it, and they decide to look into it because<BR>>>> > now their interest has been stimulated a second time -<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > So you have really helped SignWriting no matter what -<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > Thank you for telling us about the presentation so quickly after it<BR>>>> > happened -<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > And Kelly Jo was there? Wow - that is so great!<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > So is there more time at the conference now? It will give you a chance<BR>>>> > to talk to some of the people with questions - don't worry, Charles, this<BR>>>> > was a real blessing -<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > Val ;-)<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> > -----<BR>>>> ><BR>>>>
><BR>>>> > On Sep 26, 2010, at 5:33 PM, Charles Butler wrote:<BR>>>> ><BR>>>> >> Well, I presented the workshop but I felt that I fell on my face for<BR>>>> >> the following reasons:<BR>>>> >><BR>>>> >> 1) Too much information, too little time.<BR>>>> >> 2) Lack of vocabulary, all of the attendees were interpreters AND<BR>>>> >> teachers of the deaf, and my vocabulary was inadequate to the task. I<BR>>>> >> should have asked for help from KJ or another interpreter at the beginning.<BR>>>> >> 3) I got positive responses from a couple of people, but the most<BR>>>> >> common one was "how many people IN OHIO are using this system", "why should<BR>>>> >> MY students have to learn anything else?" Half of them maybe "got it" but<BR>>>> >> the others just kept
with questions.<BR>>>> >> 4) I should have simply linked to the website and gone from there as<BR>>>> >> the website is informative, answers most of the common questions, and I<BR>>>> >> could have had a Deaf Advocate actually talking to the group.<BR>>>> >><BR>>>> >> Lessons learned, but I feel very small and inadequate right now.<BR>>>> >><BR>>>> >> Charles Butler<BR>>>> >><BR>>>> >><BR>>>> ><BR>>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> --<BR>> Erika Hoffmann-Dilloway<BR>> Assistant Professor of Anthropology<BR>> Oberlin College<BR>><BR>><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></div></body></html>