[Lexicog] online publishing

Sat Apr 23 15:58:05 UTC 2011

We've thought about doing something like this several times, but as 
mentioned, it's not just the hosting costs, it's manpower cost/time 
involved (including skilled labour i.e. programmer time), not just 
in setting up, but one is effectively committing to maintain and 
manage it over time too, and for 'small' languages, one is unlikely 
to make money to cover the costs even with advertising. We're in 
theory in a good position to create something like that and might be 
interested in helping if there was some model to fund it.

 - David

> Hi,
> 
> I am a web developer and also interested in publishing dictionaries in 
> minority languages. I have been interested in creating a website like 
> the the one that Ronald described. Although it is possible to create a 
> website for under $75, I think it will cost a few times that to do it 
> well (not including payroll).
> 
> There are similar websites, but none quite like this targeting linguists 
> and allowing for the importing of data from dictionary programs like 
> Lexique Pro.
> 
> Please let me know if anyone is interested in contributing to or funding 
> this project. I am willing to create it and possibly setup a 501(c)(3) 
> organization to back it and handle donations.
> 
> Nathan Rugg
> 
> --- In lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com, "Ronald Moe" <ron_moe at ...> 
> wrote:
> >
> > [Note: Thanks for the contributions to this discussion from several of 
> you.
> > This is a followup posting in which I would like to present a few 
> general
> > observations about online publishing. I also posted what follows on 
> the FLEx
> > users list. My apologies to those of you on both lists. I am compiling 
> a
> > list of publication options which I will post in a later email. RM]
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > All Martin Diprose wants is a website where he can (at least 
> temporarily)
> > publish his dictionaries. Apparently SIL is working on a place within 
> the
> > SIL website where he can publish them, but it may take some time 
> before it
> > is ready. Martin is going to run the dictionaries through Lexique Pro. 
> The
> > question then is, where does he post the files? We've got Toolbox and 
> MDF
> > and Lexique Pro. We've got FLEx and WeSay and Pathways. We can produce 
> these
> > beautiful dictionaries. But we have no easy way to publish them.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Currently if you want to publish a dictionary, it appears that you 
> have two
> > choices. You either have to find an existing website (e.g. a 
> university
> > website) that will permit you to publish your dictionary under their
> > auspices, or you have to buy a website and get someone to develop it 
> for
> > you. It seems to me that the smartest and most efficient thing to do 
> is for
> > the linguistic (or lexicographic) world to pool their resources and 
> just
> > develop one big site.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > So I think the real need is for a website where people can post 
> dictionaries
> > (and other linguistic descriptions) for the world to see. Such a 
> website
> > could simply be a means of publishing electronically. But it could 
> also be a
> > place for people to post dictionaries that are "in process". We need 
> to
> > create a climate in which dictionaries are seen as "incremental
> > approximations" of an exhaustive unabridged dictionary. No dictionary 
> is
> > complete or perfect. So those of us who are building dictionaries,
> > especially first time dictionaries, of minority languages ought to 
> feel OK
> > about posting an imperfect dictionary. As it is, people are afraid 
> that
> > their scholarly reputations will be hurt if they post something that 
> isn't
> > perfect. But dictionaries are such massive undertakings that we need 
> to view
> > them differently.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Once a dictionary is posted, others can benefit from our work and/or
> > contribute to it. So I would like a website where every language has a 
> page
> > devoted just to it. Anyone working on that language can post a 
> dictionary,
> > word list, grammar, text, or article about it. Ideally someone could 
> run a
> > query and search all the dictionaries on the website. Ideally other
> > linguists and especially speakers of the language could contribute to 
> the
> > dictionary in a wiki environment. But at least we need a place to post
> > dictionaries and an easy way to upload our databases. Minimally the 
> public
> > should be able to search it for a language and see what is there. The
> > website should be free. A person who wants to post a dictionary should 
> not
> > have to be a programmer or have to set up the webpage. It should 
> already be
> > set up with easy to follow instructions on how to post something.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Ron Moe
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _____ 
> > 
> > From: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
> > [mailto:lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Ronald Moe
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 3:04 PM
> > To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [Lexicog] online publishing
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Does anyone know of a website where a dictionary can be published? A
> > colleague of mine, Martin Diprose, has been working on dictionaries 
> for four
> > Ugandan languages. He needs to find a place to publish them.
> > Thanks,
> > Ron Moe
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _____ 
> > 
> > size=1 width="100%" noshade color="#a0a0a0" align=center> 
> > 
> > No virus found in this message.
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> 04/20/11
> >
> 
> 
> 

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