wiksign, a collaborativ french sign language dictionnary

[Stuart Thiessen]

I agree that *somebody* has to do it, enter it, and maintain it. No  
argument here. :) The main reason I mentioned the use of a "plug-in"  
of sorts is that it can provide a standard way for such data to be  
included in databases and be searchable based on the assumptions of  
those notation systems. If the plug-ins become standard and are  
maintained as a matter of course for linguistic research, then it is  
something that becomes valuable to all. It is an issue now because  
notation systems haven't exactly been embraced like the IPA has been  
for spoken language research. If advocates for the various systems are  
included in the process, then I think that advocates of a notation  
system will likely find ways to maintain and support their plug-in (if  
they don't have one already). A community supported approach will be  
more likely to succeed.

Thanks,

Stuart

On 11 Apr 2008, at 11:41 , Mark A. Mandel wrote:
> Stuart Thiessen <thiessenstuart at aol.com> wrote:
>
> #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.
>
> Having spoken in favor of notations, I feel compelled by conscience  
> to speak up
> on the work they would take. It may not be *difficult* to include  
> notations, but
> *somebody* has to transcribe each sign into each system used.  
> Somebody has to
> add the code to the database and maintain it. Each such "somebody"  
> has to either
> be paid for the work or be doing it as a project, e.g. for their  
> studies. If the
> latter, somebody else will have to maintain it after the student is  
> gone from
> the project; and somebody has to keep an eye on the student's work  
> as they do it
> to make sure it will be maintainable after they leave.
>
> -- Mark A. Mandel
>   Linguistic Data Consortium, University of Pennsylvania
>
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