QUESTION: How long does it take to enter a sign into SignBank?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
January 31, 2003

QUESTION: COULD YOU GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE HERE OF THE AVERAGE TIME YOU
THINK IT TAKES TO MAKE ONE SIGNBANK ENTRY?

ANSWER:
It depends on the computer you are using and the skill of the person
entering the data.  It also depends on when you do this job, because
the software available to us now, will be better later in a few
years...so the following estimate is based on our current software.

Currently, SignWriter 5.0 is functioning on the Macintosh, but not on
Windows. We need funding to complete SignWriter 5.0. SignWriter 5.0
makes "better looking graphics" automatically, and therefore the data
entry of SignBank is faster and looks better if you use SignWriter 5.0.

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So here is my estimate based on my skills and my computer:

MACINTOSH OS X
1. Open a SignWriter DOS file (SGN file or dictionary file) in
SignWriter 5.0. The signs automatically convert to "better looking
graphics".
2. Create screen captures of the signs in SignWriter 5.0.
3. Open Photoshop. Make a GIF of each sign. This can be done with some
automation in Photoshop, so the GIF production goes fairly fast.
4. Open SignBank Editor and start entering the GIFs individually...
5. Each entry into SignBank goes through the following steps:  Make New
Entry, Insert GIF, Type Word Definition, Establish SignSpelling, Save
SignSpelling, Sort Dictionary by SSS...

ESTIMATE OF MY TIME TO ENTER ONE SIGN INTO SIGNBANK: 5 minutes.

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Is your project hoping to receive funding for SignBank data entry? If
so, I would estimate 15-20 minutes to enter one sign...why so long?
Because making the "SignSpelling" string is "decision-making"...and it
may take your group time to determine the way you want to "spell" each
sign - so that decision making is the real time-taker...

Meanwhile, if there is a group that can find us funding to complete
SignWriter 5.0, please speak up!

Val ;-)