[sw-l] left-handed or right-handed?

[Adam Frost]

That is all fine by me! :-)

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Valerie Sutton" <sutton at signwriting.org>
Reply-To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
Subject: Re: [sw-l] left-handed or right-handed?
Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2004 08:31:33 -0800

SignWriting List
December 7, 2004

Adam Frost wrote:
>This has been a rather interesting discussion. Sorry that I haven't
>been online to respond yet. Val, your comment about co-dominant hand
>signers was funny because I am one. Depending on the situation, I
>will sign with my left as dominant rather than my right. Thus I use
>both as a dominant hand at different times. As one of the editors
>for the ASL Dictionary, I want to share my thoughts in regards to
>putting the leftie's sign. I think that it would be good to have
>them as entries, but not on their own. I was thinking that it would
>be good to have varierants like they are in regular dictionaries;
>however, before that happens, I personally think that the dictionary
>has a lot of developing that needs to take place. So in the
>meantime, only right hand signs. How do the other ASL editors feel
>about this? (Sorry that I can't give a say for the other
>dictionaries, but do what you feel best.)

Hello Everyone, and Adam -
Thanks for your message, and it doesn't surprise me that you switch dominant
hands from left to right, from sign to sign, or at least in occasional
signs...There are quite a number of Deaf people who do that...That is why I
based our SignSpelling rules on dominant and non-dominant hands, rather than
worrying specifically about right or left...

But in regards to the ASL dictionary in SignPuddle, that is an online
dictionary open to the general public...That dictionary is not just being
used as a dictionary. It is used to create sentences in email, translations,
and text...Therefore, we have no choice but to add left-handed signs
occasionally, since we will need those left-handed signs if we are writing
exactly the way you sign, Adam...

So naturally the online dictionary is a hodgepodge without rules, because
anyone can add a sign to the SignPuddle ASL dictionary...not just the
editors...and to throw out some of those unsusal signs that people have
entered would be a shame, because when they return to send some email, they
will not have the signs they need...

So really, we have the need for two online dictionaries...one that is edited
properly with standardization and is then locked and cannot be changed, and
one that is open and free, as SignPuddle is...

I love SignPuddle and I don't want to change a thing...but I am just
pointing out that we do not have that much control over new people adding
signs the way they want...

But we can control the data that is entered into the SignBank database, and
that wonderful program has the ability to print multiple-language sign
dictionaries...so maybe the SignBank database, that can be accessed from
your desktop, can become the stable ASL dictionary that follows specific
editing guidelines...

Val ;-)