[sw-l] dictionaries rules

[Deaf Action Committee]

SignWriting List
July 12, 2004

Ingvild Roald wrote:
> Charles wants a dictionary to be consistent in the use of the right or 
> the
> left hand in the look-up part, and I have to agree with him. Even more 
> so
> now that we will be able to look up by signs - the ordering is 
> dependent
> on which hand we use.



Hello Ingvild, and everyone!
Yes. I understand. And none of this is a problem. If a person enters 
the same sign twice, one for a right-handed signer, and one for a 
left-handed signer, the left-handed sign will show up second in the 
dictionary...so we have given the majority...the right-handed 
signers...the priority...

And I am not involved with these decisions much anymore...It is all up 
to you, as to how you format your dictionaries...the PUDL site is yours 
to change...so if someone wants to go in and add and delete signs they 
are welcome to...although that is a lot of work!

There are four ways to publish dictionaries these days....
1. printing a dictionary on paper
2. a program on a CD or for download, like SignBank or SignWriter DOS
3. an online dictionary that is locked and changes cannot be made..
4. an online dictionary that is open...like PUDL

So each provides different experiences...the open format is wonderful, 
but for someone to control how people enter the signs would be a big 
job...it would take fulltime management...and people who entered signs 
could feel criticised and feel like they are not welcome...so having 
one format that provides complete freedom is an interesting and unique 
idea that PUDL gave us...but to guarantee consistency in the entries in 
such a free format would be folly and counter-productive in my 
opinion...although I suppose certain guidelines could be written and 
posted to help those who enter signs...I will leave all this to all of 
you....

I personally would opt for freedom in the online version so that people 
have something to discuss...then the printed versions and the standard 
dictionaries within the SignBank program could keep to specific 
rules...smile...just my thoughts...


Val ;-)


Valerie Sutton
Sutton at SignWriting.org

1. SignWritingSite
http://www.SignWriting.org
Read & Write Sign Languages

2. SignBankSite
http://www.SignBank.org
Sign Language Dictionaries

Deaf Action Committee for SignWriting
Center For Sutton Movement Writing
an educational nonprofit organization
Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA
tel: 858-456-0098....fax: 858-456-0020

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