Sign Proccessing Software

[Sandy Fleming]

Hi Stephen and Everyone!

> So what is the best sign processor for free writing?

As a writer (in Scots and English) who practices freewriting (though
probabbly not as much as I used to), I always felt that pen and paper is
really the only suitable medium. Otherwise the technology gets in the way -
especially these days with MS Word's squiggly green and red lines lending a
continuous stream of criticism!

> What is the best sign processor for editing?

I think this depends very much on a person's skill with SignWriter DOS and
SignWriter Java. When I was learning these programs for the first time I
always thought it was best to get my SignWriting correct by hand before
entering it. Now that I'm coming back to SignWriting after a break of
several months, the bad news is that I can no longer remember how to use
them  and will have to learn all over again. The good news is that I can
still remember how to SignWrite by hand quite well!

> What projects do you have your eye on for the future?

Today I got the domain name and hosting for a B(ritish)SL site set up. I've
decided I haven't got the temperament to be a lexicographer but will, on the
site, concentrate on producing texts in BSL SignWriting. The signs from the
texts can then be fed by myself (or anyone else who wants to) into a PUDL
dictionary or something - but I've definitely decided now that a dictionary
isn't my first priority. I'm firstly trying to encourage people to begin
SignWriting for themselves, and offering a place to display their texts on
the site if they want to. At the moment there's nothing to see, but I've
written a basic tutorial which I hope will serve to "kickstart" people into
doing their own BSL SignWriting, and that should appear real soon now.

Then I'll scan in some handwritten texts, just to show that it really can be
done!

But the SignWriting (at least the stuff I do), will be handwritten until
such a time as I have a sign processor that I feel more comfortable with
than pen and paper!

Val - one thing for the site - would it be acceptable for me to translate
the "Lessons in SignWriting" manual into BSL - that is to say, replace the
sample ASL signs with suitable NSL signs (in this case, produced with
SignWriter DOS or Java, of course) and publish it on my site? What would be
the best way to do this? I do have a PDF rewriter program, if that's
necessary.

Sandy Fleming
(URL to follow...  :)