[sw-l] challenge for programmers - SSS-ID mapping onto unicode

[Bill Reese]

Val,
I'm going to be hypothetical for a moment.  This question has probably
been asked a gazillion times and I haven't paid attention and I hope I
won't be trying your patience.

Would it be conceivable to come up with every handshape possible, so
that, without needing to know all the sign languages of the world, they
would inherently be provided for?  For example, the handshape where the
thumb touches the ring finger; we could say it touches the first joint
up from the base joint of the finger.   Another handshape could touch
the base of that finger, another for the second joint up from the base
and a fourth for the tip of that finger.  So that, there would be 4
handshapes showing the thumb touching the ring finger.  Doing the same
for the other 3 fingers would give a total of 16 handshapes showing the
thumb touching the underneath of straight fingers.

Like I said, this idea was probably discussed before so excuse me for
rehashing it but, given the broad range in handshapes that's in
SignWriting today, would it be possible to use them as a basis and work
up every combination of handshape that can be derived?

The reason I'm asking is that there seems to be a finite limit on
possible handshapes, even though it is quite large.  If that limit can
be defined and possibly reached, then the IMWA would be a more complete
"alphabet" of movement writing.

Bill


Valerie Sutton wrote:

> SignWriting List
> June 22, 2005
>
>> Steve Slevinski wrote:
>> Sorry, about my previous email.  You math is correct.  Your
>> conversion idea would work just fine.  Very elegant.
>> However, I don't like the idea of closing the IMWA.  Because, once
>> the IMWA is entered into Unicode it is not allowed to change.
>
>
>
>
> Perhaps Tomas very elegant idea could be applied to language-specific
> symbolsets, such as a revised SSS-US? The current SSS-US on the web is
> my first-experiement - but once we work out a few minor details, we
> could get a stable SSS-US, and that could be a test-area for Tomas'
> idea...
>
>
> meanwhile, the way you have given me the wonderful flexibility to add
> to the IMWA is perfect for me, Steve, and I hope that will never
> change so that we can expand and grow and improve...smile
>
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
>
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