SignWriter software

Thu Sep 13 15:31:11 UTC 2007

SignWriting List
September 13, 2007

Thank you, Rodrigo, for posting our communication to the List!

And I confess I have not taken a look at the TIDIA-Ae project...so  
yes please keep us informed of your progress!

Please send my best wishes to Daniel Noelpp, if you get in touch with  
him...I think about the unfinished SignWriter Tiger program and wish  
we could have done more to bring it to the world's use...It has  
potential and I think it deserves more funding...

Who knows...maybe someday programmers like yourself, can help us with  
completing SignWriter Tiger...our funding is small, so programmers  
have to donate time, and not everyone is in the position to do that...

I am grateful to Daniel for keeping the web site online. Thank you,  
Daniel!

SignWriter Tiger
http://www.signwriter.org

....and for placing it in SourceForge, where you can have the access  
and licensing you need...

SourceForge
http://sourceforge.net/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/swj/

So if there are programmers interested in helping work on SignWriter  
Tiger, let's talk more about that...and Daniel...write to me if you  
have time...I found out that a programmer in South Africa has been  
using your code and is grateful for it!

Val ;-)

------------

On Sep 13, 2007, at 7:27 AM, Rodrigo Ferreira Bagni wrote:

> Hello,
> I am posting in the list a question I asked to Valerie on private  
> so that everybody can be aware of it.
>
> My question:
> " Dear Valerie,
>
> I would like to ask you something about SignWriter in Java.
>
> I would like to add it to a project in which I am working, TIDIA-Ae  
> project.
> I have been working in the project since last month. Since then I  
> have been looking for some softwares for the Deaf to integrate to  
> the project. I would prefer to do this than only change the  
> system's interface to make it more accessible to the them. That is  
> supposed to be a later task.
>
> Then I thought, since the SignWriter's source code is available it  
> is allowed to get it and change it. But I have not found any  
> license related to the code. So I find the only thing I must do is  
> to ask permission to alter the software.
> Therefore I am writing to you, to ask your permission to change the  
> source code and integrate it to TIDIA-Ae.
> Of course, after that I will let everybody know. I am going to send  
> you all the material related to it.
>
> Thank you
> Regards."
>
>
> Valerie's answer:
> "Rodrigo -
>
> Of course you can use SignWriter code. That is why I placed it on the
> web so people can use it. I never thought of licenses years ago when
> I posted it. I know that now people do have licenses and I am fully
> aware I have to read up on the licenses to try to understand the
> modern world, but when I started SignWriting it was always my
> intention to give it freely to the world, just as long as everyone
> was good to each other, giving each other credit where credit is due
> and so forth...and just as long as any software derived from it will
> continue to be free and open to the world....so go right ahead and
> use Signwriter Java sources. The problem is that I have no one to
> help you with the source code. The programmers of that specific code
> are no longer working with us. Our current software is wonderful,
> SignPuddle and SignBank, but I notice you are not interested in
> that...if you are, we can talk about that too ;-)
>
> SignPuddle sources are owned by Stephen Slevinski and in time he will
> have licenses as well...we are both working very hard right now to
> complete a great deal of software...
>
> We have found the SignWriter Java source code can be confusing, but
> one programmer in South Africa recently told me they are using
> SignWriter Tiger sources that are on SourceForge...have you tried  
> that?
>
> SignWriter Tiger
> http://www.signwriter.org/
>
> Daniel Noelpp, the developer, is a wonderful young Deaf programmer
> and I am sad we did not have the money to pay him full time to
> continue development...so that has the licenses you need...
>
> Just know you are welcome to use the sources I placed on the web
> years ago for SignWriter Java and of course I will say yes! Why would
> I place them on the web if I didn't want someone to use it? ;-))
>
> SignWriting is free to the world and even though I may not
> have read the license agreements the world seems to think is
> necessary, that does not mean that it is not free...it most
> definitely is...
>
> So in the future, our symbols will be released under the SIL OFL
> License...I still have to post that...that is not software
> sources...that is the symbols on SymbolBank...the ISWA will be under
> the OFL License...
>
> SymbolBank
> http://www.movementwriting.org/symbolbank
>
> Regarding the software in Brazil, Dr. Antonio Carlos da Rocha Costa
> dedicated many years to SignNet and other projects and to him I am
> grateful! He and his family have been here to visit me in the past
> and it was always important to talk to him...
>
> Brazil uses SignWriting in several places and we are fortunate...
>
> I hope in time you might consider coordinating your efforts with our
> modern software, SignPuddle and SignBank...there is a Brazilian
> SignPuddle waiting for you to add signs free of charge on the web,
> and a Brazilian SignBank is coming soon...
>
> We will work together! it is just hard for me to do it all  
> alone...maybe you can
> help me build the SignPuddle Brazilian dictionary on the web?
>
> Val ;-) "
>
>
> My reply:
> "Thank you very much, Valerie. Of course that all credit will be  
> given to those who first created the software and for those, like  
> you, who mantain it on the site. But I needed a confirmation, since  
> there is no license. Now I have one.  :-)
> And I am in favor of the free software, maybe you do not what it  
> means. It means that everything I do will always be available to  
> everyone.
>
> Of course SignPuddle is a great deal of software .  :-)
> I have got in touch with Stephen last week. And maybe it is not  
> time to do that, because the TIDIA-ae project is under development  
> and I think it will be better to do that after we have something  
> more evolved, regarding the system itself and the advertisement  
> about it. It is a big project and the funding institution of the  
> project want it to be known internationally. And they also want to  
> do partnerships in the near future, starting next year, then I  
> think it will be a great opportunity to work in cooperation with  
> all of you.
>
> Make sure I will not forget it.
>
> TIDIA-ae is supposed to be under a license called GPL (General  
> Public License), it means that if Stephen agree and want, he will  
> be able to get TIDIA's code and do whatever he wants with it.
>
> Of course I am interested in it, but what I want now is something  
> that could be done fastly so I can present it to the committee and  
> tell them about the Deaf. And SignWriter is a good option I think.
>
> About SignWriter Tiger.
> My mistake, I did not try SignWriter Tiger. I thought that Tiger  
> had to do with another thing and not with Java Tiger.
> In the area of computing we do not use the name Tiger much, so I  
> have got confused.
> But sure, I will try it now!
>
> I know Dr. Antonio Carlos da Rocha Costa and all he has done,  
> Valerie. He was the first person in the country I have met, through  
> your web site, that worked with SignWriting.
> He was the only one that agreed to send me the code of a software.  
> Really such a great person.
>
> About the SignPuddle Brazilian dictionary on the web.
> Of course. I want it very much. But there is a little problem, I  
> have just started to learn sign languege, that is why I do not talk  
> much about it. But as soon as I acquire the necessary skills I will  
> use SignPuddle a lot."
>
> THE END   :-)
> -- 
> Rodrigo Ferreira Bagni
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________
>
> SW-L SignWriting List
>
> Post Message
> SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>
> List Archives and Help
> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/
>
> Change Email Settings
> http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l

____________________________________________

SW-L SignWriting List

Post Message
SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu

List Archives and Help
http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/

Change Email Settings
http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l