LREC 2010 conference and future SignWriting software

[MARIA AZZOPARDI]

Dear Val,

Thank you for such an interesting discussion about SW and HamNoSys. I
understand your point.

Yes, that's true - we learnt very late about the conference, and there was
no time to present papers. I've been through the proceedings of LREC 2004
-signwriting was covered there :) Like you said, there will be more
conferences in the future.

You will be pleased to know that myself, Tim Grove, Nedelina Ivanova and
Carlos (from Brazil - can't rem. his surname) did meet and talked a
little. In fact, Carlos gave a paper on SW but for something which I had
never heard of before - Dasher. The four of us are doing very different
things with SignWriting - it was great to spend some time talking, I found
it very encouraging.

Maria


> SignWriting List
> May 27, 2010
>
> Thank you, everyone, for your discussions about the LREC 2010. I feel many
> of you have missed the point a little...So let me explain from my point of
> view.
>
> SignWriting software development presentations dominated the LREC 2004 in
> Lisbon. You can see the majority of the papers presented at the LREC 2004
> were using SignWriting for software development. I created a special web
> area for all the papers and the whole proceedings and even the group
> photo:
>
> LREC 2004
> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/software/lisbon/index.html
>
> HamNoSys presentations were there too, in 2004, but in that conference,
> SignWriting had more presentations.
>
> So when it comes to conferences, these things wax and wane...sort of like
> a tidal wave or a snowball effect...and SignWriting will dominate at the
> LREC conferences in the future...I am sure of it!
>
> Meanwhile, in 2010, behind the scenes, Steve's software development with
> SignWriting, which we are soon to announce, is so totally fabulous for
> people who write sign languages on a daily basis, for writing real
> literature and encyclopedia articles in the facial expressions and
> handshapes and movements and role shifting of sign languages, that it is
> really not correct to compare our work with anyone else's, including
> HamNoSys, since the HamNoSys system's goals are different. HamNoSys cannot
> write sign language literature. There is no comparison because the goals
> of the two systems were never the same. HamNoSys is not a system designed
> for writing for everyday use like SignWriting is...and therefore I feel it
> is wrong to even compare the two systems, since our goals are different.
>
> Why was SignWriting not present at this current LREC 2010? Because we
> didn't even know about the conference until all the papers had already
> been submitted and accepted...and besides...our organization doesn't have
> the funds right now to pay our own way to Malta from the US, and meanwhile
> our work is free on the internet for everyone to use, and we are making
> huge strides forward now with really cool software for people who read and
> write sign languages on a daily basis, and that has nothing to do with any
> other system...
>
> So this is more a choice as to when we present our work at conferences,
> and not a statement as to whether one system is better or not...or more
> used or not for that matter...
>
> Meanwhile, there are other linguistic-based software projects that DO use
> SignWriting, and also three different Avatar projects, so SignWriting is
> used for these other areas too, but those projects were not represented at
> this particular conference...One of the current linguistic projects using
> SignWriting has recently submitted a grant to fund it, so it is just
> getting started with using SignWriting for their linguistic database. If
> that project succeeds, it may influence other linguistic programs in the
> future to use SignWriting too, and Steve's new software development will
> help that process along.
>
> Remember Maria, that you did not know about the 2010 conference yourself,
> until it was too late to submit? If it were not for Shane, who informed us
> about the conference (thank you Shane!), I don't believe we would have
> known about it...and that is ok...there are conferences in the future
> where SignWriting will be present again...too bad not in Malta though!
>
> I am giving you all big hugs and just know that great things are coming...
>
> And may I ask...was Tim Grove from the UK, and Nedelina Ivanova from
> Iceland, able to fly into Malta, and did you meet each other? I hope
> so...I was thinking of all of you the whole time...I know the volcano in
> Iceland made flying difficult...
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
>
> On May 27, 2010, at 8:10 AM, Steve Slevinski wrote:
>
>> MARIA AZZOPARDI wrote:
>>> Dear Steve, Val and all the list,
>>> I attended the LREC 2010 and I must say I was slightly disappointed at
>>> the
>>> very low use of SignWriting in Computer Sign Language linguists. There
>>> were some researchers that told me they considered SignWriting, but
>>> opted
>>> for HanNoSys. It would be ideal if SignWriting were used, I thought,
>>> but I
>>> probably can't understand the technicalities, as computers are not my
>>> area.
>>> Could you explain why the situation is so.
>
>