Fwd: SignWriting Encyclopedia Projects...new SignWriting Wiki

Sat May 29 13:51:38 UTC 2010

Images in text.  I noticed that several messages of late have been including words interwoven with signs.  How does one do this on one's computer.  Any time I have tried to copy a sign, it does not allow anything else "in line" with text other than text and SignWriting is independent.  If a sign is to be included on a text line, isn't the construction one it talking about equivalent to a letter in print? 

The letter takes x amount of visual space within a bound determined by the font.  SignWriting takes up a set amount in space on the line depending on an outer bound which is wider than a standard letter, but with multiple fonts up to 64 point, could be held within a limit of transmittable text.  Then one can wrap text around it, use it like any other bounded cell. 

I am trying to understand the technical difficulties here.

This I would consider one of those "technical difficulties" for a wikipedia.  One must be able to treat imported signs exactly as any other text in terms of visual appearance, and as graphics as any other graphic.  

Charles Butler

________________________________
From: Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at GMAIL.COM>
To: SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU
Sent: Sat, May 29, 2010 9:43:38 AM
Subject: Fwd: SignWriting Encyclopedia Projects...new SignWriting Wiki

Hoi,
The creation of a wiki for SignWriting is avery exciting development. In the language committee we have indicated that technical issues are what prevents a Wikipedia for sign languages at this time. The SignWriting wiki is effectively an incubator for the technology needed and for the languages to write the minimum number of articles they need for acceptance as a new language.

Given all the technical issues, I am of the opinion that a requirement for localisation can be waved. Sign languages with SignWriting would introduce the writing in lanes ie top to bottom with characters moving slightly to the right or left.

What I am looking for is agreement what technical issues need to be solved before a sign language can become a Wikipedia. Compatible policies are not an issue. I am thinking of being able to include images in the text and having wiki links. What else is absolutely required before we can move forward once there are sufficient articles ?
Thanks,
      GerardM

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Valerie Sutton <sutton at signwriting.org>
Date: 28 May 2010 21:04
Subject: SignWriting Encyclopedia Projects...new SignWriting Wiki
To: SLLING-L at listserv.valenciacc.edu

Hello SLLING List members -

We are working towards the goal of providing written literature in sign languages.

We have started a new project. It was just posted on the web yesterday. Here is the information:

New Special Feature
Posted May 27, 2010

Go to:

SignWriting Site
http://www.SignWriting.org

1. SignWriting Encyclopedia Projects
Writing Encyclopedias in the Sign Languages of the World
http://www.signwriting.org/encyclopedia

2. SignWriting Wiki
Wiki-style Articles written in Any Sign Language
http://www.signbank.org/wiki

3. Blogs on the ASL Wikipedia
Incubating ASL for new Wikipedia
http://www.signwriting.org/blogs/#Meijssen

4. SignWriting Image Server (SWIS)
Display and edit SignWriting images with fast installation
http://www.signbank.org/swis

The new SignWriting Wiki is open to anyone who wishes to add a category for their sign language, and start writing articles in SignWriting using SignPuddle Online, and then transferring the articles from SignPuddle Online into the SignWriting Wiki for viewing and reading by the general public.

The SignWriting Wiki is the incubator, or the development site, hopefully for a future ASL Wikipedia (or Wikipedias in any sign language we hope someday).

The SignWriting Wiki is the test area for our new software, the SignWriting MediaWiki Plugin, by Steve Slevinski.

In the future, it will be possible to write the SignWriting articles directly in the SignWriting Wiki, without having to transfer them from SignPuddle Online...so there is ongoing software development behind the scenes to make this happen...

But for right now, this is a big "first step" and I want to thank Steve Slevinski, Adam Frost (Deaf ASL editor who posted the first two articles in the SignWriting Wiki in ASL) and Gerard Meijssen from the Language Committee of the Wikimedia Foundation, for their hard work and encouragement...

The first two articles added to the ASL SignWriting Wiki are based on the ASL videos by Lucinda O'Grady Batch, of the history of Charles-Michel de l'Épée and the history of Laurent Clerc. Both videos were first transcribed into SignWriting by Charles Butler, and placed in SignPuddle Online, and then Adam Frost transferred them into the SignWriting Wiki for people to read. You can read them at these links:

ASL SignWriting Wiki
http://www.signbank.org/wiki/index.php?title=Category:ASL

History of Charles-Michel de l'Épée
http://www.signbank.org/wiki/index.php?title=Charles-Michel_de_l%27%C3%89p%C3%A9e

History of Laurent Clerc
http://www.signbank.org/wiki/index.php?title=Laurent_Clerc

Any feedback is much appreciated, so write anytime -

Val ;-)

Valerie Sutton
Sutton at SignWriting.org

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

SignPuddle
Create SignWriting Documents Online
http://www.SignBank.org/signpuddle

SignWriting Wiki
Wiki-style Articles in Sign Languages
http://www.signbank.org/wiki

SignWriting List
Technical Support: Ask questions...
http://www.SignWriting.org/forums/swlist

SignWriting Literature Project
Writing Literature in Sign Languages
http://www.SignWriting.org/literature

SignWriting Encyclopedia Projects
Writing Encyclopedias in Sign Languages
http://www.SignWriting.org/encyclopedia

Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting
Center For Sutton Movement Writing
a US educational nonprofit organization
PO Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038, USA
Tel: 858-456-0098  Skype: valeriesutton
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