[Wikipedia-l] Re: Re: Re: new request for ASL/English wikipedia (Neil Harris)

[Gerard Meijssen]

Craig Franklin wrote:

>Scríobh Neil Harris:
>
>  
>
>>ASL is most certainly a first-class language, but it _must be written_
>>to be usable in a text-based system like Wikipedia.
>>    
>>
Where does it say in the goals of the WMF that everything is to be text 
based? It says that we are "dedicated to encouraging the growth, 
development and distribution of free, multilingual content, and to 
providing the full content of these wiki-based projects to the public 
free of charge." Not even the Wiki principles make it compulsary to be 
text based.

>
>I think this is the key here.  Do deaf persons in the United States actually
>write ASL in their everyday lives.  A quick bit of Googling and research
>seems to indicate that there isn't even a settled orthography for ASL, so
>producing material in a written form seems counterproductive.  Half a
>million people might "speak" the language on a daily basis, but if only 5%
>of people understand the particular form of notation that is used, it's
>going to be close to useless for most deaf persons.  We might then run into
>a situation similar to the båkmal/nynorsk, or the cantonese/mandarin
>fiascos, in which each variant of sign language demands a seperate wiki for
>itself.  If we allow an ASL wiki, then how can we say no to an Auslan wiki,
>a Gestuno wiki, an ISL wiki, etc.
>  
>
This question is completely wrong. It suggests that ASL is more than any 
of the other sign languages. Languages that are as destinct as German 
from English.

>Sadly, I think that sign languages can, at the present time, be only
>classified as being spoken and not written.  If you can show me a commonly
>accepted written notation for ASL (that has, for example, 50%+ understanding
>from those who use ASL as a spoken language), that can be conceivably used
>on the internet, then I'll be the first to call for the wiki's creation.
>Unfortunately, I think this is a technical challenge that might not be
>possible at the present time (since SignWriting, which seems to be the most
>popular of the written notations, doesn't seem to have any Unicode support).
>
>- Craig [[en:Lankiveil]]
>
There are people who want wikipedias in sign languages. They will have 
to overcome many organisational and technical problems before they will 
see a functional project. The insistence that it needs to be written is 
fundamentally wrong; if you were to insist that wiki principles need to 
be adhered to, it would be more compatible with what we aim to be.

Thanks,
    GerardM