Dear Mr Jimbo Wales and all,

 

I would like to explain more detail the questions by last two e-mails by Mr Jimbo Wales. I do have great respect for them, but thing get out of control regarding the issue. The problem is to be solved by understanding user expectation, changing previous mind-set of Unicode experience, educating and circumventing users' limited facility.  

 

I think it will be more clear if I explain my hypothetical view of Unicode revolution. Not a revolution, but it really is for Myanmar IT community. I will be very appreciate if somebody correct I talk something wrong. Since we have very little information on the web, it is better to talk as one own knowledge even though it cannot be supported. So I have included my personal un-comfirmed information as well. 

 

ASCII Myanmar font was introducced around 2000 and many Myanmar font has appear since then. I think there will be over 1000 fonts by around 50 publishers, well know being Win, CE, U4 ?. There is no progress in technology, but created several different keyboard mappings by different font publishers in attemptation for domination. People wanted to standarize Myanmar ASCII as well, but did not get concensus. All DTP service in Myanmar use ASCII font until today. There is no reason to change Unicode font because they can type must faster then by Unicode input solution could provide. Also wide variety of typeface they can choose from in ASCII where as there is no good looking Unicode fonts. 

 

There is real need for Unicode in web application and database systems. Unicode 4.1 was approved. At that time, 4.0 model based MyaZeDi has been published by eTrade (later by Solveaware) and commerically profitable. Public funded organization, Myanmar NLP, failed to deliver a free Unicode Font although it was promised. To give pressure to the organization, a Zawgyi font (partly based on MyaZeDi) was developed by Alpha info-tech and released free on 2005. It is immediately popular on the web and now all Myanmar blogs and forum use Zawgyi Font. 

 

Unicode 4.1 is huge flaw on normalization of Myanmar script and correct in Unicode 5.0. In Unicode 5.1, a stacker technique was introduced on 2008. All these changes disrupt Unicode font. People don't have conversion tool from 4.1 --> 5.0 --> 5.1. People hate Unicode solution because some government staffs are told manually upgrade to new font system. People think Unicode is experinmental and not going to happen like most other government projects. Instead Zawgyi keeps 4.0 solution and updated as necessary basic. Since non-standard Unicode, Zawgyi has leasure of taking up other invalid codepoints and introduce new things without breaking existing system. 

 

Web application like CMS, forum, chatroom, wiki, etc can setup using Zawgyi in no time and have extensive support and documentation from many places. There are many tools like ASCII (almost any mapping) --> Zawgyi, input system, dictionary. All of these are free and high quality. Whereas Unicode deliver low quality and expensive solution.  

 

Unicode 5.1 rendering algorithm is very complex and beyound all font publishers except MyMyanmar and Solveware. Myanmar NLP also do not have the technology. It is rather obvious that all will oppose Unicode, how good it is. The two company also give free Unicode font, but not good enough for formal web and document. Myanmar3 is OK for formal printed document, but not on the web. I am sure, MyMyanmar and Solveware will release commercial Unicode 5.1 fonts in appreprioate time when Unicode 5.1 become mainstream. 

 

I hope you will understand why people hate Unicode and love Zawgyi.

 

PS: If zawgyi 5.1 font is to be developed, please contact to Alpha Info-Tech. Although alpha is not capable of implementing 5.1, we should pay for originality.

 

Okisan