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<http://www.myanmarnlp.net.mm/doc/index.htm>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<http://www.alpha.com.mm/>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<http://www.myanmaritpros.com/forum/topic/show?id=1445004%3ATo…86>.
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