[Foundation-l] Fwd: SignWriting Encyclopedia Projects...new SignWriting Wiki

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
The creation of a wiki for SignWriting is a* very* 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