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From:
"Wayne H. Smith" Date: Sun May 9, 1999 10:40 pm Subject: Fwd: Your questions... | ||||||||
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>From: SignWriting >To: "Wayne H. Smith" >Subject: Your questions... >Date: Sat, 8 May 1999 09:26:45 -0700 >MIME-Version: 1.0 >From Sat May 8 09:27:07 1999 >Received: from [199.164.191.135] (dac.cts.com [199.164.191.135])by >usagi.cts.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA04451for >; Sat, 8 May 1999 09:27:59 -0700 (PDT) >X-Sender: >Message-Id: <v04011703b35a1218a32d@[199.164.191.135]> >In-Reply-To: > >May 8, 1999 > >Hello Wayne! >Thanks for this quick reply :-) > >The post office deserves a gold star for delivering the package so quickly! >And it sounds like you are off to a good start!! SignWriter 5.0 is not >finished yet. We ran out of funding, but two weeks ago I received a phone >call from a foundation promising to send us funding to complete the beta >test version by Fall, 1999. So I am still waiting for their check in the >mail. As soon as the money is in the bank, I can hire a new programmer and >hopefully we can get started soon. I can't wait myself!! Anyway, when >SignWriter 5.0 is ready, it will be for both Macintosh and Windows, and >Unix and several other computers as well. > >Yes, of course I know all about the problems of typing Japanese and Chinese >and other languages that do not use the Roman alphabet. I think >internationally, I assure you. That is why we have 9 spoken languages on >the screen right now, because that means so much to me. The only problem is >a technological one - typing the non-roman alphabet languages is different, >and our program at the moment is in MS-DOS, which means it is limited to >the roman alphabet. But the new SignWriter 5.0 will be able to hook into >the operating systems in other countries, and if their operating system is >running in Chinese, then there will be no problem typing in Chinese and >also using SignWriter 5.0. But as you know, 5.0 is not ready yet. This >means that for now we are working with MS-DOS. In Japan, we have discussed >creating a Japanese fingerspelling keyboard anyway - and it can be done, >even if we are not typing the Japanese spoken language in SW 4.3. So we >could also create a Taiwan Fingerspelling keyboard. You will have to send >me illustrations of the fingerspelling and then I would create the >fingerspelling keyboard for you and send you a new disk. > > > Oh, we'll need at least one new symbol for a handshape probably >unique > >to TSL. In the sign GINGER, the dominant hand has the following > >configuration: the thumb is touching the side of the middle joint of the > >index finger, the middle finger is resting on top of the index, the ring >is > >resting on top of the middle, and the pinky is resting on top of the >ring. > >It's an iconic handshape, suggestive of a piece of garlic. > >Sure. Send me a picture of the handshape and I will add it for you, when >you send me the fingerspelling illustrations. > > > Another question: what type of arrangements have you made or might >you > >make to alphabetize signs in the dictionary according to their >handshapes, > >etc.? It would be nice if we could "look up a sign" in an ASL-English > >dictionary to find its English meaning, instead of always having to find >the > >sign through an English gloss. In what order might such an >alphabetization > >be arranged? By typing groups? Let me know what research might be going > >into this issue. > >It is called "Sutton's Sign-Symbol-Sequence". You already have a small >ASL-English dictionary at your disposal in the American Sign Language >dictionary you purchased, which is section two in the notebook. You can >also look at the dictionary online at: > >ASL-English dictionary online >https://www.SignWriting.org/asl001.html > >I am writing a book on how to look up by Sign-Symbol-Sequence. In regards >to the computer program, SignWriter 4.3 for Ms-DOS does not have that >capability, but the new SignWriter 5.0 will someday. We have a Macintosh >way to look up by Sequence, but that is out-of-date and needs to be updated >before use. > > > Sorry to be "pushy", but I'm trying to determine the limits of the > >system so that I can fully use its capabilities. Hopefully, there are > >greater and better things to come! > >Thats not being pushy - I write ten messages like this a day to ten >different countries. Right now I am re-doing the fingerspelling keyboard >for Switzerland and I recently did their German screen messages. > >Keep asking questions - I would prefer you post your questions to the SW >List so others can benefit from my answers, but if you are shy that is OK! > >Hope you enjoy the materials, and please say hello to new Taiwan Sign >Language "Signwriters" for me! > >Valerie :-) > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Valerie Sutton > > >Visit the SignWritingSite: >https://www.SignWriting.org > >Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting >Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA >(619)456-0010 tty >(619)456-0098 voice >(619)456-0020 fax >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >The SignWriting List >discusses writing signed languages >To join, write to... > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > | ||||||||
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