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Dear Val, Thank you for such an interesting discussion about SW and HamNoSys. I understand your point. Yes, that's true - we learnt very late about the conference, and there was no time to present papers. I've been through the proceedings of LREC 2004 -signwriting was covered there :) Like you said, there will be more conferences in the future. You will be pleased to know that myself, Tim Grove, Nedelina Ivanova and Carlos (from Brazil - can't rem. his surname) did meet and talked a little. In fact, Carlos gave a paper on SW but for something which I had never heard of before - Dasher. The four of us are doing very different things with SignWriting - it was great to spend some time talking, I found it very encouraging. Maria > SignWriting List > May 27, 2010 > > Thank you, everyone, for your discussions about the LREC 2010. I feel many > of you have missed the point a little...So let me explain from my point of > view. > > SignWriting software development presentations dominated the LREC 2004 in > Lisbon. You can see the majority of the papers presented at the LREC 2004 > were using SignWriting for software development. I created a special web > area for all the papers and the whole proceedings and even the group > photo: > > LREC 2004 > http://www.signwriting.org/forums/software/lisbon/index.html > > HamNoSys presentations were there too, in 2004, but in that conference, > SignWriting had more presentations. > > So when it comes to conferences, these things wax and wane...sort of like > a tidal wave or a snowball effect...and SignWriting will dominate at the > LREC conferences in the future...I am sure of it! > > Meanwhile, in 2010, behind the scenes, Steve's software development with > SignWriting, which we are soon to announce, is so totally fabulous for > people who write sign languages on a daily basis, for writing real > literature and encyclopedia articles in the facial expressions and > handshapes and movements and role shifting of sign languages, that it is > really not correct to compare our work with anyone else's, including > HamNoSys, since the HamNoSys system's goals are different. HamNoSys cannot > write sign language literature. There is no comparison because the goals > of the two systems were never the same. HamNoSys is not a system designed > for writing for everyday use like SignWriting is...and therefore I feel it > is wrong to even compare the two systems, since our goals are different. > > Why was SignWriting not present at this current LREC 2010? Because we > didn't even know about the conference until all the papers had already > been submitted and accepted...and besides...our organization doesn't have > the funds right now to pay our own way to Malta from the US, and meanwhile > our work is free on the internet for everyone to use, and we are making > huge strides forward now with really cool software for people who read and > write sign languages on a daily basis, and that has nothing to do with any > other system... > > So this is more a choice as to when we present our work at conferences, > and not a statement as to whether one system is better or not...or more > used or not for that matter... > > Meanwhile, there are other linguistic-based software projects that DO use > SignWriting, and also three different Avatar projects, so SignWriting is > used for these other areas too, but those projects were not represented at > this particular conference...One of the current linguistic projects using > SignWriting has recently submitted a grant to fund it, so it is just > getting started with using SignWriting for their linguistic database. If > that project succeeds, it may influence other linguistic programs in the > future to use SignWriting too, and Steve's new software development will > help that process along. > > Remember Maria, that you did not know about the 2010 conference yourself, > until it was too late to submit? If it were not for Shane, who informed us > about the conference (thank you Shane!), I don't believe we would have > known about it...and that is ok...there are conferences in the future > where SignWriting will be present again...too bad not in Malta though! > > I am giving you all big hugs and just know that great things are coming... > > And may I ask...was Tim Grove from the UK, and Nedelina Ivanova from > Iceland, able to fly into Malta, and did you meet each other? I hope > so...I was thinking of all of you the whole time...I know the volcano in > Iceland made flying difficult... > > Val ;-) > > > > On May 27, 2010, at 8:10 AM, Steve Slevinski wrote: > >> MARIA AZZOPARDI wrote: >>> Dear Steve, Val and all the list, >>> I attended the LREC 2010 and I must say I was slightly disappointed at >>> the >>> very low use of SignWriting in Computer Sign Language linguists. There >>> were some researchers that told me they considered SignWriting, but >>> opted >>> for HanNoSys. It would be ideal if SignWriting were used, I thought, >>> but I >>> probably can't understand the technicalities, as computers are not my >>> area. >>> Could you explain why the situation is so. > >