Dear Adé,

re /m187

You asked: "My question is will most of these scripting issues go away if we have websites and contents developed using default fonts, especially OpenType fonts, with complete features for GSUB and/or GPOS layout tables?"

With correct OpenType fonts, rendering issues will disappear, i.e. with a well developed font NFC, NFD or hybrid data will display fine (in the visual sense) and will be visually indistinguishable.

It will not directly address the issue of how web services handle data and how they processes data. There will be no way to escape the need for normalization and proper internationalization of services. There is an educative process that needs to occur.

With respect to your house keeping message. Thank you for the information. I'm familiar with these details from looking at your website.

I had thought of writing such a book, although it will have to wait until I finish one on electronic multicultural library services that is underway. If I did write one, i'd be inclined to release it under a creative commons licence, making it available for free and allowing it to be used in fairly liberal ways that traditional copyright wouldn't allow.

Either way ... a key source of information on web internationalization are the W3C Internationalization techniques documents that are being developed by the W3C I18N GEO working group combined with Richard Ishida's turtorials. All are available at http://www.w3.org/International/geo/

Although it might be worth writing a companion document to these tutorials on issues like the need for normalization, and font selection issues, etc that impact on African languages. I'll have a chat with some of the other GEO folk and see if an FAQ on web development with African languages would be worthwhile.

Andrew

NITDA to promote Nigerian keyboard

Everest Amaefule, Abuja

The National Information Technology Development Agency has pledged to promote the study of Nigerian languages through the use of information technology.

Director-General, NITDA Prof. Cleopas Angaye, made the commitment on Friday in Abuja when a team from Lancor Management Limited, presented a special computer keyboard and software known as Konyin, that can write most Nigerian languages to the agency.

Angaye said the promotion of Nigerian languages through IT has become imperative at a time when several languages are becoming extinct because of generations that have been alienated by their mother tongue.

He congratulated the Lancor team for integrating both software and hardware to achieve the feat of the special Nigerian keyboard and pledged to promote the keyboard especially in the public sector.

Full Story... http://www.punchng.com/computer/article05

The PUNCH, Monday, January 16, 2006

Issue: Now I can type words from Nigerian native languages on my PC, but I cannot save these words into my custom dictionary. Every time I tried to save words with Hausa, Ìgbo or Yorùbá characters, I get a message that: “The custom dictionary is full. The word was not added.”

Solution: The custom dictionary is a notepad that is defaulted to ANSI encoding, to save non ANSI characters, like Hausa, Ìgbo or Yorùbá words that includes Ẹẹ, Ịị, Ọọ, Ụụ or tonal marks, you will need to change the custom dictionary encoding from ANSI to Unicode.

How to change Custom Dictionary encoding in Windows XP:

1. Click - .START button on the left bottom of you screen;
2. Click - My Computer from the menu;
3. Open – Local Disk (C:) from the menu;
4. Open – Documents and Settings folder;
5. Open – [Your User Profile] folder;
6. Open – Application Data folder;
7. Open – Microsoft folder;
8. Open – Proof folder;
9. Open - CUSTOM file;
10. Click – File at the top left corner;
11. Click – Save As from the menu;
12. On the line for Encoding – click the dropdown and select Unicode;
13. Click – Save button;
14. Click – Yes button;
15. Click –CLOSE ALL FOLDERS

KỌNYIN Nigeria Multilingual Keyboards
http://www.konyin.com

A short online Igbo dictionary is available at http://www.umes.edu/alp/lexicon1/public/default.asp

Edited by author 10-14-2006 10:45 AM
Just came across a list about the Igbo language in German: http://www.igbodeutsch.de/ (it's actually a Yahoogroup).

Two thoughts:

1. It would be great to have a list of lists about and in African languages. The links at http://www.bisharat.net/links2.htm#11b are an attempt at that (these need updating). Re Igbo language, we have heard on this forum previously about Ụwandịigbo* for instance.
2. Are there any lists in Igbo?

Don Osborn
Bisharat.net

* /m86, /m92, /m115, /m124, /m129, /m131, /m136, /m164

Still on development:
www.okwuigbo.org
Chinedu...




>From: QT - BisharatNet <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>Reply-To: QT topic 17-tCcDxVXHgQxN <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic+subs@quicktopic.com>
>Subject: Igbo language & ICT (fonts, keyboards & applications)
>Date: 14 Oct 2006 07:33:07 -0700
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Ótù laptọ́ọ̀pụ̀ maka ótù nwatakịrị
http://laptop.org/index.ig.html

Happy New Year 2007! Hope the holiday season was good (whichever holidays you observed)!

I've opened up a new "wikigroup" on the PanAfriL10n.org website/wiki for Nigerian localisation: http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/NG-L10n/HomePage

The object is to provide a more flexible space for Nigerian localisers to list their contact details, websites, and projects. This is in some ways an online "virtual plaza/market," interactive, with the added advantage that it links with the larger PanAfrican Localisation wiki and other country-specific "wikigroups."

Among other things, I am trying to set up an RSS feed from this forum to the new wikigroup.

Don Osborn
Bisharat.net
PanAfrican Localisation project

The PanAfriL10n.org page on Igbo has been updated. See http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/Igbo (corrections, more updates are invited).

Don Osborn
Bisharat.net
PanAfrican Localisation project

Don,
You have consistently left out the Keyboard effort from Andrew and myself: http://www.openroad.net.au/languages/african/igbo/igbo301.html

Do you have any reason for leaving it out of the page on Igbo?

Chinedu...




>From: QT - BisharatNet <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>Reply-To: QT topic 17-tCcDxVXHgQxN <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic+subs@quicktopic.com>
>Subject: Igbo language & ICT (fonts, keyboards & applications)
>Date: 10 Feb 2007 09:34:11 -0800
>

_________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Edited by author 02-16-2007 08:05 PM
Hi Chinedu, sorry for the slow reply. No there is no reason for leaving it out, just an oversight while juggling too many things - my apologies. I will see to it, but please feel free to add it or other information yourself(ves). The editing password is Africa, as indicated in the left column on the wiki.

All the best. Don

Hello Don,
It's ok.
I've just made the addition.
all the best,
Chinedu...




>From: QT - BisharatNet <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>Reply-To: QT topic 17-tCcDxVXHgQxN <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic+subs@quicktopic.com>
>Subject: Igbo language & ICT (fonts, keyboards & applications)
>Date: 16 Feb 2007 17:05:01 -0800
>

_________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Thanks Chinedu, I appreciate your taking the time.

One of my current headaches is trying to figure out why the RSS feeds of the Hausa and Ibibio boards display at http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/NG-L10n/L10nForums but not this one (Igbo) and Yoruba. I think it must have to do with the fact that the latter 2 have >100 messages while the other two are less than 100. Strange minutiae. The hope is that the NG-L10n pages can permit more people to keep up with and join in discussions and work on localization of Nigerian languages.

More on this later. All the best...

Don

Hi Don,
I really do not know what could be the problem.

May be it might be connected with the configuration of the two groups.
All the best,

Chinedu...




>From: QT - BisharatNet <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>Reply-To: QT topic 17-tCcDxVXHgQxN <qtopic+17-tCcDxVXHgQxN@quicktopic.com>
>To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic+subs@quicktopic.com>
>Subject: Igbo language and ICT
>Date: 20 Feb 2007 18:55:04 -0800
>

_________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
< replied-to message removed by QT >

I am happy to see everthing about igbo land in computer world but what i wanna encourage all igbo christian musician to make sure they post their music in the internet.Look at yoruba any time i wanna make research here in Australia i always see yoruba on the front, why we are christians we suppose to make sure that igbo christians music both enlish and igbo is posted here in the internet cos we use to listen to it by so doing it exposes what we are,where are those people that saved many soul via their christain songs ,luke Ezeji, Obigwe,Patty Obaassi,Chika okpara,Agape love etc.I don't know whether this msg is relevant but pls help me to send it to the apprpriate body thanks.