Meeting minutes
Markup representing sign languages.
jasonjgw: have request re: markup for sign language. Concern is we don't know if this is genuinely emerging from sign language comunity who really want it. Don't want proposed solutions to problems that might not be true/there. We don't in APA try to prevent from doing work, so the community group approach is the best way to develop the proposal.
If sign language user community identifies this as a need and want it, and proposal is developed, can move into a working group for further standardization. If that's the case APA can formally respond to it. Indicate that's preferred route for now. Want sign language community endorsement.
Janina: if a community group succeeds in forming (need five people before proposed), we'll know...indication of interest. The rest as you said. Curious, how they propose this needs to work, we don't typically do XML specs. Also, proposing as an alternative to writing? So loaded 'XML' in word and what...spell check it?
jpaton: the previous attempts 10 years ago to get to a unified sign lang. wrtiting system weren't generally liked at the time, this is...
raja: it needs to be community led. As a lot, we don't know how to get documented and at what levels, ML or JSON, and really waht is the best approach. most flexible esp for annotation...so many knowns so far, and lots of differences in sign lang. across. Many many differences. Not sure how to proceed, but community effort though
janina: we're proposing community group for W3C (need five people)
… if a good interesting specs comes out of that group it could move back to APA. A little unusual to have XML out of W3C, but wouldn't want to quash this on that basis. A little concerned how the tech would work, and John was going to share a little about that. And how is this supposed to function in the world/who is it for. Load as a font into
word to write a letter or report? How/what is the intent once there's a specification?
… say what you want to say and capture in a markup file
jpaton: analogy of spoken lang, more of facial expressions, hands..an avatar could read and sign the language. 10 years ago, that they don't capture everything. Same with text, you don't get emotions in text, when someone raising voice. But if invent text now, might try to get some of those bits in. But this is analygous to taking the signs and
taking "this is what this sign is" but more recording body positions and movements but need further interpretation to get to the postitions and the language. As a person you can't go thru and spell check. Info fed to an avatar, could create signing that a person could understand, if it was well written
jasonjgw: looks as though we might want to tell them if forming community group, look to use cases an requirements and have a clear enagement with international community of sign language...what's expected out of the community process?
Raja: quick comment, there's a differenfece between IPA and reg text. IPA translates from print to speech, captures speech clearly with accruacey. simple readable, human text. Depends on who audience is. Wuite difference in written and spoken communication. Try to capture what's said, there's no standard written sign language. Might be easier to go
with IPA like capture.
Janina: commenting on Jason's suggestion - how to guide community group. I'm a strong believer in the standard process. Start from use cases and develop stories on who needs and why, where the gaps are. Create requirements, these are the things the spec needs to achieve to measure success. At end of process...if really successful, the question
becomes have you met your requirements. If you have have use cases and requirements, here's the gap to close, then we don't have something to judge the proposed standard if useful. Management in w3c will ask that to take to last steps. And after voting from advisory committee to become a recommendation and w3c standard. they need those reqs. and
two implementations of the requirements.
Jasonjgw: what's the process now?
janina: say we're interested. Might have legs, go ahead and start a community group, how to log on, make an announcement to wider community, see if people come to join. Create use cases and requirements. We want to hear how it's going from time to time.
Janina: i can draft a response.
jasonjgw: ok, i can review the draft.
Janina: it came to us to see if might be viable. And I think our assessment is yes, maybe. Needs wider community support. Roy probably the one to carry the message back. I'll take this on.
Jasonjgw: ay final word on this before moving on?
dzakim, next item
Miscellaneous topics.
jasonjgw: next meeting should be Aug 6? Agreed to last week. That OK?