From: Robert Abel (freakrob@googlemail.com)
Date: Sat Jan 29 2011 - 11:46:58 CST
On 2011/01/29 08:18, William_J_G Overington wrote:
> The whole of Unicode has been about producing progress by inventing something from where there was nothing before.
You were told before and you were told again in this thread:
On 2011/01/28 16:36, Doug Ewell wrote (sarcasm tags mine):
> <sarcasm>Yeah. That's what Unicode is all about. Inventing something
> from scratch.</sarcasm>
William, you still haven't gotten what Unicode is about. You try to put
something in there with pushing and shoving that just doesn't want to go
in there. And neither does Unicode want it in there!
For your general idea, you have actually gotten much useful advice on
this very list! For instance, look at Shawn Steele's post (On 2011/01/28
19:55). It contained very much advice, very detailed advice and most of
all not bad advice! Though I would prefer (if I wanted or planned to
implement something like this, which I don't) to have base sentences
("Where can I <verb> <public place>?") with switchable nouns (public
place = "pharmacy"|"grocery store"|...) and verbs (verb =
"find"|"buy"|... ; yes, this example is flawed), which exist in travel
guides today in paper form and even in the suggested point-to-it guides
that were mentioned in this very thread!
For instance, you kind of argue around your own point:
On 2011/01/29 09:27, William_J_G Overington wrote:
> There would be a graphic logo that would display in an ordinary system and the text could be localized automatically if desired by the user of a receiving device that had suitable software.
Why is is, that having suitable software for the actual translation
(into the recipients' language) is okay, yet, having the same software
additionally handle display of a little icon is not? Why does the icon
(and key to your mapping "idea => sentence") have to be a Unicode
codepoint? Asmus Freytag posted the problem here numerous times (his
sentence, my markings):
On 2011/01/29 10:38, Asmus Freytag wrote:
> Unicode [...] defines something that is *demonstrably* of actual great
> use.
You still haven't demonstrated that great use of a pictogram that would
likely be displayed in under 24×24 pixels and the greater benefit of it
being publicly interchangeable instead of a codepoint inside the PUA!
* What is the benefit of having an icon for this localizable sentence
when literally every common-sense implementation will require "suitable
software"?
* What would the pictogram even show? A man walking towards a big pill
with question marks all around?
* If the pictogram was of any use, how can you demonstrate the need for
it not to be a PUA codepoint? If your thing catched on, people would
have the "suitable software" and a "suitable font" to show the icons and
"translate" the sentence.
You should really think about these things. Try coming up with something
and implement it. Then notice the deficits and come up with something
better. You try to work this out the other way around. Any XML format
would be highly more advanced than a pictogram. Indeed, XML would give
you the facilities to have a dynamic entry mask created out of the data
and have good searches on possible sentences.
* Why is this not an option?
* Why is your idea a plain-text one?
You might even look at current software at get an idea of how they do
it! For instance ― not to advertise a brand, but it's the first thing
that came to my mind ― there are Nintendo DS applications that have city
guides, common sentences, pronunciation of these, and much more. Have a
look at it and see if your idea is superior. For instance, your idea
needs two devices running "suitable software", able to communicate with
each other, being up-to-date to include a "suitable font" with the
pictograms and a recent localized sentence database. These software
titles for a game console are self-contained in that sense.
I sincerely hope you think about all of the recent advice that was given
to you and don't post a recap of your previously dismissed arguments.
Robert
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