Labelling Vai Keyboards

At 22:49 -0400 2005-08-31, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> > > > >Vai, obviously, can't use a 47-key keyboard.
> > >>
> > >> I can type all 340 characters in my Vai +
>> >> extended punctuation set, on a 47-key keyboard,
>> >> just fine.

Note that what I said was, "Yes, Vai, obviously, can use a 47-key
keyboard, because I can type Vai with one."

> > >And you're going to "engrave" all 340 symbols on the keycaps?
>>
>> No, because the keycaps are already engraved with Latin. T + A = TA.
>
>WHY ARE YOU INCAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING. The "Latin" approach to typing
>Vai is NOT a good (let alone ideal) solution -- because it would require
>an entire different level of education to get syllabically-writing
>people to grasp the concept of segmentation.

You couldn't be more patronizing if you tried, I am sure.

Them poor little Vai natives, golly, when they sit down in front of a
computer and have to learn about mice and clicking and popup menus --
all of which will be in English (or less likely in Qur'anic Arabic --
gosh, them poor little Vai natives will have to learn to TYPE Vai,
and heck, if they're too stupid to learn how to string T + A together
to form TA.

But then you started out by saying "Why would anyone _want_ to write
Vai with a computer?"

You were wrong about that. Vai people do want to write Vai with a computer.

And you are wrong about Vai people being incapable of learning how to
segment syllables. Their syllabary charts are arranged with
consonants on one axis and vowels on another. In real books given to
real children.

>Is your local computer dealer going to provide these lessons along with
>every unit sold?

One expects Vai fonts and keyboard layouts to be free, downloadable software.

> > >Especially if he's a First World technocrat telling a Third World person
> > >how to do that thing.
> >
> > Pish-posh. I am "telling" no one any such thing. And you've offered
> > nothing constructive in this discussion.
>
>None is so blind as he who will not see.

Q.E.D.

>There may be quite a few "anyone else"s to do so. I personally have no
>knowledge of the Vai language or its relatives, and its script.

"Really, now you ask me," said Alice, very much confused, "I don't think--"
"Then you shouldn't talk," said the Hatter.

> > >Who _are_ your Vai contacts?
>>
>> They are named in the Vai proposal document which you have refused to read.
>>
>> >If they're not associated with the power elite, how did they get out
>> >of the country?
>>
>> None of your damn business, I am sure.
>
>If you won't identify your consultants (not merely by name, of course),
>there is no way to evaluate how legitimately they represent the people
>you claim they represent.

I have identified them. They are identified in
http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n2948.pdf

If you were to read that document, you might learn something about Vai.
--
Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com