[Fsf-india] Interesting debate on Indian language computing...

[Frederick Noronha]

This is an interesting debate on Indian language computing. Would anyone
have further ideas and suggestions? FN

On Tue, 19 Mar 2002, Guntupalli Karunakar wrote:
Guntupalli Karunakar <karunakar@freedomink.org>


> On Sun, 3 Mar 2002 08:57:52 +0530 (IST)
> Frederick Noronha <fred@bytesforall.org> wrote:
> 
> > Karunakar, Could you help Mahesh, below? FN
> > 
> > On Sat, 2 Mar 2002, web buddy wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > > Hi Freddy,
> > > 
> > > I must clarify what I am looking for.
> > > 
> > > Not pdf files, not stickers....I want to buy a hard encoded
> > > (Devanagri engraved) Indian keyboard. I know that TVS-Electronics
> > > had such a keyboard available in 1999 (I have their PDF file) but
> > > they seem to have stopped production.

>  Lack of popular demand meant not many were manufactured, and that too
> only for few niche segments like , govt, public sector. Another issue
> is of keyboard standardization. Though there is the Inscript standard
> proposed by DOE (adopted by mainly CDAC), but there are more people
> who are fimiliar with typewriter layouts. Inplementing Inscript layout
> is relatively simple, in most cases just needing a keymap file ( which
> just maps keycodes to character codes )  Then there are the typewriter
> layouts, which can also be supported ( but again I think the there are
> different layouts from different manufacturers ,( correct me if I am
> wrong, I could not find any standard document for it )). Since on
> physical keyboard we can at best print 2 set of labels , we cant have
> a keyboard labelled for all layouts. Also for different languages
> different keyboards will be needed.   Inscript layout is good choice
> because it is equivalent for all languages, same key is used for same
> sound in all languages. So If you have learnt the devanagari one, you
> can still type on a keyboard labelled in telugu,malayalam. Keyb
> manufacturers will also be happy making them since they know that it
> can still be used, if one just knows the layout.
> 
> > > I think this is critical because without a keyboard how is the
> > > Revolution gonna happen?!
> > > 
>  Its kind of  chicken-egg situation,  without mass use of indian
> language software, native keyboards wont be made,  & without native
> keyboards using the software is difficult. And then there is the big
> issue, since current users are well versed in english, they want
> solutions which, should not require changing keyboard hardware ( ok.
> this is acceptable ), and typing should be in some phonetic scheme
> (don't want to learn/remember another keyblayout). So phonetic schemes
> of typing are asked for, for which there is no standard layout.
> Personally I dont beleive in solutions of this kind, in which we will
> still treat our languages as secondary. 
> 
> Pl. give your views on this.
> 
> ( and very Sorry for the late reply )
> 
> Regards,
> Karunakar
>