Solving the UTF-8 problem; was Language Tag Modification 1694acad;

[CE Whitehead]

Doug Ewell dewell at roadrunner.com
Tue Jul 3 07:43:39 CEST 2007  wrote:

>Remember also that the Registry exists to provide names and descriptions 
>that are sufficient for tag producers and consumers to make sensible 
>tagging decisions.  Does anyone disagree with that?  It is not just for 
>casual browsing.

Many people in the 3rd world want to create web pages & not just do casual 
browsing
(my theory is everyone needs to create some too,
to not just be a casual surfer, but to have the experience of creating 
content;
with sufficient experience creating content, you find out just how easily 
content can be generated, which makes you a more savvy surfer);
we do need to be international--
But do go to utf-8!


{ text below moved to new position }
>If you tell me what OS and browser you have at your disposal, I will tell 
>you whether should be able to view 
>http://langtag.net/registries/language-subtag-registry.utf8 correctly, 
>either online or offline.  I could also provide you with a Windows 
>95-compatible program that would provide a best-fit display of non-Latin-1 
>characters,

If you can do the above, do the above for everyone out there
(of course, you are right;
it will not help me to tell me what I can download as I am not permitted to 
when I work from the library,
and I probably won't dare mess up a rented laptop that I must soon give back 
again with downloads--though I might somewhat trust the sites you send me 
to;
at the library we do have a utf-8 compatible system but no fonts).

At our site langtag.net you should:
(1) list browsers/OS's that can view utf-8
(2) list Windows-95 compatible programs that provide the best-fit displays 
of non-Latin-1 characters

Don't collapse the names distinguished by a single accent mark if it really 
irks you,
but if you can get around being irked and find a way to transliterate these 
. . .
i.e., indicate somehow when there is an accented character (I guess e' would 
not work for an e with an accent aigu--and what about accent grave?--since ' 
is used for other characters;
what about e* to indicate e with some kind of accent?? I'm not sure there 
will ever be a contrast between the various accents on a single letter in 
French because there are some rules dealing with where accents can go).

>Anywhere on earth?  This is your operational criterion, not mine.

Why not??  I'm willing to help.


>Can we pursue this official version/unofficial version strategy, as an 
>alternative to loading up the Registry with excise?

I have already withdrawn any objection to having the utf-8 version as the 
official version.
--

{text below is not where it was in original email}

>Quick question: How many people feel my efforts on RFC 4646 have been 
>guided by what is easiest, rather than what is right?

I'm sure you work pretty hard; I have great respect for anyone who puts up 
with California freeway conditions everyday and does this too.

But I am saying, let us do the little bit of work to provide some 
transliterations.
It's not because you do not work I am saying this.
If you are overwhelmed then outsource.

(My email account did finally let me see some Hebrew text displayed in a 
message--which was nice;
my email has scrambled characters before; my computer won't display a thing 
outside of email--it was wierd to have the characters display in email but 
nice for a change)!


--C. E. Whitehead
cewcathar at hotmail.com

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