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NOTE: If you see this verbiage the MULTVV servers are being admin'd and are NOT in production. With this status in place please
feel free to submit a transcription query with the understanding that it -may- be lost to the "great bit bucket in the sky".
All efforts will be made to prevent this from happening. However, if such an event would occur it would most likely be when
the MULTVV servers go from off to on-line. One "work-around" is to save your query locally (i.e. on your computer) and submit
it anyway when the MULTVV shows being off-line (as right now if you are reading this). If you don't get a response by the
time the MULTVV shows being on-line (i.e. other verbiage replacing this indicating MULTVV is on-line) just submit your transcription
query again!
===========================
This description and general interface of the my MULTVV application is an ongoing evolutionary effort and process.
I am often gently (and sometimes not so gently in a crunch time) reminded my descriptions are too wordy and verbose.
While the input format to the MULTVV is simple and indeed all that is required are curt "do this and don't do that" instructions,
the essence of the nuances, subtleties and complexitites of interacting with Arabic text in its own right and especially Arabic
text in conjunction with English is lost.
For those of you who have already read this introduction and have a user account established or bent on "cutting to the chase"
and getting your MULTVV account established and your transcription queries underway as soon as possible; insight and reflection
be damned, just scroll down to the pertient paragraphs or the input form as the case may be.
Arabic is not only one of the most popular or spoken languages in the world, it is also one of the most beautiful with many
examples of stunning calligraphy that are unrivaled in the world.
However, the very aspects and features that make Arabic so aesthetically beautiful from an artistic and calligraphy respect
is a formidable challenge from a computer respect where discrete characters; the more blase the better are inherently better
suited for "assimilation" by a computer.
Personally, I have found the best approach for using the MULTVV is a with mindset that as it develops and evolves there can
be contexts and environments where one aspect or criteria is critical and in another context it is totally neutral.
Perhaps the most important consideration is while MULTVV is projected to be ultimately used by users who have no experience
in the "target language", a general understanding of the spelling rules and syntax will contribute to a much better MULTVV
experience.
I expect a large proportion of of my MULTVV users will be linguists and scholars. Any feedback as to my effectiveness in
conveying concepts and instructions would be greatly appreciated.
Currently the only MULTVV language available for transcription from English is Standard Arabic
Input an English word list for Arabic transcription in the format exactly as described.
The Arabic transcription for each one of your entires will then be used as a search engine search term to get a measure of
the transcription's veracity. The more URLs returned, the more generally recognized or accepted is the given Arabic transcription.
Work is currently in progress where the MULTVV will recognize "native" Arabic text or characters. Arabic entries can then
be immediately "piped" to the search
engine inherently bypassing the need of an English to Arabic "transcription engine" to get the transcription's empirical URL
count; the number of URLs returned of the transcription being used as a search term.
This functionality is very close to realization and once in place the preceding verbiage will be removed. You as a user will
be able to freely intermingle English and "native" Arabic words, names and terms. Until this functionality is in place only
English words are valid entries.
The results will be returned to you in an Excel .xls file as an attachment to the E-mail address you specify.
Here is the simple format:
Line 1 - Specify your login name.
Line 2 - Specify your password. (Note: CaSe SeNsItIvE)
Line 3 - Specify your E-mail address you want the results sent.
Line 4 - and all subsequent lines are your entries for transcription and/or transcription veracity verification.
Example:
JohnD
NoRain2day
John_Doe@justanexample.com
Beirut
Paris
Damascus
London
Mohammad
Clinton
Singapore
Caterpillar
America
Shakespeare
In computer jargon each of the lines in the preceding valid transcription query example is a "string". The MULTVV depends
on all input strings being "trimmed". A trimmed string is one where repectively, all preceding and trailing spaces to the
string proper are truncated (in other words: cut off). The trimming does -not- apply to spaces in the middle of a string.
For example, a correct trim of:
[Space][Space]New[Space]York[Space][Space][Space]
is:
New[Space]York
While the MULTVV does its own string trimming, it is advisable that you the user do your own trim checking as a double safeguard
against strings not being interpreted at all, or worse; misinterpreted.
While this aspect or concern is always valid, it is especially applicable where the input string (word) is already in the
native Arabic as a result of a paste from the clipboard (memory). As you can see, currently there is no Arabic interface for
entering Arabic words. Thus the only way to enter native Arabic text (HTML Entities) is by a paste of the clipboard.
Through experience in dealing with "native" Arabic text (formally called "HTML Entities" and in other contexts Unicode utf8),
sometimes when copying or cutting and pasting the Arabic HTML Entities to and from the clipboard, the "space" before or after
the "string proper" is not a "true" text space but rather a binary (i.e. non-text) character that has all the appearance of
a space but in processing can bring at best the MULTVV to a halt and at worst the MULTVV server computer must be rebooted.
Programming efforts are under way that will identify this issue and elegantly negate any problems.
The current maximum number of transcription entries is a generic 10 (as in the example) for all users on this "proof of concept"
rollout. Through time different users will have different Class of Service (COS) designations for greater permitted entires
per query and/or the number of submissions per time period as well as other assorted features and services.
Currently there is no programming in place for COS differentiation, thus the login / password aspect is really nothing more
than a "space holder' and there is no limit on the number of queries per user per given time period.
This will change in the near future, but until then it is requested for invited Beta test users to use the MULTVV a bit sparingly,
at least at first such that this project which is really nothing more than in a "proof of concept" stage will not be overwhelmed.
Once a banks of MULTVV servers are established and in a production mode, then by all means ... figuratively "put the pedal
to the metal" limited only by your COS.
One important feature that is kind of on the back burner for now until the MULTVV gets into some semblance of a production
mode will be the ability to submit secure, confidential transcription queries in a strong Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) "encryption
envelope"
The Python programming that is the heart of the MULTVV application has special modules for implementing PGP encryption in
Python scripts.
I will soon be posting my PGP Public key for your PGP encrypted transcription query to me, but to send you your results likewise
in a PGP encrypted envelope, I would need your PGP public key. I will defer to "Go Google" for what PGP is all about, exchanging
public keys etc.
You can E-mail me your PGP public key at my jrs_14618@yahoo.com E-mail address as well as for any questions, clarifications
and/or confirmations you may have. Please do not use any of the E-mail address(es) of from any of your MUTLVV transcription
query responses for correspondence. Please only use: jrs_14618@yahoo.com
For the time being; until this verbiage here reads otherwise I would suggest -not- submitting your PGP public key to me via
the form below.
My contact information is:
Joel Shapiro
Rochester, New York 14618
(585) 255-0997 (cell) - please feel free to call anytime)
jrs_14618@yahoo.com
http://joels14618.tripod.com (This URL will probably change to something that more relates to languages, the function of
the MULTVV etc. in the future, but in the meantime "it is what it is")
Shukran Gazilan, Gadda Ge, Todah Rabah, Amesegėnallō, Hawit Basima Chim Raba, Motehshakeram, Shukria, Mehrbani, Tazim, Mahad
Sanid, Thank You Very Much for your interest in the MULTVV. Transcriptions for your favorite language(s) of the Middle East
coming your way soon!
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