Post: Book - Don Osborn - African Languages in a Digital Age - Challenges and Opportunities for Indigenous Language Computing

I first came across Don Osborn and his work online (probably about eight years ago) through the Bisharat Language, Technology & Development Initiative (he is the founder). I have only just seen this announcement about his book copied below. This is not a review - too soon for that - but I do appreciate the quality of Don's work and the depth of his knowledge. I'm delighted to see he's written this - and I'm sure many people will benefit from it - so I want to spread the word.
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AFRICAN LANGUAGES IN A DIGITAL AGE
Challenges and Opportunities for Indigenous Language Computing

Book(s) 8 of 263

AFRICAN LANGUAGES IN A DIGITAL AGE
Challenges and Opportunities for Indigenous Language Computing

Don Osborn

HSRC Press/IDRC 2010
ISBN 978-0-7969-2249-6
e-ISBN 978-1-55250-473-4
166 pp.

With increasing numbers of computers and penetration of the Internet around the world, localization of the technology and the content it carries into the many languages people speak is becoming an ever more important area for discussion and action. Localization, simply put, includes translation and cultural adaptation of user interfaces and software applications, as well as creation and translation of internet content in diverse languages. It is essential in making information and communication technology more accessible to the populations of the poorer countries, increasing its relevance to their lives, needs, and aspirations, and ultimately in bridging the “digital divide.”

Localization is a new and growing field of inquiry. This book identifies issues, concerns, priorities, and lines of research and is intended as a baseline study in defining localization in the African context and how it is important for development and education in the long term.

THE AUTHOR

Don Osborn is the Founder of the Bisharat Language, Technology & Development Initiative. He is a former Associate Director for Agriculture, Peace Corps, Niger, and led the PanAfrican Localisation project from 2005 to 2008.

Book(s) 8 of 263

Document(s)

Foreword: Language, money and the information society Adel El Zaïm 2010

Preface 2010

Acknowledgements 2010

1. Introduction 2010

2. Background 2010

3. Introducing “Localization Ecology” 2010

4. Linguistic Context 2010

5. Technical Context 1: Physical Access 2010

6. Technical Context 2: Internationalization 2010

7. African Language Text, Encoding and Fonts 2010