In all fairness, what Ashwin Kumar has done *is* a workaround since until the UTC meets next month there is no possibility of putting the INDIAN RUPEE SIGN in any place in a font apart from the Private Use Area or (as he has done) in ASCII.
It would be a bad thing for this to get put into real data, but in order to allow printing, it *is* a workaround.
Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com/
Hoi,
I asked Michael Everson if he had more information about the new symbol for
the rupee. He did and I blogged about it based on his information. Obviously
this is a special case but essentially when there is a need for new
characters there is a procedure for getting them included in Unicode. Once
they are in Unicode, fonts have to support the new characters.
Thanks,
GerardM
http://ultimategerardm.blogspot.com/2010/07/indian-rupee.html
Interesting article. A couple of top of mind thoughts:
1. Wouldn't it be great to have a preloaded version of Wikipedia on all
of these computers...and a simple tutorial for how to edit Wikipedia
when they get these computers online. Anyone want to coordinate on this?
2. It would be great to meet with the Human Resources Development
Minister and possibly other relevant government officials when I'm in
India in September. Anyone have warm connections for us to start a dialogue?
Best,
Barry
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [WMF Staff] [press] CNN on india's $35 laptop
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:54:04 -0700
From: Jay Walsh <jwalsh(a)wikimedia.org>
Reply-To: WMF Staff Mailing List <staff(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
To: WMF Staff Mailing List List <staff(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
(sorry it's CNN, I know... but interesting read)
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/india.thirty.five.dollar.la…
India unveils $35 computer for students
By *Harmeet Shah Singh*, CNN
*STORY HIGHLIGHTS*
* India: Connectivity to all colleges is key to achieving education
goals.
* Officials say the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece
* The country's literacy rate stands at 65 percent
*RELATED TOPICS*
* India <http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/India>
* Computer Technology
<http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Computer_Technology>
*New Delhi, India (CNN)* -- India has unveiled a $35 computer prototype
as part of its program to provide connectivity to its students and
teachers at affordable prices.
Kapil Sibal, the country's human resources development minister,
displayed what he called a low-cost computing and access device in New
Delhi on Thursday.
The ministry said the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece.
India said connectivity to all its colleges and universities is key to
achieving its education goals.
Home to a billion-plus population, the country's literacy rate stands at
65 percent, according to the 2001 census figures.
Nevertheless, the South Asian nation has made giant strides in various
areas since it opened up its economy in the early 1990s.
The country ushered in a telecom revolution that delivered mobile
telephony to nearly 600 million people in just a little more than a
decade with highly competitive call tariffs.
Now, India is preparing for another leap into the digital world.
Recently, it auctioned off its airwaves for third-generation services to
enable super-fast multimedia streaming of wireless.
The move is aimed at bringing India's online market on a par with its
booming cell-phone business through Internet penetration with technology
allowing quick access, data transfer and entertainment on mobile handsets.
The country has announced plans to link up all its 250,000 village
councils by 2012 in a bid to plug massive broadband divides between
rural and urban communities as it emerges as one of the world's few
growth markets.
Authorities say technical institutions involved in designing the new
device are now setting up research to address price and quality issues
in developing budget gadgets for students.
"The aim is to reach such devices to the students of colleges and
universities, and to provide these institutions a host of choices of
low-cost access devices around Rs 1,500 ($35) or less in near future,"
the human resources ministry said at the launch of the computer.
Ministry spokeswoman Mamata Varma said the government aimed to introduce
the new touch-screen computing tool at higher educational institutions
in 2011.
The ministry, she said, is expected to tender out contracts to private
companies for mass production of its prototype.
The Linux-based computer is equipped with an Internet browser, a PDF
reader and several other facilities, she said.
--
Jay Walsh
Head of Communications
WikimediaFoundation.org <http://WikimediaFoundation.org>
blog.wikimedia.org
+1 (415) 839 6885 x 609, @jansonw
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Philippe Beaudette <pbeaudette(a)wikimedia.org>
Date: Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 1:57 AM
Subject: [Foundation-l] Kicking off the 2010-2011 fundraiser
To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>,
English Wikipedia <wikien-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>,
wikinews-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, wiktionary-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, Mailing
list for Wikiversity <wikiversity-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>,
wikiquote-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, wikibooks-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, the free
library discussion list for Wikisource <wikisource-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
[[Please distribute widely to various language communities, projects,
and chapters]]
Hi All,
I'd like to begin a conversation about the 2010-2011 Fundraiser, which
isn't slated to launch for a few months, but for which we'd like to
get community involvement early and often. As you no doubt are aware,
the strategic plan calls for the "many small gifts" model to be the
centerpiece of our funding strategy, so our community fundraiser is
one of the key methods by which we finance and underwrite the
operations of the projects. The fundraiser this year will probably,
as in earlier years, be primarily banner driven. We're going to have
a strong emphasis on testing and iterating ideas, with a defined
methodological testing plan.
But the most important part of what we - all of us - are going to need
to do is what this community has always been good at: thinking,
researching, and iterating.
With that in mind, it's important to identify people who want to
help. Of course, anyone's welcome to join in and help at any time,
but there's a definite need for people who are willing to be deeply
involved from now to the wrap up... people who want to be creative but
rigorous, innovative but willing to learn from the past, and most of
all, to serve as an active part of the team working on this
fundraiser. There will, of course, be Foundation staff deeply
involved in this, but there's a real need for people from the
community to step up and help us design this thing.
If you're willing to help, would you add your name to
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2010/Committee
? We'll be in contact - soon - to get things started.
Thanks,
Philippe
____________________
Philippe Beaudette
Head of Reader Relations
Wikimedia Foundation
philippe(a)wikimedia.org
ofc: +1 415 839 6885 (x 643)
mobile: 918 200 WIKI (9454)
Imagine a world in which every human being can freely share in
the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality!
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
_______________________________________________
foundation-l mailing list
foundation-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
http://twitpic.com/285kmd
Photo of Wikipedia Malayalam Academy , currently happening in Palakkad ,
Kerala.
Heard there were over 140 attendees. More detailed report later.
Thanks to Habeeb for the photo.
Kudos to Habeeb, Abhishek and other organizers !
Regards
Tinu Cherian
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Habeeb | ഹബീബ് <lic.habeeb(a)gmail.com>
Date: 2010/7/24
Subject: [Wikiml-l] പാലക്കാട്ടെ വിക്കി പഠനശിബിരം
To: Malayalam Wikimedia Project Mailing list <wikiml-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
തൽക്കാലം ഫോട്ടോ നോക്കിക്കോളൂ,....
ഞങ്ങൾ എണ്ണം എടുത്തുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുകയാണ്...
വിശദാംശങ്ങൾ പുറകേ.....
_______________________________________________
Wikiml-l is the mailing list for Malayalam Wikimedia Projects
email: Wikiml-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Website: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikiml-l
Hoi,
I am really happy with Salmaan Haroon writing as a guest on my blog. I asked
him and others at Wikimania to be my guest. I am grateful for the quality of
his work and for him taking up my invitation.
I can imagine that not everyone agrees with Salmaan. If you want to react to
his vision in a thoughtful way, I am happy to host you as well. I try to
indicate this by the title of the blog post "The state of the Wiki in India
(part 1)"
Thanks,
GerardM
http://ultimategerardm.blogspot.com/
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Special:CommunityHiring
<http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Special:CommunityHiring>
*Deadline for first round of submissions: 9:00 PDT (17:00 GMT), August 2.*
(Another round will begin immediately with a new deadline.)
Go to the Job openings
<http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Job_openings>page for positions
in other departments.
The Wikimedia Foundation's Community Department collaborates with and serves
the broad Wikimedia community -- including readers, donors and
editors/contributors -- to encourage the health and growth of Wikimedia
communities and the projects they create and manage.
This year, the Community Department will be hiring for a series of important
senior and entry level positions. All positions will involve collaborating
and communicating with Wikimedia project contributors and users intensively
and publicly, grappling with many problems that no one has ever solved
before, navigating technological and social challenges and opportunities,
and dealing with a high level of complexity and uncertainty. Candidates
should have extremely high levels of skill and comfort in communication
(especially writing), qualitative and quantitative analysis, management and
self-management. Candidates who are not already deeply immersed in online
collaborative communities will have to show an aptitude for quickly gaining
a deep understanding of our communities' technologies, practices, traditions
and culture -- and to become trusted and productive members of the Wikimedia
community and movement.
We are looking for candidates from all over the world. Wikimedia Foundation
has a policy of hiring without regard to locale. If eventually accepted for
a position, Wikimedia Foundation will assist with work visas and relocation
costs.
Read more about what we're looking for below. If you think you'd be a good
match for the Community Department, use the form below to tell us about
yourself. This is not a formal application, it is the first step in an
outreach process designed to identify some great candidates for Wikimedia
Foundation positions.
Your information will be kept completely confidential and will only be
viewed by hiring managers, human resources staff and possibly assisting
consultants who are covered by confidentiality agreements. Because we have
such a small staff, we cannot guarantee a response. Submitted data will not
be retained for longer than a year. Besides the data below, we are also
recording the timestamp and your IP address at the time of submission.
*Who we're looking for*
We are especially looking for:
- Current Wikimedia community contributors and leaders,
- Insightful observers of Wikimedia and other collaborative communities,
- People with specialty skill sets (e.g. statistics, ethnography, and
probably a lot other things we've never thought of),
- People belonging to language communities of new and growing Wikipedias
and other Wikimedia projects,
- People with insight into reaching groups currently underrepresented in
Wikimedia contributor communities.
Ideal candidates for positions at Wikimedia Foundation's Community
Department:
- Have a passion for online communities, self-organizing systems, open
and collaborative enterprises, democratic and consensus based societies, and
emergent and participatory governance structures -- and desperately want to
see them succeed and prove the cynics wrong.
- Have thought enough about this stuff to have their own opinions and
theories on various problems and opportunities facing Wikimedia and other
online communities.
- Are equally strong dealing with qualitative and quantitative knowledge
and research.
- Are self-directed, self-motivated, efficient, upbeat, optimistic, and
extremely good with people. Wikimedia Foundation staff face intense
pressures in highly-demanding roles. While the Wikimedia Foundation team
strives to be mutually supportive, it only works when each individual is
self-driven to overcome the challenges they face.
- Are knowledgeable about software development processes and with
database and web technologies.
- Are creative non-linear thinkers who will sometimes fight for seemingly
crazy ideas by backing them up with logical argument and data.
- Are systems-thinkers who love to think about workflow and technology
systems inside organizations.
- Are multilingual, especially in major world languages and languages
with large or growing Wikipedias.
- Have insights and experience reaching groups currently underrepresented
in Wikimedia communities.
