Transliteracy Research Group

A Quick Code...

For a bit of fun, try taking this very quick transliteracy test...

   

I will stress that this was designed only as a bit of fun – it is not, by any means, a definitive test! However, in producing it, I was mulling on two points related to transliteracy... 

1.Our brains are designed to solve problems and spot patterns, which allows __ to miss ___ every third ___ without confusing ____. Whilst it is not possible to understand and demonstrate complete fluency in every type of literacy there is, the ability to find patterns and infer meaning must surely be a component part of being a transliterate individual? 

2.The desire to understand and the ability to search out meaning must also be a factor in transliteracy. How many of you did an internet search to de-code the morse code or semaphore sections of the video? Does an ignorance of morse code or semaphore mean you are not transliterate? Or does the desire to fill in that gap and the ability to find that information prove that you *are* transliterate? 

Something to ponder, anyway! ;-)

Nick Carr on The Colbert Report

Nick Carr, author of The Big Switch, talking on The Colbert Report about how computers are ruining our brains while Colbert acts it out. (thanks to Rohan Gunatillake's blog 21awake)

new word: staycation

New word spotted in the LA Times a week or so ago, clearly spawned by the credit crunch: Enjoy the "Family Staycation" in your very own resort. (Berks Luxury Outdoor Furniture) I really like this new word! It also came up on the Jon Stewart show last week and can now be found all over the place. Now I've invented another one for our British readers - raincation. I would define a raincation as a holiday taken in the UK.

Million Penguins research project presentation

The presentation below was given on Wednesday April 23, 2008 at the IOCT.

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Some photos: From Sue Thomas Follow the "millionpenguins" for more. From Dr Laccetti's blog: .
And, because I can,
see more crazy cat pics Given that there is a whole wiki devoted to the communal construction of lolspeak there's a transliteracy connection to the photo. Honest.

Over Logging

One day the citizens of South Park wake up and find the internet is gone. When Randy hears there may still be some internet out in California, he packs up his family and heads west. Hilarious! [South Park 1206] (thanks to Keredy Stott) x-posted at my website

pensionbook

Coincidentally, the day after my call for transliterate jokes, this turns up. It comes from http://straightfrommybrain.com/

On a quest for transliterate jokes

What, would you say, is transliterately funny? I recently met with David Alder, Head of Press & PR here at DMU, and Geoff Rowe, organiser of the Leicester Comedy Festival. Geoff is looking for new ideas about humour and David wondered whether transliteracy could help. Although he'd never heard of it before Geoff soon got the idea and asked me if I could tell him any transliterate jokes. This has come up in various conversations but nobody has yet decided what a transliterate joke might be like. I'm sure that lots of existing comedy counts as transliterate, and there is probably plenty of new stuff coming out of Web 2.0 as well. See for example Bruce's post earlier this year. This is a plea, therefore, to be on the alert for anything you consider to be a transliterately funny, in any format or medium. Post your suggestions here and Geoff has promised that if there are enough interesting responses he'll try them out during the Leicester Comedy Festival 8-17th February 2008. So - know any transliterate jokes?

The long history of transliteracy

Perhaps not totally serious. One thing that has been interesting is that I often see discussion of the video framed as humour about tech support while I saw it as humour about attitudes towards new communications technology. The video has been re-embedded because the previous version had been pulled from YouTube.