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datblogu has moved

2011-03-29T09:03:00Z

datblogu has been migrated to a new platform – this version is no longer maintained. Please update your links and feeds accordingly!

http://datblogu.blogs.glam.ac.uk/

Skanky mink

2011-03-25T13:04:00Z

Having been to a number of minority language conferences, I have come to recognise that rap music is the de facto standard for judging whether a minority language is being embraced by the youth (why?!). I am therefore pleased to commend to you The Chiel Meister on YouTube, demonstrating that Scots is alive and kicking.

Warning, caused several LOL moments – always embarrassing in a shared office environment.

Indigenous Tweets

2011-03-18T16:21:00Z

Not sure what it is based on, but Indigenous Tweets http://indigenoustweets.com/ (yes, I know I haven’t made it a live link – sorry not my fault) is interesting. I haven’t made a comparison with the figures for Welsh produced by cy.umap.eu yet – perhaps IT actually draws its data from cy.umap.eu? Anyone know?

Twitter and cy.umap.eu

2011-03-09T12:06:00Z

One of the problems faced by users and researchers of specific languages in web2.0 environments is the lack of an easy and reliable mechanism for finding content in that language. In many cases we are forced to use searches (but what terms to search for?) or following networks of some type (but the network relationships are rarely purely linguistic). This is where aggregators have a role to play, acting as linguistic portals to a particular web2.0 environment (though there are still issues in terms of their validity as a research tool).

http://umap.eu/ is providing such a portal for Twitter in Basque, Catalan and Welsh. For the researcher, the Welsh service http://cy.umap.eu/ gives a fascinating insight into what is hot (currently plaidcymru), how many Welsh Twitterers there are, who they are, how many of their Tweets are in Welsh and so on. Hopefully for the Welsh speaker it provides a handy way of finding people to follow and tapping in to interesting trends.

Sorry for the “dead” links, seems to be some issue with the blogging platform as this form of URL. Hopefully moving to new platform soon.

Now with added ads

2011-03-01T15:58:00Z

I was just idly converting currencies on the XE website when I found myself looking at the banner advert. Usually I tend not to notice such adverts, and I couldn’t quite understand why I was drawn to this one – then I realised, it was in Welsh! An advert from the Electoral Commission about the referendum. I think this is the first time I have come across a Welsh language advertisement on such a general purpose site (yes I was converting into GBP and realise that the advert was targeted to the UK – possibly to my IP address, anyone know?).

Scamraeg

2011-03-01T11:37:00Z

According to information from Symantec the Welsh language has reached a new level in its online use – it is now being used for scam emails. Is this progress I wonder?

Iaith Fyw : Iaith Byw

2010-12-13T13:31:00Z

WAGs proposed new Welsh Language Strategy is now open for consultation, or perhaps not as it appears to be listed as a “closed” consultation

http://cymru.gov.uk/consultations/welshlanguage/wlsconsultation/?lang=en&status=closed

Interactive map of Welsh speakers

2010-11-18T14:59:00Z

Wales Online has provided a mildly diverting interactive map showing percentage of Welsh speakers, by age, by region. I am not sure that the title of the article is actually very helpful in understanding what the map is showing, or about some of the implications in the article. It’s also not clear what data it is based on – I guess the last census. Still mildly diverting on a wet Thursday afternoon.

Easy .cym easy .go?

2010-11-08T16:03:00Z

As reported by the BBC the .cym domain has come into being. Unfortunately for those people interested in establishing a Welsh linguistic and cultural space on the internet, the Cayman Islands have got there first (do they really need two?).

While this is not a total disaster, it is certainly a bit of a blow. The two questions which spring to my mind are – how did this happen and what will they call it now.

I wonder to what extent the slowness of the ICANN processes has played a part here, or whether they favour straightforward national claims? I also wonder if stronger (or just different) support from the WAG might have made any difference?

Still, in a spilt milk frame of mind, what could the domain be instead of .cym (assuming we can’t buy .cym back?). Well .cwl is quite cute and funny; .cyw might appeal to a younger Welsh internet user; how about .bro or .cwm? Hmm… none of these really strikes me as being as good as .cym. However, maybe the use of a domain name that appears to have a less direct connection to the language might actually be a benefit in terms of attracting registrants. I guess only time will tell, maybe we will have a better idea after the dotCYM AGM this weekend.

Wales Blog Awards

2010-09-13T13:05:00Z

The Wales Blog Awards have released their long list of nominated blogs, including categories for Best Sports Blog, Best Political Blog, Best Welsh Language Blog, Best Community Blog, Best Lifestyle Blog, Best Writing on a Blog and Best Technology Blog.

As far as I can tell, there are no Welsh language blogs in any category aside from Best Welsh Language Blog (no I haven’t checked them all, so yes, I could be wrong). As far as I can tell, nominators were free to choose whatever category they wanted to compete in.

I’m not sure what (if anything) this tells us about Welsh language blogging, did Welsh language bloggers only chose to compete in the Welsh language category, were the English language blogs just judged to be better than the Welsh language blogs, were Welsh language blogs not considered in non Welsh language categories?

Does anyone have any insight on these matters? Is Welsh language blogging in a malaise, is blogging just old hat and are all the cwl cats are now tweeting?

Anyway – nice to see some of the best of Welsh language blogging celebrated – congratulations to all those who were nominated – I’m looking forward to the results on the 14th October!

Video on the language measure

2010-09-10T15:42:00Z

The WAG has uploaded a short video about the Proposed Welsh Language Measure onto their YouTube channel.

It is interesting to see how web2.0 is gradually becoming an accepted part of the media world – press release, check! – Tweet, check! – YouTube, check!

Two things in particular about the content struck me – firstly the strong mention of mobile phones (1:20) – and secondly the extent to which the cattle auction rooms (2:56) resemble the Assembly debating chamber (don’t get me wrong, I love the building, was just struck by the resemblance!).

Peth Bychan

2010-09-03T08:54:00Z

Iawn te – mae hi’n ddiwrnod Pethau Bychain ac mae’n rhaid i mi wneud rhywbeth i ddathlu. Dyma ni!

Yn ddiweddar, ro’n i’n edrych ar yr iaith Gymraeg ar YouTube. Dw’i wedi edrych ar tua 2,000 o fideos – roedd hi’n amser eithaf flinderus a dweud y gwir! Ond roedd ychydig o dlysau a dyma fy hoff fideos cerddoriath:

Clinigol & Marged Parry – Hufen Ia

A rhywbeth retro

Injaroc – Ffwnc Yw’r Pwnc

Mwynhewch!

Pethau Bychain

2010-09-01T11:58:00Z

Pethau Bychain have designated this Friday (3rd September) as a day to celebrate the use of Welsh online. It’s inviting people to make a pledge to create something in Welsh online, from blog posts to videos to websites.

This is an interesting approach to stimulating bottom-up content creation as well as generating a buzz and hopefully some publicity.

I don’t know if they have plans to make it an annual event? It would be interesting to try to get schools involved in this, maybe with a bit of sponsorship for some prizes… or I am getting too far away from the original spirit?

Of course this raises the issue of what I will be doing… hmmm…

Lack of census

2010-08-20T21:01:00Z

It has been reported by the BBC that the 2011 census may be the last census of its type and that other sources of data, such as that available from the Post Office, local government and credit checking agencies will be used instead.

I wonder how many credit checking agencies record Welsh speaking ability in their records?

It seems to me that the end of the census would result in the loss of one of the most important sources of data about the Welsh language and the detailed analysis that can be done of the data, e.g. Aitchison, J. & Carter, H. “Spreading the Word: The Welsh Language 2001”. The census data informs much of the language planning activity in Wales and elsewhere in the UK. I wonder what alternative plans there are to gather this data and how this will be paid for.

A less bilingual Welsh Assembly

2010-05-20T15:43:00Z

I see from a story on the BBC that English language speeches in the Welsh Assembly will no longer be translated into Welsh in the official record of proceedings. While this has raised eyebrows/objections/hackles in various quarters for a variety of different reasons, it is interesting that part of the argument in favour of this refers to “…proposals to make the records of our debates and proceedings more user-friendly by imaginative use of modern technology.” Given the importance of parallel bilingual texts for technology such as Google Translate, I can’t help wondering whether this will in fact inhibit the use (imaginative or otherwise) of Welsh in future modern technology and whether the strategic goal to “increase participation in the democratic process here in Wales”, will ultimately result in cementing English as the language of Welsh politics.

While this may be an easy way to save £250,000 in austere times, we should perhaps be mindful of unintended consequences, both directly for the language and indirectly in terms of the erosion of the Assembly’s claim to be “an exemplar organisation in its delivery of bilingual services.” Exemplar organisations are needed to develop and demonstrate innovative, effective, affordable, responsive bilingual organisational practices – if the Welsh Assembly can’t fulfil this role, who else will?