Performance Improvements

Based on some feedback I have been getting from my classmates, I have made some performance improvements.

The javascript is now downloaded as one file instead of 4 and is compressed. So the download is reduced from over 200Kb to just 60Kb.

Pictures are loaded on demand, rather than all at once at the beginning. So no bandwidth is wasted loading pictures you are not going to look at right away.

I plan to increase the compression on the pictures this weekend, which should help even more.

I would recommend using the Flashcards on an Internet Connect of at least 256Kb (DSL, Cable, other Broadband). I'm trying to get to the point where it works well on 128Kb ISDN. Stay tuned...

German Version Finished, Browser Testing Completed

The Fingerspell Flashcards (or Fingeralphabet-Lernkarten as they are known in German) is now available in English and German. This includes not just the fingerspelling alphabets, but also the language for the entire website.

You can use the site in English or German. You can Fingerspell using German (DGS), Swiss German (DSGS), or American (ASL) alphabets. The dictionaries are dependent on the alphabet chosen. So Swiss German uses Swiss German first names and place names, ASL users US-American names and place names, etc.

The Flashcards have been tested with Firefox 1.5 and 2.0, Safari and Internet Explorer 6.0 and 7.0, and all seem to work properly. I also tried it out on an iPhone, where it also worked perfectly on the on the first try — and it was really cool to boot! If I get enough feedback saying people want it, I'll do an optimized port.

So here are the direct links to the various versions:

• Fingerspell Flashcards ASL
• Fingeralphabet-Lernkarten DGS
• Fingeralphabet-Lernkarten DSGS

Any problems, just let me know. Otherwise, Have fun!

Special Thanks to Elena, Claus, Noel, Ben, Denis, Bruno and Haydar, all colleagues at namics, for their help in in fine tuning the look and tracking down those last pesky CSS bugs.

German Dictionaries Now Active

I have been working on getting German language (Deutsche Gebärdensprache DGS) support on line. I have now added German German (as opposed to Swiss German) dictionaries so you can practice Sharp-S's ("ß").

The "Easy Dictionary" is list of some 400 popular first names (none of which has a Sharp-S). The "hard" dictionary is a collection of about 2500 German place names. If you are using the Swiss German (DSGS) alphabet, it will display a "ß" as "ss".

The Fingerspell Flashcards may take a while to start, as everything is loaded in advance. Future enhancement: load dictionaries and photos in the background. Be patient, it will come :-). But first I want to do a German language version of the web site.

A special thanks to Jörg Reinholz of fastix.de for making a database of German Places freely available.

FingerSpell Flashcards Now Online

The hard part of learning to fingerspell is not learning the forms, but learning to read and sign them at the speed that a native speaker would actually use.

Fingerspell Flashcards is a new online flash card system to learn and build proficiency in Fingerspelling, both spelling out words and reading words that other people sign to you.

With Fingerspell Flashcards, you can

• Learn fingerspelling.
• Practice in your language.
• Practice with or without displaying the corresponding text
• Learn the signs. You can display the entire alphabet. Position the mouse over a letter and see the corresponding sign. Complex signs, like j and z are displayed with an animation
• Build proficiency - you can see a random word finger spelled. If you understand it, show a new word. If you are not sure, repeat it. If you need confirmation, display the word as text.
• Build speed - chose from Beginner (Each character is displayed 1.5 seconds) to "Deaf" (each letter is displayed about 1/2 second)

Presently the FingerSpell Flashcards support:

• ASL — American Sign Language
• DGS — Deutsche Gebärdensprche/German Sign Language
• DSGS — Deutsch Schweizer Gebärdensprache/Swiss German Sign Language
• LSF — Langue des Signees Française/French Sign Language is in preparation.

Others languages can be supported on request.

You can find out more about it on the website or just try it out.

In any case, have fun!