The future of Welsh language technology

There's a new article on Ping Wales called The future of Welsh language technology where there's an interview with Dewi Bryn Jones of Canolfan Bedwyr's Language Technology Unit.

technoleg, technology, canolfan bedwyr, ping wales, cymraeg, welsh
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Not on my (la)neli

If you want to know how not to pronounce Llanelli, call the town's Focus DIY store on 0844 8001504, listen to the lady on the automated message miss-pronounce the name and then laugh/cry.

If only they'd consulted the how do I say....? website

Has anynoe heard of Schmap?

I've recieved an e-mail from Schmap.com.

Hi Rhys,

I am writing to let you know that two of your photos have been short-listed for inclusion in our Schmap Bilbao Guide,to be published mid-August 2006.

Clicking this link will take you to a page where you can:
i) See which of your photos have been short-listed.
ii) Submit or withdraw your photos from our final selection phase.
iii) Learn how we credit photos in our Schmap Guides.
iv) Download one of our recently released Schmap Guides.

While we offer no payment for publication, many photographers are pleased to submit their photos, as Schmap guides are FREE to download and give their work recognition and wide exposure. Photos are published at a maximum width of 150 pixels, are clearly attributed, and link to high-resolution originals at Flickr.

Our submission deadline is Friday, July 28. If you happen to be reading this message after this date, please still click on the link above (our Schmap destination guides are updated frequently - photos submitted after this deadline will be considered for later releases).

Best regards,

Ali Moss,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides

As I'm at Sarah's parents house right now I can't surf the web that much. I don't have any problems with people using my Flickr photo's as long as I get credited, and I'm not exactly an experienced photographer who can command fee's for a photo. I have until friday to decide if I should say yes or no. Can anyone think of a reason why I shouldn't let them use my photo's?

The photo's in question are:
Arriaga antzokixa
Plaza Nueva

Cardiffpedia (wiki)

I've contributed two articles for Cardiffpedia, which is a new Wiki similar to wicipedia, but with more interesting stuff like lists of pubs ;-), but still has 'proper' information on it as well!
There's not a lot on it at the moment, but as with all Wiki's, anyone can contibute. The interface is slightly easier than wikipedia in my opinion, although I have'nt spent much time on that to be honest, I really should as it's a wonderful concept.

cardiffpedia, cardiff, caerdydd, wiki
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The Chris Cope effect

Last night, Sarah and I went to the Mochyn Du to meet Chris Cope [.en] and his wife Rachel. I'd already met Chris last October when he was over for an interview with the university, and now he and his wife have moved here so that he can start his degree in Welsh in September. Geraint, Mair and Sara (who I'd not met before) were also there.

Soon after we arrived a woman came up to our table and asked "are you Chris Cope?". Now this sort of thing is no good for Mr Cope's ego, I get the impression he loves this sort of attention. At first I thought she was a welsh learner herself who reads his blog, but she was a reporter from the BBC.

She appologised for interepting but Chris was more than happy to be interviewed. Chris explained that he'd started learning Welsh using the BBC's Learn Welsh website, but also how discovering welsh langugae blogs has been a great help to him as he can show his Welsh to others (written on his blog and orally via podcast) and recieve feedback from welsh speakers.

When I was learning I used to make faces. I would look a bit freaky

I'm not sure how much the reporter understood about blogging, but I made sure she had Geraint's name and mine and our blog addresses to be included in the article (Mair and Sara hadn't arrived by then). Here's the article on the web, Geraint and I are mentioned, but there's no link to our blogs unfortunately (sob sob).

Of course I'm an old hand at appearing on the BBC ;-)

blog, bloging, cymraeg, welsh, bbc, rhithfro
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Welsh football blog

Thanks Mei for blogging about Eric the Red's Welsh Football, which is a blog dedicated to Welsh football. If the first posts are anything to go by this is going to be a great blog about a subject which isn't blogged about widely at the moment. Eric discusses all sorts of things from serious incidents like recent trouble betweem Fflint Utd and FC United fans at a friendly to Panini stickers shortage in Gwynedd :-) .

pêl-droed, cymru, welsh, football, wales
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Not in Cheshire

Original size
The above article appeared in the Flintshire edtition of the Evening Leader on the 29/6/06.
It mentions Balchder Cymru, nationalist group from the north east who've begun a 'Not in Chshire' campaing to get companies in the area who advertise themselves as businesses based in Chester, to state that they're actually based in Fflintshire and Wales.
I've also noticed this trend while driving along the A55, one example being the Holiday Inn, Chester West, which is about 9 miles from border with England and about 12 miles from Chester.

Here's Balchder Cymru's blog, how about subscribing to it?

balchder, balchder cymru, balchdercymru, siryfflint, caer, chester, cheshire, flintshire, wales, welsh, pride, not in cheshire
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Shearing

On Saturday I helped with the shearing at Hafodty. Hafodty is where my dad lived when he was a boy, and when my parents moved back to the Vale of Clwyd just before I was born, the land at Hafodty happened to come up for sale.
Although I was also raised on a farm, I'm not really a farm boy at all, and would hate shearing day. I never thought I would, but I'm now missing the area I was brought up in and as my parents are nearing retirement, I'm thinking more and more about the future of the farm, and how I'll miss events like shearing and harvesting.
I not cut out to be a farmer (I'm not that good with animals), and my parents never pushed my into the industry, but I'm ready to leave Cardiff and move back to my roots. My girfriend and I are both keen on the move, but we're worried about work. We're trying to think of things we could do, possibly using the farm land - things we've been thinking about are alternative crops or cultural tourism centred around the Welsh language. We've got lots to think about!

If the above photo gives you the urge, there's more sheep picture's at the Flickr group Obsessive sheep photographers.

shearing, sheep, farm, farming, wales, cymru, llannefydd, denbigh, vale of clwyd
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