4 ms·

That sounds brilliant for signage, but Pinyin is shorter and this better for digital input methods.

by hyeonwho4 8y ago

PhasmaFelis 8y ago
I'd like to think that there are better #1 priorities for a writing system than "as short as possible".
- runn1ng 8y ago
  "Be as close to English pronunciation as possible"?
  - jpatokal 8y ago
    That works if your target audience is English speakers. However, the main consumer of pinyin is Chinese in China, where it's ubiquitous for glossing the readings of Chinese characters, either because some people can't read them, because some characters are obscure, or just for stylistic reasons. Some thoughts on the topic: https://driftingclouds.net/2018/07/17/from-siberia-to-tibet-china-as-a-tourist/ https://driftingclouds.net/2018/07/17/from-siberia-to-tibet-...
geowwy 8y ago
Most Taiwanese use bopomofo* for digital input, so it's not an issue :) * https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keyboard_layout_Zhuyin.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keyboard_layout_Zhuy...
- microcolonel 8y ago
  As an aside, I know primary input methods are not built for foreigners, but it's getting hard to keep all of the input methods in my head. With Japanese at least it's really easy to just do dvorak -> romaji -> [conversion]; but when I have to type russian, I have to switch gears completely, since there is no relation between english and russian keymaps (even in terms of theory of operation, with alternating hands for isolated vowels and consonants). I guess I had to type more Chinese, I guess I could justify it better.
Taniwha 8y ago
My (mainland) experience is that on cell phones younger people tend to use pinyin base keyboard input while older people tend to use character recognition software
jhanschoo 8y ago
For digital methods, a romanization-agnostic system called shuangpin is pretty optimal.
powerapple 8y ago
pinyin is not romanization, it is a pronunciation system used to mark how character should be pronounced correctly. The objective is to have the 'correct' pronunciation, not to make it easier for westerner's to mimic the sound (which is actually the objective of romanization). I don't think we should compare these two systems.

That sounds brilliant for signage, but Pinyin is shorter and this better for digital input methods.

PhasmaFelis 8y ago

I'd like to think that there are better #1 priorities for a writing system than "as short as possible".

runn1ng 8y ago
"Be as close to English pronunciation as possible"?
- jpatokal 8y ago
  That works if your target audience is English speakers. However, the main consumer of pinyin is Chinese in China, where it's ubiquitous for glossing the readings of Chinese characters, either because some people can't read them, because some characters are obscure, or just for stylistic reasons. Some thoughts on the topic: https://driftingclouds.net/2018/07/17/from-siberia-to-tibet-china-as-a-tourist/ https://driftingclouds.net/2018/07/17/from-siberia-to-tibet-...

geowwy 8y ago

Most Taiwanese use bopomofo* for digital input, so it's not an issue :) * https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keyboard_layout_Zhuyin.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keyboard_layout_Zhuy...

microcolonel 8y ago
As an aside, I know primary input methods are not built for foreigners, but it's getting hard to keep all of the input methods in my head. With Japanese at least it's really easy to just do dvorak -> romaji -> [conversion]; but when I have to type russian, I have to switch gears completely, since there is no relation between english and russian keymaps (even in terms of theory of operation, with alternating hands for isolated vowels and consonants). I guess I had to type more Chinese, I guess I could justify it better.

Taniwha 8y ago

My (mainland) experience is that on cell phones younger people tend to use pinyin base keyboard input while older people tend to use character recognition software

jhanschoo 8y ago

For digital methods, a romanization-agnostic system called shuangpin is pretty optimal.

powerapple 8y ago

pinyin is not romanization, it is a pronunciation system used to mark how character should be pronounced correctly. The objective is to have the 'correct' pronunciation, not to make it easier for westerner's to mimic the sound (which is actually the objective of romanization). I don't think we should compare these two systems.