The Rosetta Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Rosetta Foundation is an off-shoot of the Localisation Research Centre at the University of Limerick
, Ireland, and the Centre for Next Generation Localisation (CNGL), a major research initiative supported by the Irish Government. The primary purpose of The Rosetta Foundation is to make vital information available to individuals all over the world irrespective of their social status, linguistic or cultural background, and geographical location.
The Rosetta Foundation initially intended to deploy a localization
technology platform for volunteer translators and not-for-profit organizations that can contribute to the translation and distribution of life-guarding information to communities in need around the world. This effort is ongoing and has led to two successful workshops in San Francisco (The Rosetta Foundation Design Fest, 05-06 February 2011) and Copenhagen (The Rosetta Foundation Deployment Fest, 31 March - 01 April 2011). A first preview of Translation eXchange was given on 17 May 2011. In addition, The Rosetta Foundation is also providing free translation services for nonprofit organisations.
. 196 bc the text of the Rosetta Stone
was carved in Egyptian and Greek using three different scripts to honor the Egyptian pharaoh. The three scripts are hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek. Hieroglyphic was mainly used for important and religious documents, demotic was the common script of Egypt at that time and Greek was the language of the rulers of Egypt. The Rosetta Stone
was written in all three scripts to make sure that everyone who could read would understand it. The Stone was discovered in 1799 in a small Egyptian village called Rosetta
, which gave the name to the stone.
2) Provide access to information and knowledge through the removal of language barriers
3) Remove language barriers by providing an infrastructure for translation and localization, both internationally and locally
4) Use this infrastructure to create employment and prosperity leading to greater equality
5) Ensure that this effort is sustainable, global, and based on principles of social enterprise
The aim of The Rosetta Foundation is, as the aim of the Rosetta Stone
was, to provide information to as many people as possible. In order to make sure that information is not just delivered but received by people, it is important to communicate to them in their language. Access to information in your own language is a human right The Rosetta Foundation is committed to preserve and protect.
The European launch took place at the AGIS ’09 conference in Limerick, Ireland on September 21–23, 2009. AGIS, Action for Global Information Sharing, provided an opportunity for volunteer translators, localization specialists and NGOs to come together to learn, network and celebrate their work.
North American Launch:
The North American launch took take place at the Localization World conference in Santa Clara
, California on October 20, 2009. This pre-conference workshop provided an overview of the organizational structure, the aims and objectives, and the strategic plan of The Rosetta Foundation. Participants were introduced to the Foundation’s translation and localization technology platform – GlobalSight
and Crowdsight, which are used as its backbone. Both systems are open source systems originally developed by Transware and then moved into the open source space by their new owners Welocalize in early 2009. Sponsored by Welocalize
, GlobalSight
is an open-source Globalization Management System
(GMS) that helps automate the critical tasks associated with the creation, translation, review, storage and management of global content. CrowdSight is another open-source application fully integrated with GlobalSight
. It is used specifically to engage the right “crowd,” group or community to deliver quick-turn translation for on-demand content. The existing GlobalSight
community has over 1,500 members.
This technology platform is used in projects run by The Rosetta Foundation. A first preview of Translation eXchange, a major component developed as part of The Rosetta Foundation technology platform was given in a webinar by Reinhard Schäler and Eoin O Conchúir on 17 May 2011.
The NTEN is a membership organization founded in 2000 made up of individuals, non-profit and for-profit organizations. NTEN aspires to a world where all nonprofit organizations skillfully and confidently use technology to meet community needs and fulfill their missions. One aim of the NTEN is to offer networking opportunities among its members and a knowledge exchange on technology related issues. It also offers educational and training programs and aims to provide access to discounted products and services for nonprofit organizations.
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
, Ireland, and the Centre for Next Generation Localisation (CNGL), a major research initiative supported by the Irish Government. The primary purpose of The Rosetta Foundation is to make vital information available to individuals all over the world irrespective of their social status, linguistic or cultural background, and geographical location.
The Rosetta Foundation initially intended to deploy a localization
Localization
Localization or localisation, and represented as a numeronym as L10n, may refer to:* Language localization, the process of translating a product into different languages or adapting a product for a specific country or region...
technology platform for volunteer translators and not-for-profit organizations that can contribute to the translation and distribution of life-guarding information to communities in need around the world. This effort is ongoing and has led to two successful workshops in San Francisco (The Rosetta Foundation Design Fest, 05-06 February 2011) and Copenhagen (The Rosetta Foundation Deployment Fest, 31 March - 01 April 2011). A first preview of Translation eXchange was given on 17 May 2011. In addition, The Rosetta Foundation is also providing free translation services for nonprofit organisations.
Mission
"Relieve poverty, support healthcare, develop education and promote justice through access to information and knowledge across the languages of the world."
Origin of Name
The name is based on the Rosetta StoneRosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
. 196 bc the text of the Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
was carved in Egyptian and Greek using three different scripts to honor the Egyptian pharaoh. The three scripts are hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek. Hieroglyphic was mainly used for important and religious documents, demotic was the common script of Egypt at that time and Greek was the language of the rulers of Egypt. The Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
was written in all three scripts to make sure that everyone who could read would understand it. The Stone was discovered in 1799 in a small Egyptian village called Rosetta
Rosetta
Rosetta is a port city on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. It is located east of Alexandria, in Beheira governorate. It was founded around AD 800....
, which gave the name to the stone.
Goals and Aims
1) Relieve poverty, support healthcare, develop education and promote justice through access to information and knowledge on a global scale2) Provide access to information and knowledge through the removal of language barriers
3) Remove language barriers by providing an infrastructure for translation and localization, both internationally and locally
4) Use this infrastructure to create employment and prosperity leading to greater equality
5) Ensure that this effort is sustainable, global, and based on principles of social enterprise
The aim of The Rosetta Foundation is, as the aim of the Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
was, to provide information to as many people as possible. In order to make sure that information is not just delivered but received by people, it is important to communicate to them in their language. Access to information in your own language is a human right The Rosetta Foundation is committed to preserve and protect.
History
European Launch:The European launch took place at the AGIS ’09 conference in Limerick, Ireland on September 21–23, 2009. AGIS, Action for Global Information Sharing, provided an opportunity for volunteer translators, localization specialists and NGOs to come together to learn, network and celebrate their work.
North American Launch:
The North American launch took take place at the Localization World conference in Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
, California on October 20, 2009. This pre-conference workshop provided an overview of the organizational structure, the aims and objectives, and the strategic plan of The Rosetta Foundation. Participants were introduced to the Foundation’s translation and localization technology platform – GlobalSight
GlobalSight
GlobalSight is an open source Translation Management System released under the Apache License 2.0. As of version 7.1 it supports the TMX and SRX 2.0 Localization Industry Standards Association standards. It was developed in the Java programming language and uses a MySQL database...
Areas of Activity
The Rosetta Foundation supports the not-for-profit activities of the localization and translation communities. It works with those who want to provide equal access to information across languages, independent of economic or market considerations, including localization and translation companies, technology developers, not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations. . The objective is to cater to translations requirements beyond those services offered by mainstream translation service providers and use communities on the ground. By using local resources, the work of The Rosetta Foundation can promote development, healthcare, education and justice.Technology Platform
The Rosetta Foundation is actively involved in the development of GlobalSightGlobalSight
GlobalSight is an open source Translation Management System released under the Apache License 2.0. As of version 7.1 it supports the TMX and SRX 2.0 Localization Industry Standards Association standards. It was developed in the Java programming language and uses a MySQL database...
and Crowdsight, which are used as its backbone. Both systems are open source systems originally developed by Transware and then moved into the open source space by their new owners Welocalize in early 2009. Sponsored by Welocalize
Welocalize
Welocalize is a multinational company based in Frederick, Maryland, USA that provides language localization services. It has over 400 employees worldwide and 10 offices in the US, UK, Germany, Ireland, Japan, and China. It has been awarded Inc. Magazine's Inc...
, GlobalSight
GlobalSight
GlobalSight is an open source Translation Management System released under the Apache License 2.0. As of version 7.1 it supports the TMX and SRX 2.0 Localization Industry Standards Association standards. It was developed in the Java programming language and uses a MySQL database...
is an open-source Globalization Management System
Globalization Management System
A Globalization Management System or GMS automates transactions to reduce the time and money employed by manpower performing repetitive, non-productive labour. Thus, human resources can be redeployed to more productive and strategic tasks...
(GMS) that helps automate the critical tasks associated with the creation, translation, review, storage and management of global content. CrowdSight is another open-source application fully integrated with GlobalSight
GlobalSight
GlobalSight is an open source Translation Management System released under the Apache License 2.0. As of version 7.1 it supports the TMX and SRX 2.0 Localization Industry Standards Association standards. It was developed in the Java programming language and uses a MySQL database...
. It is used specifically to engage the right “crowd,” group or community to deliver quick-turn translation for on-demand content. The existing GlobalSight
GlobalSight
GlobalSight is an open source Translation Management System released under the Apache License 2.0. As of version 7.1 it supports the TMX and SRX 2.0 Localization Industry Standards Association standards. It was developed in the Java programming language and uses a MySQL database...
community has over 1,500 members.
This technology platform is used in projects run by The Rosetta Foundation. A first preview of Translation eXchange, a major component developed as part of The Rosetta Foundation technology platform was given in a webinar by Reinhard Schäler and Eoin O Conchúir on 17 May 2011.
Board of directors
| Board Member | Company |
|---|---|
| Reinhard Schäler | Localisation Research Centre |
| Alan Barret | |
| Brian Kelly | Breakout Interactive Ltd |
| Mahesh Kulkarni | Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing |
| John Papaioannou | Bentley Systems Bentley Systems Bentley Systems, Incorporated is a software company that produces solutions for the design, construction and operation of infrastructure. The company’s software serves the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets in the areas of architecture, engineering, construction and operations... |
| Stephen Roantree | Network Provider Manager at Allianz Worldwide Care |
| Páraic Sheridan | Centre for Next Generation Localisation |
| Michael Smith | iStockphoto IStockphoto iStockphoto is an online, royalty free, international microstock photography provider operating with the micropayment business model. Images cost between 1 and 150 credits, depending on size and image collection .- History :The company was founded by Bruce Livingstone in May, 2000... |
| Francis Tsang | Adobe Systems Inc. |
| Smith Yewell | Welocalize Welocalize Welocalize is a multinational company based in Frederick, Maryland, USA that provides language localization services. It has over 400 employees worldwide and 10 offices in the US, UK, Germany, Ireland, Japan, and China. It has been awarded Inc. Magazine's Inc... |
The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
As of March 2010, The Rosetta Foundation has become a member of The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN).The NTEN is a membership organization founded in 2000 made up of individuals, non-profit and for-profit organizations. NTEN aspires to a world where all nonprofit organizations skillfully and confidently use technology to meet community needs and fulfill their missions. One aim of the NTEN is to offer networking opportunities among its members and a knowledge exchange on technology related issues. It also offers educational and training programs and aims to provide access to discounted products and services for nonprofit organizations.