AILF - Signes diacritiques

Since its creation in 1981, the AILF has worked to raise consciousness about the linguistic stakes involved in new information technologies. In 1985 we produced a study of " English influence in computer science ". Our approval as participants in the defence of French, decerned in 1995, has brought official recognition of an ongoing effort on behalf of multi-lingualism. In October 1995, we decided to ask one of our founding members, Mr. Jean-François Abramatic, to help promote the use of French among coordinating agencies of the Internet. Today we are issuing a " call for papers " and hope to receive contributions concerning the misuse of French in computing, as well as commentary on how and why that abuse occurs.

Our list is by no means exhaustive. Look around, you probably know similar situations. Should you wish to help us make progress, share your experience. Your testimony is essential.

We will collate and coordinate all responses received. We will also attempt to provide help, within the range of our possibilities (since we are a voluntary organisation). We are committed to pursuing such actions as may prove necessary, by dealing with industrial concerns and public administrations, in accordance with our mission.

The Internet offers a powerful dissemination and promotional tool which we want to devote to the service of French-language authenticity in computer science and data processing. That means we will be happy to learn of, and support where possible, similar initiatives involving other European languages.

Any user of an Internet electronic message system will have noted the consequences of the choice of a 7-bit transmission protocol. It enables neither transmission nor acknowledgement of characters that contain diacritical marks, except when certain formats (RTF), character fonts (Unicode) or conversion methods (MIME, Binhex, etc.) are employed. Moreover, the sender of a message must absolutely know the conditions in which her or his interlocuter receives the accented text, to allow the latter to receive the message as intended. Those procedures are not always stable and often are difficult to implement.

Resolving that challenge implies the eventual implementation of an 8-bit transmission protocol on the Internet. The AILF has set itself the task of consulting with the IAB (Internet Architecture Board), after elaborating and delivering a technical file to the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).

At the same time, the AILF will attempt to convince access suppliers (Transpac, i-Way, Oléane, Eunet, etc.), communications servers (AOL, CompuServe, MSN, etc.) and software developers (Microsoft, Eudora, Netscape. etc.) that adequate conversion methods need to be introduced at every level so texts can be received and reproduced as their senders intended them, without tedious manipulations required.

Should you be unable to access our web site but wish to participate in this effort, please send the card below, duly completed, to the forum's moderator :

AILF - 5 rue de la Boule rouge - 75009 PARIS - France.
Telephone/fax : 33 (1) 43 73 32 82. E-mail address: ailf@francophonie.net

To discuss the use of a software product	To discuss the use of an Internet service
Name of application: ........................................	Name of service supplier : .........................................
Version: ......	Date when problem encountered : .............................
Platform used (operating system, graphical interface, ...) : ...................................................	Accessing software used (method of conversion, message system interface,...) : .......................................................

Observed facts (documentation, menu, message or accented-character problems [provide list]) :

..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................

....................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................

We promise to acknowledge your contributions and hope to accomplish a significant amount thanks to your participation. Please therefore provide the postal or electronic address you would like us to send our answer to. Thank you in advance for helping us develop this approach.