How autoconverter affect Minority Languages horribly

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NOTE :: This page is written in English intentionally. Please DO NOT translate.

Preface ::: Major technological providers ( Facebook, Viber, etc ) provide autoconversion services to Myanmar ( and South East Asia region lately as of October 2020 ) from Zawgyi to Unicode encoding. BUT those good intentioned efforts are making people’s lives even harder.

Examples :::

  • Mon minority language
    • Here are the Screen shots of MON ( that we’re aware ) minority language that had been almost impossible to display on Facebook both individual messages and titles.
      • How a facebook group page seen from non-autoconverted Unicode only phone
        MonWikiPureUni

        MonWikiPureUni

      • How the same page is seen from autoconverted Unicode only phone
        mon-autoconverted

        mon-autoconverted

      • Where it went wrong – comparison with error highlighted
      • Walk around people have to come up but really shouldn’t have to
        mon-workaround

        mon-workaround

  • Words that uses Virama ( code U+1039 )
    • Due to Zawgyi’s occupation of minority languages spaces defined in Unicode consortium’s Myanmar languages block, it’s unavoidable to suppress minority languages and words that uses Virama ( code U+1039 ) to show correctly.
      • How a facebook posting seen from non-autoconverted Unicode only phone
        Virama-PureUni

        Virama-PureUni

      • How the same page is seen from autoconverted Unicode only phone
        virama-autoconvert

        virama-autoconvert

      • Where it went wrong

        Instead of U+1039 , it’s encoding as U+103A

    So, many religious texts and words that uses words derived from Sanskrit are being displayed as garbage.

Conclusion

  • Technological companies MUST IMMEDIATELY stop doing autoconversion of Myanmar texts.
  • Myanmar minorities have suffered enough with digitalization efforts and on the Internet. We think that it’s no problem when individual users choose to use other encodings. It’s just that when it’s FORCED upon groups of people, then those minority languages are becoming Collateral damage.
  • Since over a year ago, Facebook officially implemented ( with Viber following close behind ) autoconversion. Mon minorities are told to have patient. Mon have suffered enough for Burmese language implementer’s inability to do properly. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Please tell me HOW MANY MORE years Mon have to suffer for this nonsense?? Please DO NOT support suppression of minority languages’ digital footprint.
  • We need a free expression of religious texts. Please DO NOT support suppression of free speech and religious freedom.

    • Disclaimer :::

    The opinion expressed here are of the author alone. It’s NOT the group nor the statement of the site in any official capacity. Copyright license “CC BY-SA“

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