--- Forwarded Message from John de Szendeffy <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:17:59 -0400
>Subject: Re: #7551To Wiki or not
>From: John de Szendeffy <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>

I believe that Wiki is trademarking the term not copyrighting the word,
much like Apple. How would one be legally bared from using the term
wiki (which I think means  *fast*)?

Also, Wiki server software is open source, so the creators or
contributors derive no financial gain directly from it while adopters
could benefit from good, fast, free, Web database software, which is to
suggest that perhaps there is no *selling* of the language.

Just a spontaneous counterpoint.

-John
___________________________________________
John de Szendeffy
Multimedia Language Lab
Center for English Language and Orientation Programs
Boston University
ph                      617.353.7957
fx                      617.353.6195
lab                     http://www.bu.edu/celop/mll/
personal                http://people.bu.edu/johndesz/


On Friday, June 18, 2004, at 11:52  AM, Keola Donaghy
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Aloha kakou. While I agree that this technology is pretty slick and
> may be
> useful for this purpose, it is the use of the word "wiki" itself that
> bothers me, as does Akamai. Bother are taken from the Hawaiian
> language. I
> don't know about Wiki, but in Akamai's case they have copyrighted a
> Hawaiian word so that, conceivably, those of us who speak the language
> could not legally use it in certain contexts, say, to describe our own
> website or technologies. I don't know if anyone has or has attempted to
> copyright "Wiki" in this way.
>
>> From a language standpoint, what bothers me most is the use of wiki
>> as a
> prefix - there are wikiwords, a wikipedia, and the particularly
> offensive
> (to me) WakkaWiki, which seems to be a play on some of the hapa-haole
> songs of the early- to mid-twentieth century, like Al Jolson's "Yaaka
> Hula
> Hickey Dula."
>
> Before the IALLT adopts such a technology, I would appreciate hearing
> from
> them and the membership on the issue of the appropriation or
> misappropriation of native languages in the technologies that it uses.
> Would it be an issue if this technology was called "Kimosabe" or
> "Geronimo" instead of "Wiki"?
>
> Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, but appreciate
> feedback.
>
> Keola