Web-Based Language Documentation and Description
		Philadelphia USA, 12-15 December 2000

		Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
	     http://www.ldc.upenn.edu/exploration/FAQ


Note: Please be sure to read the extended CFP, not just the
abridged one that was posted out.  The extended CFP is available
at http://www.ldc.upenn.edu/exploration/CFP

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

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Q1: Would you welcome a paper on our project X?
Q2: I'm developing/maintaining an digital archive; can I sit in?

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Q1: Would you welcome a paper on our project X?

A1: We would like to have as many projects as possible represented
at the workshop.  The infrastructure that we all need will only be
created through the cooperation of many independent projects.

However, this meeting is slightly unusual, in that we're not
wanting to bring everyone together just to present their projects
and go away again.  Of course, taking stock is an important
function of meetings, but in this case we are hoping that project
websites, linked from the linguistic exploration page, will
suffice.

Instead, we are seeking participation in the construction of a
shared computational infrastructure.  This means that you should
identify concrete and reusable results of your project (whether
actual or anticipated) which are expected to have practical
significance for other projects.  By the same token, you may be
able to identify specific infrastructural needs of your project,
and translate them into explicit requirements for any reusable
tools and formats being developed by other projects.  In sum, we
are asking "what can you contribute", and "what do you need", not
"what are you doing".  We are confident that large parts of many
projects can be construed in this way.


Q2: I'm developing/maintaining an digital archive; can I sit in?

A2: As key beneficiaries of the infrastructure, creators and users
of data archives are invited to participate in the workshop.  You
are welcome just to sit in of course (though we will not be able
to pay for your accomodation unfortunately).

However, if you're planning to build an archive covering a wide
selection of language documentation types (e.g. not just texts) and
covering multiple languages, we encourage you to consider preparing a
paper that develops detailed requirements for any aspect of the
infrastructure from the perspective of the archivist or the archive
user.  Feel free to discuss your ideas with the organizers.

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Steven Bird                    Gary Simons
Steven.Bird@ldc.upenn.edu      Gary_Simons@sil.org