Re: Examples of double-sided ruby (was RE: Feedback for rb from html5j.org (was RE: HTML5 and ruby

Taro Yamamoto, Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:57:07 -0800:
> However, in the world wide web and digital publishing today, there 
> should be better methods for annotating text than traditional ruby 
> that used to work well for printed books.

Such as? There is an alternative to [simple] ruby: 

  <abbr title='World Wide Web'>WWW</abbr>

However, ruby - element solution — have some well known advantages over 
abbr@title - attribute solutions.

> I know that double-sided ruby is more widely used in the field of 
> textbook and study aid book publishing than in other areas of 
> publishing in Japan. But if so, we should use a better method to 
> annotate text (than traditional ruby), with which the readers 
> (students or pupils?) can understand the text more easily and 
> intuitively, without damaging the spacing and readability of the 
> entire text. Shouldn't we utilize a more sophisticated method 
> designed with our latest knowledge in the field of human computer 
> interaction?

Which are these better methods? 

I can't comment on the need for double sided ruby in Japanese ... But I 
suspect that it is likely that the alternative to ruby - in general - 
would become 'author, please make your pages in a different way so that 
you don't need ruby'. Isn't the problem just that Donald Knuth did not 
look at ruby? :-D I also suspect that ruby can be combined with 'our 
latest knowledge'.
-- 
leif halvard silli

Received on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 10:51:21 UTC