By Kay Kimsong
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
First there was type, and now there are typists. On Monday, the National Information Communications Technology Development Authority of the Royal Government of Cambodia declared Toun Saman, a Sihanoukville computer teacher, the fastest typist in Cambodia.
The significance of his victory is far more than secretarial. Toun Saman was typing in Khmer Unicode, a standardized Khmer-language font that is the latest development in a long effort to promote Khmer-language computing.
"I am very happy to be the winner of the first national contest," he said, after receiving his $500 prize at the NiDA office in the Council of Ministers. Toun Saman, who teaches information technology at an orphanage run by the NGO ASPECA in Sihanoukville, said he planned to use the money to throw his students a party and take them to the beach.
Khmer Unicode helps to break the vice-grip the English language has held on computing in Cambodia. Unlike existing Khmer-language fonts like Limon, ABC and Battambang, Unicode is designed to be a standard font compatible across applications. Typing in Unicode is faster than in other fonts.
NiDA has already developed a Khmer-language keyboard, and free, open source Khmer-language versions of popular software applications like Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point. Google has even gone Khmer, with www.google.oom.kh.
"It is important for officials who speak no English," said Noy Shoung, the deputy secretary-general of NiDA. "People don't need to know English. They are able to use computers with Khmer font," he said.
He said the government is already switching to a Unicode standard. NiDA, he added, has distributed 10,000 free CD roms with the Unicode font as well as open source Khmer language software and has trained 1,000 computer teachers in Khmer-language computing.
Monday's final was the culmination of a month of contests in 17 provinces, which were organized by NiDA, the WordForge Foundation and InWEnt.
Eng Titya, a 12-year-old from Battambang province, took the $300 second prize. This was his first trip to Phnom Penh.
"I was not scared or afraid," he said, adding that he gave the money to his dad.
"I am so glad that my son can win second price," said Mao Tim Sovananrith, the boy's father.
"Even if he didn't win a prize, I would still be happy. He is young and loves IT."
Chea Chansophea, a Phnom Penh student, Nuon Chandarong, a Kompong Cham province student, and Kruy Vanna, a Phnom Penh student, took third through fifth place. In total, $10,000 in prize money was given away, according to contest organizers.
"We want people to use programs in Khmer," said Javier Sola, co-director of the WordForge Foundation. He estimated that by eliminating English as a prerequisite to computer literacy, Cambodians will be able to learn to use computers four times faster.
"They will be able to find jobs without learning English," he said.
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KI-Media Note: Interested in taking Khmer Unicode for a spin? KhmerOS website provides all the tools, including softwares for you to start, free of charge. Click here to visit KhmerOS website.
If you can read the following text in Khmer, you are ready for Khmer Unicode:
The significance of his victory is far more than secretarial. Toun Saman was typing in Khmer Unicode, a standardized Khmer-language font that is the latest development in a long effort to promote Khmer-language computing.
"I am very happy to be the winner of the first national contest," he said, after receiving his $500 prize at the NiDA office in the Council of Ministers. Toun Saman, who teaches information technology at an orphanage run by the NGO ASPECA in Sihanoukville, said he planned to use the money to throw his students a party and take them to the beach.
Khmer Unicode helps to break the vice-grip the English language has held on computing in Cambodia. Unlike existing Khmer-language fonts like Limon, ABC and Battambang, Unicode is designed to be a standard font compatible across applications. Typing in Unicode is faster than in other fonts.
NiDA has already developed a Khmer-language keyboard, and free, open source Khmer-language versions of popular software applications like Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point. Google has even gone Khmer, with www.google.oom.kh.
"It is important for officials who speak no English," said Noy Shoung, the deputy secretary-general of NiDA. "People don't need to know English. They are able to use computers with Khmer font," he said.
He said the government is already switching to a Unicode standard. NiDA, he added, has distributed 10,000 free CD roms with the Unicode font as well as open source Khmer language software and has trained 1,000 computer teachers in Khmer-language computing.
Monday's final was the culmination of a month of contests in 17 provinces, which were organized by NiDA, the WordForge Foundation and InWEnt.
Eng Titya, a 12-year-old from Battambang province, took the $300 second prize. This was his first trip to Phnom Penh.
"I was not scared or afraid," he said, adding that he gave the money to his dad.
"I am so glad that my son can win second price," said Mao Tim Sovananrith, the boy's father.
"Even if he didn't win a prize, I would still be happy. He is young and loves IT."
Chea Chansophea, a Phnom Penh student, Nuon Chandarong, a Kompong Cham province student, and Kruy Vanna, a Phnom Penh student, took third through fifth place. In total, $10,000 in prize money was given away, according to contest organizers.
"We want people to use programs in Khmer," said Javier Sola, co-director of the WordForge Foundation. He estimated that by eliminating English as a prerequisite to computer literacy, Cambodians will be able to learn to use computers four times faster.
"They will be able to find jobs without learning English," he said.
------------
KI-Media Note: Interested in taking Khmer Unicode for a spin? KhmerOS website provides all the tools, including softwares for you to start, free of charge. Click here to visit KhmerOS website.
If you can read the following text in Khmer, you are ready for Khmer Unicode:
សួស្តីប្រិយមិត្ត!
1 comment:
ខ្ញុំមានការសោកស្តាយជាខ្លាំង ពីព្រោះខ្ញុំចង់ចូលរួមការ ប្រលងប្រជែងនេះដែរ តែដោយសារខ្ញុំបានធ្វើដំណើរ ទៅក្រៅប្រទេស។ ខ្ញុំសូមចូលរួមត្រេកអរចំពោះ Khmer Unicode ដែលអាចអោយខ្ញុំវាយជាភាសាខ្មែរកាន់តែលឿន ហើយថែមទាំងអាយផ្ញើរមែលជាភាសាខ្មែរទៀតផង និងខ្ញុំបានចូលប្រើ Google ជាភាសាខ្មែរ វាមានភាពងាយស្រួលដោយសារខ្ញុំមិនពូកែខាងភាសាអង់គ្លេស ខ្ញុំអាចរាវរកគេហទំព័រដែរសរសេរជាភាសាខ្មែរទៀតផង តែអ្វីដែលគួរអោយសោកស្តាយគឺ មានគេហទំព័រខ្មែរជាច្រើនដែរនៅតែប្រើភាសាអង់គ្លេស រឺប្រើស Font ខ្មែរ limon, Abc...ពិបាកណាស់ដោយសារនៅទីនេះ ពួកយើងមិនមាន Font ទាំងនោះប្រើ មានតែ Khmer Unicode.
សូមអរគុណ
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