Thursday, December 17, 2009

Non-Roman Lettered Domain Name URLs: More Interesting Star Trek Websites?

If the planned use of domain names other than one’s currently using Roman or Latin letters gets an ok will the move lead to new, improved and more creative Star Trek websites?


By: Ringo Bones


Even though the various incarnations of Star Trek aired on TV and shown in movie theaters feature sentient beings from other worlds with an excellent grasp of the English language. Other Star Trek fans and I are probably wondering if this “scheme” was done in order to fit the particular episode or feature in the conveniently allotted time, isn’t it? But the existence of a vibrant Klingon language community only shows that the global Star Trek community could creatively exploit the recent ICANN approval of using domain names other than the Latin or Roman letter-based ones that are currently de rigueur.

Back in November 18, 2009, a UN backed conference held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on the use of non-Latin or non-Roman lettered domain names has finally been put forth for serious discussion. Which – to me, and everyone else, can be a good thing since millions of perfectly literate people worldwide still has trouble using the Internet since their native language doesn’t use Latin or roman letters. And most of the folks denied the “convenience” of using the Internet belong to emerging markets and / or economies like China and India. Not to mention Arabic speaking countries who must go through the inconvenience of learning English just to enjoy the privilege of enjoying the fruits of knowledge currently available on the world wide web. Being proficient of languages other than English – especially ones that don’t use Latin or Roman letters – does have its privileges, but how can it help in setting up more interesting, and I mean more “interesting” Star Trek websites?

In the present universe of the Star Trek fan, the only “extra-terrestrial” language currently developed – i.e. both spoken and used for translating Shakespearean works – is Klingon. And those that offer to teach Star Trek fans on how to read and write the Klingon alphabet or letters are few and far between. Imagine in the near future, Klingon language tutorial websites that caters to the typical hardcore Star Trek fan sporting domain name URLs that feature the Klingon alphabet or Klingon letters.

And after that, Vulcan language tutorial websites would emerge. Which will be more interesting since the scant Vulcan writings featured in most Star Trek episodes that I’ve seen so far looks suspiciously like Samaritan writing. Or what about the Romulan language where the sentient android Data with his positronic brain even has trouble mastering the complex verb roots of the language. Whatever happens, I think this would be a boon for us who can now set up our “specialist” websites sporting Cyrillic or Hiragana, Katakana, or Kanji domain name URLs.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Author bonesbrain.blogspot.com !
Thanks for the help in this question, I too consider, that the easier, the better …

May Anne said...

"Ich bin ein Deutscher sprache" and Klingon too. But would it be more swell if I can express my Star Trek related thoughts via Ukrainian using cursive Cyrillic on this blog?

VaneSSa said...

Prop designer Alan Kobayashi, whose previous experience includes Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Star Trek film Generations as well as Babylon 5 and The X-Files, is often called upon to create "alien" signage for the show. Either by adapting established alphabets / letters like those from the Klingon language or Vulcan language, or by designing fonts and symbols of his own. Imagine using Klingon letters / Klingon alphabet to write "tlhlngan Hol Dajatlh'a'" (Do you speak Klingon?) instead of writing it "phonetically" like I did.
And yes, cursive Cyrillic is probably the sexiest form of writing in the whole world.

Unknown said...

Cursive Cyrillic as the sexiest form of writing in the whole world? Those Ukrainian supermodels have all the luck.

Sherry said...

You better watch out guys, there is already a Klingon Santa Claus. The Klingon Santa has been interviewed by Denise Crosby who used to play Lt. Natasha "Tasha" Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation. With the Klingons now celebrating Christmas, the Yuletide Season has now become more culturally diverse.
And I do agree, cursive Cyrillic is a very sexy way to express ones thoughts - up right there with cursive Hebrew.

Ringo said...

A Klingon Santa Claus is a Star Trek phenomena aimed at the increasingly culturally diverse Yuletide Season festivities that hasn't caught on - yet. I think there are still only a few Star Trek fans who know that particular German Trekker / Trekkie dressed up as a Klingon Santa Claus being interviewed by Denise Crosby in Trekkers 2 documentary. Who knows that next Christmas will probably see a Klingon themed Yuletide on-line shopping site with a Klingon language alphabet domain name URL. It can't be that much difficult over Arabic and Hebrew, right?

Yvette said...

Maybe we Trekkies / Trekkers / Star Trek fans shoud start a Klingon Santa Claus phenomena next Christmas. Imagine a Kingon language Christmas shopping website using authentic Klingon alphabet / letters using a Kingon alphabet based domain name URL. This should make Christmas more interesting.
I think BBC Click featured a story about non-Roman letter domain names back in November 2009 focusing on the UN sponsored ICANN conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on non Latin alphabet domain names. Star Trek fans should exploit this as soon as possibe - i.e. Klingon lettered domain names.

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

Sans Ferdinand said...

On Alan Kobayashi's use of existing yet obscure languages for Star Trek set / prop use, has he already explored various Tibetan languages? Like Tibeto-Burman, Sino-Tibetan, or the various Lhasa dialects? The yet to be "explored" languages of Tibet could prove interesting.

May Anne said...

A Klingon language based Star Trek site with Klingon alphabet URL might still be a novel rarity - if ever one already exists. But what about Star Trek themed Search Engine Optimization schemes / Star Trek SEO schemes? How about a Star Trek themed homebiz / work at home affiliate programs for those with valuable Star Trek memorabelia they want to sell on the Internet?

Term Papers said...

I have been visiting various blogs for my term papers writing research. I have found your blog to be quite useful. Keep updating your blog with valuable information... Regards

VaneSSa said...

Speaking of the language diversity in the Star trek fandom universe. William Shatner appeared in an Esperanto language horror movie titled Incubus. Is this movie still available?

Ringo said...

Just recently stumbled upon the Esperanto language horror movie titled Incubus which William Shatner starred in. I think it was a segment aired by the BBC a few weeks ago on why the American variant of English gained an unfair dominance globally.

May Anne said...

William Shatner in an Esperanto-language horror movie? Is Incubus widely available? Honestly, its the first time I've heard of this.