What do I need to know before I start?
The Auslan sign bank uses a variety of web technolgies, such as: cookies,
Macromedia Flash and Javascript. Please read the System Requirements
below and make sure that you are using a compatible web browser and you have the
required version of Macromedia Flash.
What browser should I use?
The Auslan Signbank site has been tested and confirmed to work with the
following web browsers:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and greater (Windows and Mac OSX)
- Netscape 7.1 and greater (Windows)
- Mozilla Firefox (Windows and Mac OSX)
- Safari (Mac OSX)
The site may work on other browsers - but we do not guarantee compatibility.
If you are experiencing problems and you do not have one of the web browsers
above, we recommend that you download Mozilla Firefox from www.mozilla.org.
What version of Flash do I require?
In order to view sign "videos" on the site, you will need to have the
Macromedia Flash Player plug-in installed on your computer. The videos require
Flash Player 7 or greater. To verify what version of Flash is installed with
your browser, you can go to www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer.
What screen resolution works best?
The Auslan Signbank displays best on screen resolutions of 800 by 600 or
higher. Please consider increasing your screen resolution if it is lower than
800x600 so that our content will fit within the width of your screen.
What can I do?
- Search for a sign by typing in an English word
- view and practice fingerspelling
- view number signs
- give feedback on existing signs
- report missing signs
- view the feedback of various groups of people
Feedback viewing according to groups is only possible if more
than certain number of responses have been received about a particular sign,
otherwise percentages are misleading.
How do I navigate around the site?
You click on the tabs at the top of this page for each of the main
functions. You can also click on
and 
button when you are searching for a sign if there is more than one
sign that matches the English word. You can provide feedback about any sign
using the link below the sign video. If other users have provided
feedback on a sign there will also be a link to allow you to view a summary
of this feedback.
Why is there no matching sign for my English word?
-
Did you spell the word correctly? Check your spelling. Hint: use the
simple form of a word when looking for a sign (e.g., 'car' not 'cars';
'walk' not 'walked'; 'go' not 'went').
-
The word might not be in Signbank for the sign you are thinking
of. Try another word with a similar meaning (e.g, try 'crazy' instead
of 'lunatic'). Hint: if you think a word should be added to the
meaning of a sign select 'Provide
feedback about this sign' and tell Signbank.
-
The sign might be missing from Signbank. Use the 'feedback' tab to
report the missing sign.
-
The sign might be a new sign that only you or a small group of people
know or use. Use the 'feedback' tab to tell Signbank, and everyone
else, about your new sign.
Why does Signbank sometimes give me the 'wrong' sign for my word?
Maybe there is more than one Auslan sign for the word you typed
in. If
appears above the sign definition that means there are more Auslan signs
to view for that word. Click on the button to see the other sign
or signs. If you think there is really a mistake, click on
'Provide feedback about this sign'
and tell Signbank.
Why do I need to register?
You need to register to provide feedback or report missing signs.
We need you to register in order to know who you are (e.g., a deaf
person or a hearing person) and where you come from (e.g., Australia
or overseas) so we can group your feedback. That way when you view
user feedback on Signbank you will be able to clearly see the opinions
of Australian deaf people compared to other groups of people. After
all, it is our language. Our opinion matters!
How do I register?
You only need to register for Signbank if you want to provide feedback
on a sign or the site in general, or provide details of a missing sign.
When you click on a feedback link, you will be prompted to login or
register a new account.
You can upload a short video in each of the feedback forms if you
would rather sign your comment instead of typing or filling out
the form. This will be particularly useful if you are telling us about
a missing sign. To upload a video, first record your video on your
own computer, save it in a common format (eg. AVI on Windows or
Quicktime on Macintosh) and upload it using the special field in
the feedback form. Your videos will be made available to the
site administrators but will not be viewable by the general public.
Any movie recording software can be used to record your video. For
example,
iCamShare for the Macintosh provides a simple interface. On Windows
you can often use the tools that are provided with your webcam, eg.
Logitech provide a set of programs for recording videos etc.
Does Signbank use Cookies?
Your web browser must be configured to accept cookies from the Auslan site
to allow you to login and provide comments. The cookie identifies
you to the site once you are logged in and is deleted once
you close your browser.
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