Local site uses unique tool to bring Arabic script into internet era
By Alexander Besant
Special to The Daily Star
Saturday, June 14, 2008
BEIRUT: During the past few years email, chat rooms, and text messaging have forced Arabic speakers to rely on transliterations due to these technologies' use of Roman script.As Arabic keyboards remain bewildering and unpopular among average users, transliteration has become a common method of written communication, particularly on the net.This reliance on transliteration has spawned various Web sites which convert Latin-script Arabic transliterations into Arabic script. Now Arab-speaking internet users have a new tool at their disposal to do just that - but better.Nagi Salloum, co-founder of the popular Cineklik Web site which aggregates movie listings all over Lebanon onto one site, has teamed up with a new partner to make the internet more accessible for arabophones.Their creation - Yoolki - is a Web site which is proving to be the fastest tool on the net for converting transliterations into Arabic script.Though there are many Roman to Arabic transliteration sites on the net, Yoolki is the only one which transliterates in real-time without the often irritating pause after typing. It is also the only site which allows users to work offline in case the internet connection is lost.Yoolki uses a dual screen which allows users to constantly see their Roman script typing side-by-side with the Arabic script. The user is able to go back and make corrections to the original words without having to delete the Arabic script.Yoolki is also the first transliteration tool which allows users to incorpo
