Monday, December 13, 2021

The Legal Tech-To-English Dictionary: Legal Research - Above The Law's Legal Tech Non-Event - Above the Law - Dictionary

Ed. note: This is the latest installment of The Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary, part of our Non-Event for Tech-Perplexed Lawyers. Jared Correia is the host of the Non-Eventcast.

There’s a term for when attorneys use Latin and other arcane languages to describe legal processes to consumers: “legalese.”

But there’s no similar term for when vendors use technical and other arcane languages to describe their legal software operations to lawyers.

True, this dynamic may seem unfair. But now we have The Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary to help us cope.

Read on for the latest installment, where we translate legal research-related topics to plain English.

And for more commentary on legal tech, check out the Non-Event for Tech Perplexed Lawyers.

Boolean Search

  1. A query technique combining keywords or phrases through the use of operators ‘and,’ ‘or’ and ‘not’.
  2.  A search methodology invented by English mathematician George Boole, making modern information technologies possible.
  3. The search option you try before inevitably giving up in favor of natural language search.

Lawyer 1: Hey, Bill, can I use an ‘and’ and an ‘or’ together in Boolean search?

Lawyer 2: Oh, for fuck’s sake, Alan. Just type in real words.

Lawyer 1: Both ‘and’ and ‘or’ are real words.

Lawyer 2: Get the hell out of my office.

Shepardizing

  1. The rigorous training method by which one formally becomes a shepherd.  No, wait . . . Really? Not that? Well, I’ll be damned.
  2. A citation system for determining the subsequent treatment of a legal decision by later cases that reference it.
  3. The process for determining whether a subject case remains ‘good law.’

Lawyer 1: Hey, everybody. I’ll be at the law library if you need me. I have my giant CamelBak water bottle, so I should be good for most of the day.

Lawyer 2: Wait, John! Just use our Westlaw account, and stay here.

Lawyer 1: Oh, Terry. Simple, simple Terry. 

Cf. Frank Shepard, a legal publisher who invented Shepardizing in the late 19th Century by applying sticky annotations to cases, with single-letter codes to show further treatment of the case by later court decisions.

Precedent

  1. A rule established in a prior legal case that directly controls (or is at least persuasive in determining) the decision in the instant case.
  2. A prior reported opinion of an appeals court that establishes a rule of law for future cases.

Cf. The Latin term stare decisis (“to stand by things decided”) is the process by which a lower court applies precedent to a case before it.

Research Trail

  1. Generally speaking, an explanation of how a stated position has been sourced.
  2. In legal research, the research history for a particular search session.
  3. In legal research software, the clickable files that open research history for archived sessions.

Lawyer 1: Wait, you’re doing it wrong. You don’t rest the keyboard on the research book. You *open* the research book. Here, like this.

Lawyer 2:  Um, thanks.

Lawyer 1: No problem

Lawyer 1: See you at lunch. We’re going to Chuck E. Cheese!

Lawyer 2: Great.

Lawyer 2: (silently closes book)

Cf. It’s a hell of a hike.

Secondary Sources

  1. Various types of (usually print) materials that summarize, review and/or analyze the law.

Lawyer 1: But, what about the tertiary sources, Melvin.

Lawyer 1: What about the tertiary sources!

Cf. ‘Primary’ sources are ‘the law,’ including caselaw, statutes and regulations.

Cf. Online fan communities, like those for the ‘Star Wars’ universe.


Jared Correia, a consultant and legal technology expert, is the host of the Non-Eventcast, the featured podcast of the Above the Law Non-Event for Tech-Perplexed Lawyers. 

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Punjab Notes: Books: translations, dictionary for kids and poets - DAWN.com - Dictionary

Translation is perhaps as old as language. It arose as the human need of communicating with others who did not share one’s language was compelling. Co-speakers don’t need translation among themselves as what they speak is directly understood. It’s always meant for those who are aliens in the linguistic sense; they speak a different language. A different language invariably implies a different culture whose soul or soullessness it represents.

Diverse cultures have to interact and translation provides the most effective conduit for the travel of literary and cultural expressions from one society to another. In other words, translation is a story of cross-cultural communication and interaction. It’s through translation that thoughts, experiences and ideas of one society are transferred to other societies, which triggers a process of cross-cultural fertilisation. It helps a wide range of things such as trade, business, political relations and conflict- resolution, for example. At a higher level, translation of literary works has been/is a potent means to bring cultures together, facilitating the sharing of what is shareable in a specific culture. Great literary compositions have been/are accessible to the most of people because of translation. We are no exception.

Waseem Gardezi’s book of translations, titled ‘Rung Rus’, published by Sanjh Publications, Lahore is a good sign. Gardezi is a good writer and translator. The book contains a selection of world short stories translated into Punjabi. There are fourteen stories selected from diverse cultures, which represent an impressive array of celebrated fiction writers such as Hermann Hesse, Knut Hamsun, Naquib Mahfouz, Ernest Hemingway, Mikhail Sholokhov, William Faulkner, Franz Kafka, Joseph Heller, Guy de Maupassant, Aldous Huxley, Erskine Caldwell and Ray Bradbury. Along with the translation, we find concise biographical notes on the authors, carefully prepared by Gardezi. The notes serve a purpose of briefly introducing the great writers to Punjabi readers. The quality of translations is good as they reflect a serious effort aimed at conveying the original narratives of the stories in Punjabi as well as evoking cultural ambiance subtly concealed beneath the surface. The language is not far removed from the speech and its flow makes them highly readable without losing literary embellishments. ‘Rung Rus’ is an enjoyable read. Don’t miss it.

Dictionary is something we are all familiar with. Every literate person at some point of time needs a dictionary of his/her own language or of some foreign language. Language is a mysterious product if it’s a product at all; it is always bigger than what its speaker imagine it to be. Language never fully exposes itself to its speakers as it reveals itself in measures to each according to his need. And individual need is always immeasurably less than what his/her language can fulfill. Language has the capacity to grow bigger than what its speakers know it as at a particular moment. Subsequently, it conceals more than what it reveals. Dictionary is one of the tools with which we try to measure its length and breadth. But still even the most comprehensive dictionary of a language cannot grasp its full spectrum. By the time a dictionary comes out of printing press, language throws up some new words and phrases because of ever self-generating and self-expanding power of language. But still dictionary is what opens window to the secrets of treasure trove that language is. Among others, a student is the one who constantly needs a dictionary. Teaching and learning at school, college and university is hardly imaginable without the help of dictionary. Even kids need it to learn language and improve their expression.

Realising such a need Suchet Kitab Ghar, Lahore has published ‘Punjabi Baal Dictionary’ edited by Maqsood Saqib. The editor has taken help from Bhasha Vibhag Patiala’s Primary Punjabi Dictionary in preparing the dictionary in question. The dictionary gives meanings of the words along with their usage, which throws light on how words can be used in writing. For some strange reason, the prevalent alphabetical order has been discarded in favour of a new one but no convincing explanation has been given for such a radical decision. It can make the search for words time consuming and thus a hassle. Our kids are more comfortable with our Arabic-based alphabetical order.

“In this dictionary, the words are listed which school going children use or may use,” says the editor. The statement is partly correct because there are words that cater to higher level students. On the title, for example, we have Punjabi words ‘Ukka’ (totally, entirely, completely), ‘Ukka Pukka’ (total, all, in entirety, lump sum), which are beyond most of the children in the urban area. The dictionary is a good work that fulfills one of our children crucial needs, which has been ignored for long. It will be very useful for children, especially for secondary school students who are offered Punjabi as an elective subject. Schools must have it in their libraries. Your personal library will be poorer without it.

Have you heard of Bahawalnagar? It’s a sleepy boondocks town on the radar of a few people. But actually it is an interesting district sandwiched between two rivers, Hakra and Sutlej. Unfortunately, both have gone dry. The former died out due to natural causes but the latter was sold to India by one of our foolish rulers for a paltry sum. Hakra supported a vibrant society, which was a part of Harappa civilisation way back in time. With the selling of Sutlej came a fulcrum point, which tipped the future against the region depriving it of a vital source of economic activities, water. Defying the odds, it can boast of valuable agricultural production. Fortunately, the entire area has been deeply influenced by our giant poet and mystic Baba Farid at literary and spiritual level. Saghir Tabassum, a poet and writer, has attempted to capture the literary history of the region in his book ‘Asaan Chup Nahi Vattni Dharti Te’ published by Print Media Publications, Lahore. The book ‘is a historical and critical evaluation of Bahawalnagar’s Punjabi literature…’ says the author.

The fact is that it’s a history of poetry. Scores of poets have been included. Each entry has the biographic sketch of the poet followed by a sample of his/her representative verses. The book is a compendium of poems that deal with diverse experiences that evoke the ethos of a particular region. The book is a commendable effort. — soofi01@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2021

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Sunday, December 12, 2021

Translation of literary classics vital to promote languages: VP - The Hindu - Translation

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said that to preserve and promote the use of various Indian languages, efforts should be made to translate literary classics into other languages. Translation technologies and other advancements must be explored to further the heritage of regional literature in the country, he said.

He was speaking during the Foundation Day celebrations of Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University on Sunday. The VP lauded the institute’s commitment to preserve Telugu language, literature and history through various research initiatives.

Like ‘Amuktamalyada’ by Sri Krishnadevaraya was made accessible to people in other languages by the university, other institutions should also do the same, Mr. Naidu said.

While remembering the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N.T. Rama Rao, who was integral in establishing the Telugu University, he also appreciated the TRS government under Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for furthering the cause of Telugu language and culture.

Noting that globalisation has its impact on the present generation in advancing the cultural heritage, he, however, expressed confidence that the National Education Policy 2020 addresses the issue as it encourages primary education in one’s mother tongue.

Mr. Naidu was joined by Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali during the inauguration of a photo exhibition titled ‘Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ by the Regional Outreach Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The exhibition showcases the various aspects of art, culture, and books, related to Telangana and Haryana. It will be open for people till December 14.

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Taking The Mess Out of Translation – Automating the Localization Process - MarTech Series - Translation

Translation projects are messy to manage, but with this new in-app service, ClickLearn takes the mess out of the process.

Statistics show that more than 75% of internet users prefer websites in their native language and less than 26% of the world’s internet users are English speaking. Additional research indicates that localized content has 6 times more engagement than global content.*

It is a well-known fact that global companies who aren’t offering translated content, are simply losing out on potential business. Likewise, if software training is only offered in one language for global teams, this can negatively affect the success and ROI of software implementations.

Although ClickLearn offers templated translations of all user actions, chapters, and notes, any additional created content requires added translation.

Marketing Technology News: Bluewater Media Bolsters Digital Team with Hire of Executive Kristy Andreadakis

“Translation automation is the hot topic in localization these days, and ClickLearn makes the entire process so simple, by providing a translation ecosystem right inside their solution!”

— Steven Bussey, VP of Marketing, Andovar

To solve this need, ClickLearn and Andovar have formed a technological partnership bringing a professional translation service into the application – not only at a surprisingly low cost but also with exceptional ease of use.

Headquartered in Singapore, Andovar is an international translation and localization firm that specializes in delivering translation services for eLearning & HR, gaming, and technology companies. Their customer base includes Spotify, NetSuite, Uber, and Travelocity.

Andovar uses over 5000 vetted translators from around the globe, ensuring that content is translated professionally, capturing context, nuances, and subtleties correctly.

“The whole team at Andovar is excited about our collaboration and this great opportunity to provide professional training translation solutions to ClickLearn’s customers. Translation automation is the hot topic in localization these days, and ClickLearn makes the entire process so simple, by providing a translation ecosystem right inside their solution!”, says Steven Bussey, VP of Marketing, Andovar.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Gavin Laugenie, Global Head of Content at dotdigital

While it is impossible to be as fast as instant machine translation, Andovar.com provides a rapid service with professional quality. It supplies quotes instantly, and once the quote is accepted; the user is kept up to date throughout the process from within ClickLearn Attain.

Translation projects are messy to manage, but with this new in-app service, ClickLearn takes the mess out of the process. With a single click of a button, users can get a quote from Andovar, which arrives almost instantly, once accepted, the status can easily be tracked from within the application, and finally, when the translated text is received, ClickLearn distributes the translations across all recordings and structures and puts these in the exact right place.

“This is the first time we are making external services available for our customers inside the ClickLearn application. Having professional translations available at the click of a button can mean a world of difference to many of our global customers.”, says Joachim Schiermacher, CEO, ClickLearn.com.

Just imagine how much time this saves – now multiply that figure by the number of languages to localize into. ClickLearn has always offered customers great savings in time and money with its multilanguage feature, but with this new in-app service, ClickLearn has taken its Localization module to a whole new level.

Marketing Technology News: Audience Targeting in Local Media Markets: More Than a Sum of Its Parts

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Rough Translation: Tasting At A Distance : Up First - NPR - Translation

You can zoom around the world through sight and sound, but you can't taste at a distance, right? In this episode of Rough Translation, stories about what happens when we try.

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Saturday, December 11, 2021

What is Urban Dictionary and why is it now viral on Twitter and Instagram - Central Valley Business Journal - Dictionary

The Urban Dictionary en a site over 23 years old, which was already on the Internet when a good handful of those who read The Output were not even there yet.

It was created by Aaron Peckman in 99, at California Polytechnic University and basically is a dictionary of slang and street expressions. Initially, Peckman created it to capture the difference in colloquial expressions among young people in various parts of California, but it soon spread throughout the United States and from there to the world.

If you want to know exactly what something means, what those abbreviations mean or the new expression that your little brother does not get out of his mouth, you go to find it in The Urban Dictionary and, by the way, you feel old because you no longer know how the kids today.

Of course, it is mainly in English, although there are words in Spanish and you learn a few curious things. In addition, it not only collects jargon, but also names and other concepts, mixing humor with fairly precise definitions.

The Urban Dictionary and its political incorrectness

With more than 8 million definitions already, and words and expressions from all over the world (although the dictionary explanation is always in English), it is estimated that it has about 70 million visitors per month and, above all, it’s very politically incorrect.

The definitions of the expressions are usually correct, but there is not just one and, Most of the time, they are funny, obscene, rude and all at the same time.

To give you an idea, this is what you will find if you search for Donald Trump. There are many more entries, but I put the softer one because we want you to continue to think that The Output is a respectable site (it is not).

Trump Urban

In fact, recently it was at the center of controversy because it went far beyond bad taste. However, The Urban Dictionary has become fashionable on Twitter and Instagram for the opposite.

People look up his name in The Urban Dictionary and share it on social media

The new viral trend is to look up your name in The Urban Dictionary, see what comes out and share it. You can already hope that the thing has a joke and surely heavy, but the opposite is happening.

Instead of starting with name calling, the definitions of the names are usually very good vibes and say quite nice things. As an example, this is what happens when I search for my name and I could not agree more on what it says (and on the number of positive votes it has after I press the button).

Urban Dictionary name

And this is what happens if I look for my boss.

Urban Dictionary Carlos

In that I don’t agree so much and I can’t believe I have more votes positive than me, but hey.

The curiosity is that that rise in self-esteem that we all need comes from those who least expect it. The Urban Dictionary has always been a bit sketchy, that clever cousin of 4chan and the like, somewhat distant, true, but you see the resemblance to him.

However, a lot of users have long been making it a better site with those naming definitions. Of course, we already tell you that not all of them are going to be positive, but the vast majority will and surely they will make you half a smile.

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