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"The Language Grid" Toshiyuki Takasaki, Vice Chairman
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Hello, everyone. Thing has gradually been sorted out in the new office in October and it became a comfortable place. We have also completed the tech works such as setting up of the network and server moves, on which we needed to work outside of the office hours at night or on holidays. But thanks to the help from the tech staffs like Shin and Kadoppe, we could safely complete them!

I have recently received the book that was published in summer,
"The Language Grid:
Service-Oriented Collective Intelligence for Language Resource Interoperability".
http://www.amazon.com/dp/3642211771

This is an academic book of research articles about Language Grid project edited by Prof. Toru Ishida in Kyoto University, and was published by Springer, the renowned academic publisher. Prof. Alvin at UNIMAS who supports Pangaea in Malaysia, Yumi and I wrote the chapter "Intercultural Community Development for Kids around the World". As I read through, it reminded me of the old times with the description of the Langrid communication software that used to be used by Pangaea and with the article of Dr. Cho, who took her doctorate with her research of Picton, or the pictograms used by Pangaea.

I personally am interested in two keywords in the subtitle: "service" and "collective intelligence". The word "service" may be used in a general sense at various occasions but the "service" here refers to the one in the computer world. These days individuals can display latest world news or "tweets" on one's own homepage, as far as they abide by the terms of use. This became possible because of the technically common rules adopted by organizations and individuals who provide real-time information, so those communications can be understood among computers. Roughly speaking, "service" is something that is provided on these bases. People can exchange various information on the Web, not just with personal computer but with smart phones and portable game console as well, often with the use of "service" technology. Multiple "services" can be combined, just like dictionaries and machine translations are combined in the Language Grid. On the other hand, "collective intelligence" refers to the knowledge created by general public, such as Wikipedia or book review on Amazon. Pangaea has Pangaea Community Dictionary that is compiled by all volunteers online, where specific knowledge and information of the own community can be cumulated using the mechanism of "collective intelligence".

As "collective intelligence" is provided as "service", it can be more conveniently used by individual users or by the community including the cases where articles of Wikipedia being edited not just from personal computer but also from the applications on the smart phone, or Pangaea Community Dictionary interoperating with machine translation. As "services" are combined, there is a benefit such as Web system being developed in the shorter period (and hence it becomes cheaper). Pangaea Charter dictates to have "a strong interest in new technologies, and actively employ them in cooperation with researchers and associations both inside and outside of Japan." I would like to continue to get latest information on "service" and "collective intelligence" to utilize them.

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Activity Report in October 2011
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On Saturday October 29th, Webcam activity was held connecting Miedai (Mie Univ.) village, Japan and MIZY village in Seoul, Korea.
http://www.pangaean.org/blog/english/archives/2011/10/mieseoul_webcam.html

At Kyoto International School (KIS) Activity on Monday October 24th, children started the drawing of KIS Village.
http://www.pangaean.org/blog/english/archives/2011/10/kyoto_internati_5.html

Pangaea activity was held at OK Village in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, October 22nd. Children went out to take photos for their preparation of Pangaea Playing Cards.
http://www.pangaean.org/blog/english/archives/2011/10/ok_village_octo.html

Pangaea activity was also held at Kyodai (Kyoto Uinv.) Village in Kyoto, Japan on Saturday, October 22nd.Children created animation with Viscuit and sang "Maru-take-ebisu",the song of street names in Kyoto to record it as Kyodai village song.
http://www.pangaean.org/blog/english/archives/2011/10/kyodai_village.html

Yumiko Mori, Chairman of Pangaea talked at the 2nd International Conference on Culture and Computing 2011 held at Kyoto University on Saturday October 22nd.
http://www.pangaean.org/blog/english/archives/2011/10/fieldwork_of_mu.html

At Kyoto International School Activity on Monday October 17th, children took a look at the houses and rooms and sent Picton messages.
http://www.pangaean.org/blog/english/archives/2011/10/kyoto_internati_4.html