Yiddish Rube Goldbergeray

Besides the newer Unicode applications, there are many methods of sharing Yiddish text electronically; i.e., email and other documents. Some of these methods are easy; others are slightly cumbersome and/or imperfect, fondly dubbed "rubegoldbergeray" by Noyekh Miller, an active Yiddishist on the Internet. (Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist and sculptor who was famous for designing complicated, convoluted machines which did work, at least theoretically.) If you know of a method which is not listed below, please click here to participate in the online discussion in UYIP (Understanding Yiddish Information Processing). The UYIP Home Page offers current details and links to related sites, both technical and user oriented.

All joking aside, these methods are often needed to help in converting text which was not typed in the uniform Unicode format and to solve a variety of Yiddish computing needs. Following are some workable options that are currently in use. You can read more about all of the mentioned programs from the UYIP Home Page. A brief explanation of the Yiddish Typewriter, its special role, and a few helpful hints are linked here.

Create Unicode with basic tools without purchasing software.
Advantages: Straightforward. Potentially universal.
Disadvantages: Universality between systems (e.g., Mac vs. Windows) is under development. Click here for instructions.

Scan a handwritten Yiddish document and send it as a GIF email attachment. (Morrie Feller)
Advantages: No need for special software. Easy to receive. Warm feel of seeing handwriting. Fast if you have a modern scanner with an email-button (which can be set to default to your email program and to output to a GIF or JPG file type.)
Disadvantages: Non-electronic, non-searchable text.

Create Unicode by conversion from QText or other programs.
Advantages: Ability to use customized (e.g., phonetic) keyboard layouts.
Disadvantages: Paragraph and line breaks don't hold from QText to Unicode. Also, does not work for multi-language documents. Click here for details and how-to guide regarding QText.

QText (or other WP program) - Send a QText file as an email file attachment.
Advantages: It's easy. Also, one has all of the functionality of your word processing program of choice.
Disadvantage: Both people (the sender and the receiver) must have the same program.

Create a private website using QText (or other program) GIF-Yiddish and upload the message to a private URL address which you send to the receiver via Email.
Advantage: If you create the website as a GIF image, anyone can read it, regardless of type of hardware or software. An email alernative if you're having compatibility problems (eg, between an older Mac and Windows).
Disadvantages: The writer must have a website. It's not always exactly private. Also, the receiver cannot necessarily reply in Yiddish.

Cut/Paste from QText (or other WP program) to the Yiddish Typewriter; then, use the Yiddish Typewriter to transform the text into a PDF file. Send the PDF file as an Email file attachment. See notes about creating a PDF file.
Advantage: You can send Yiddish Email between operating systems (Mac/IBM).
Disadvantages: It takes a couple of steps, albeit not difficult. Also, the receiver must know how to create and send a reply, e.g., to use the Yiddish Typewriter.

Use the Yiddish Typewriter to create a PDF file and send it as an Email file attachment. See notes about creating a PDF file.
Advantages: You can send Yiddish Email between operating systems (Mac/IBM). You don't need to purchase any special programs.
Disadvantages: One must type in transliteration, including awkward formatting codes if desired, and then transform it into Yiddish text only afterwards, foregoing the joy of typing in Yiddish letters. Also, the Yiddish Typewriter is primarily a tool for converting Yiddish text between formats; it is not intended to carry all of the functionality of a word processing program.

Cut/Paste from QText (or other WP program) to the Yiddish Typewriter; then, use the Yiddish Typewriter to transform the text into a GIF file. Send the GIF file as an Email file attachment. See notes about creating a GIF file, below. See notes about using the Yiddish Typewriter with output from QText.
Advantage: You can send Yiddish Email between operating systems (Mac/IBM). GIF files may be smaller than PDF files.
Disadvantages: It takes a couple of steps, albeit not difficult. You can only convert text which is as long as what you can view at one time in the Yiddish Typewriter; so longer messages must be converted in multiple parts. Also, the receiver must know how to create and send a reply, e.g., to use the Yiddish Typewriter. Note: You cannot create a GIF file on the Yiddish Typewriter if you access it using Internet Explorer - You must use Netscape. In Explorer, you can only create a BMP file, which has a larger file size.

Use the Yiddish Typewriter to create a GIF file and send it as an Email file attachment. See notes about creating a GIF file, below.
Advantages: You can send Yiddish Email between operating systems (Mac/IBM). GIF files may be smaller than PDF files. You don't need to purchase any special programs.
Disadvantages: One must type in transliteration, including awkward formatting codes if desired, and then transform it into Yiddish text only afterwards, foregoing the joy of typing in Yiddish letters. Also, the Yiddish Typewriter is primarily a tool for converting Yiddish text between formats; it is not intended to carry all of the functionality of a word processing program. Further, you can only convert text into a GIF which is as long as what you can view at one time in the Yiddish Typewriter; so longer messages must be converted in multiple parts. Note: You cannot create a GIF file on the Yiddish Typewriter if you access it using Internet Explorer - You must use Netscape. In Explorer, you can only create a BMP file, which has a larger file size.

Cut/Paste from QText (or other WP program) to the Yiddish Typewriter; then, use the Yiddish Typewriter to transform the text into a file format that your recipient can use with a program that you know they have. Send the resulting text by cut/paste into the body of an Email message. See notes about using the Yiddish Typewriter with output from QText.
Advantage: You can send Yiddish Email between operating systems (Mac/IBM).
Disadvantages: You must know, and keep track of, what file format(s) each recipient can read. It takes a couple of steps, albeit not difficult. The conversion might not be perfect.

Use the Yiddish Typewriter to create text in a file format that your recipient can use with a program that you know they have. Send the resulting text by cut/paste into the body of an Email message.
Advantages: You can send Yiddish Email between operating systems (Mac/IBM). You don't need to purchase any special programs.
Disadvantages: One must type in transliteration, including awkward formatting codes if desired, and then transform it into Yiddish text only afterwards, foregoing the joy of typing in Yiddish letters. Also, the Yiddish Typewriter is primarily a tool for converting Yiddish text between formats; it is not intended to carry all of the functionality of a word processing program. Further, You must know, and keep track of, what file format(s) each recipient can read. It takes a couple of steps, albeit not difficult. The conversion might not be perfect.