[sword-devel] [sword-support] Digital Bible Society Request

[Peter von Kaehne]

Hi Ken,

This here is probably something close to what you are looking for:

http://www.ibt.org.ru/english/bible/info_bible_en.htm

Created on basis of our software for Centralasian churches. Works
installed or on USB stick/DVD etc. Can play associated media. At the
moment only sound, but I am sure video is a possible useful future
extension.

Mostly Javascript.

Others are BpBible and BibleDesktop. Both run from CD/USB stick and can
provide a very straightforward, but powerful work environment. Latter is
translated into Farsi.

Further Xiphos - needs as such installation, but could be easily
captured into a Linux LiveCD/USB/DVD drive which would lead to a totally
traceless work environment.

www.crosswire.org/applications.jsp

All of these above use the same modules as basis from our repos. It is
possible to distribute them along with the programmes so there is no
need to use the internet.

The point though I am trying to make is

It is necessary to stay as flexible as possible and not be married to a
single form of delivery.

If the texts/modules/content is packaged in ways that are specific to
the one planned form of delivery, you are limiting yourself.

I personally was taken by surprise by the huge popularity of the iphone
among Iranians - I thought it was an expensive toy - but as the content
I worked on is useful for _all_ our software, once the iphone
biblereader came along all the work I did in last years was immediately
accessible.

Summary - We have ample kit already available to make your vision
practically immediately possible. We need more content. If you create
content in a custom format useful only for this one project then you are
tied to a single medium and stand+fall with the usefulness of this

If you negotiate wider permissions from content providers and create
content for our software then both your immediate vision and the long
term viability of the library is guaranteed.

This is what I would like you to think through.

Yours in Him

Peter

P.S. Just noticed Troy's email which covers some of my points. Sorry for
duplication.


Digital Bible Society wrote:
> Blessings Peter,
> 
> Thank you for the swift response.
> 
> Great to hear of your work in Farsi.  I will check it out for sure.  We have wrestled with installed software since our conception in 2001, and, since we primarily exist to serve "closed access regions" we keep being to told to keep it simple, and disk based - without the needs for pluggins - other than flash.  We are working with Iran Alive Ministries as partners for Farsi delivery and they are asking that we aim toward DVD delivery (or flash drive), totally ignore the Internet and keep the install as clean as possible.  We realize that this may limit us as to functionality.  But it has proven in China to be the best for our purposes of the widespread distribution of Scripture.
> 
> In 2010, we will be developing Arabic an Farsi DVDs that, when inserted into a DVD player, looks like a video DVD playing the Jesus Film and Hope Video. Yet, when inserted into a PC, the same DVD provides a comprehensive digital Christian library, with Bibles, audio Scriptures, videos and many books. You can see an example of how we marry audio and video in our Chinese project here:  http://www.dbsbible.com/english/ct_demo.htm. 
> 
> Our challenge is in creating a higly usable stand alone Bible Reader that is not "server-side", yet excellently provides a number of useful tools for readers to easily and quickly browse the Scriptures and Commetaries, while playing related media. Here is an example of our Chinese Bible page that incorporated audio and video http://www.dbsbible.com/ct50/Bible/CUV/b5/mat/26.htm. 
> 
> We already have a proto-type of what we are looking for, but really need the assistance of some smart javascript or jQuery experts who have a heart for the persecuted church.
> 
> As far as sitting down with you and Crosswire to explore a partnership, that would be fantastic if it is possible. Where are you located?
> 
> Ken Bitgood
> Executive Director, Digital Bible Society
> www.DigitalBibleSociety.org
> 
> 
> 
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter von Kaehne [mailto:refdoc at gmx.net] 
> Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:17 AM
> To: SWORD Support Volunteers; dbsbible at gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [sword-support] Digital Bible Society Request
> 
> Dear Ken,
> 
> My name is Peter von Kaehne.
> 
> I am one of CrossWire's volunteers. I am sure you will get a more
> official answer by Troy Griffitts, our director soon too.
> 
> May I simply say i am excited by your idea?
> 
> In fact I have been working on something of this kind for Iran for a
> while now.
> 
> We have now all Iranian Bibles and a slowly growing number of other
> resources. (Bibleatlas released, commentary in making, other teaching
> material in general pipeline)
> 
> Iran's situation is not one of continuous and immediate persecution, but
> more one of harrassment and occasional more significant outbursts, so
> installation of programmes is not per se something undesirable.
> 
> We therefore have a number of clients in Farsi - a run from the CD Java
> based Bible reader, a installable Windows and Linux compatible very
> feature complete bible reader and some software for mobile phones.
> 
> All our stuff is multi platform. We do not want to restrict our software
> and resources to one particular way of use but rather want it to be as
> responsive as we can be to new technological and societal developments.
> E.g. since release of PocketSword all our stuff is immediately available
> for iPhones which is big among Iranians. The Farsi translation of
> PocketSword's interface will follow soon.
> 
> So, I guess while our thinking right now is not totally aligned we
> should sit down together and see we can work together to achieve more.
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> Yours in Him
> 
> Peter von Kaehne
> 
> 
> Digital Bible Society wrote:
>>
>> Blesssings Crosswire Bible Study,
>>
>>  
>>
>> A happy and fruitful new year to you!   Allow me to introduce myself and
>> our organization, my name is Ken Bitgood and I serve as the Executive
>> Director of Digital Bible Society the (www.DigitalBibleSociety.org
>> <http://www.DigitalBibleSociety.org>).. Our small organization has been
>> working over the past years amassing a Chinese Christian Biblical
>> library that is being freely multiplied and distributed in China and
>> around the world.
>>
>>  
>>
>>  We have recently joined into a partnership with Voice of the Martyrs
>> (http://www.persecution.com/) and other missions organizations to create
>> a large Christian Bible library for free distribution to the Arabic
>> nations and another in Farsi for Iran.
> 
> Dear
> 
>>  
>>
>>  At the center of this project will be a Javascript only Bible (jQuery)
>> reader that is highly search-able, multi-lingual, multi-media compatible
>> working with all browsers *and requires no pluggins* – this we need to
>> do for security purposes for those working in closed access nations. 
>> While we have made some significant process in this reader, we really
>> could use some help from the best of your community.  We do have some
>> funding for this project, but we realize that this needs to be a passion
>> and a calling rather than a contract.
>>
>>  
>>
>> Is it possible for Crosswire Bible Society and Digital Bible Society to
>> link hands for the work of the Kingdom? Is it possible that Crosswire
>> has such a project in their amazing arsenal that we could work with? Is
>> it possible for you provide us a list of highly skilled developers that
>> could assist with such a project?
>>
>>  
>>
>> Thank you for your time and your wonderful work.  We look forward to
>> talking with you, getting to know you better and hopefully working with
>> your organization in the near future.
>>
>>  
>>
>>  
>>
>> Ken Bitgood
>>
>> Executive Director, Digital Bible Society
>>
>> www.DigitalBibleSociety.org <http://www.DigitalBibleSociety.org>
>>
>>  
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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