Alex Wright

The challenge

Develop a Web-based archive of the world's languages, as part of The Long Now Foundation's effort to encourage long-term thinking.

My role

Worked closely with a team of linguists and developers to frame the technical requirements for the database and associated interfaces. Developed wireframes, flow diagrams, and a taxonomy to accommodate a wide range of possible language classifications.

To date, the project has successfully cataloged over 100,000 pages of documents, as well as language recordings, for over 2,500 languages.

See also: My 2007 talk at the Long Now Foundation