Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What resources are available to help us create Tamil web pages?

Please see: http://www.infitt.org/ti2002/competition/resources.htm

Can we use dynamic Tamil fonts?

Yes, entries with dynamic fonts are acceptable as long as they work. Sometimes, the dynamic fonts may fail because of problems with the browser, operating system etc. In that case, the judges will not be able to judge your entry.

What kind of Tamil fonts should we use to create Tamil pages?

There are two standard encodings for Tamil, TSCII and TAB. TSCII is widely used all over the world for e-mails and web pages and TAB is the standard the Government of Tamilnadu uses. INFITT recognizes both as standards. The Tamil fonts used in the competition must be in one of the two encodings recognized by INFITT (TSCII or TAB).

Can we use other non-TSCII or non-TAB fonts?

No. If the fonts do not follow the standard encodings recognized by INFITT you cannot. You MUST use a TSCII encoded font such as TSCu_Inaimathi, TSCMaduram, TSC_Paranar, etc., or a TAB encoded font such as TABAnna.

Where can I download TSCII fonts?

The TSCII fonts, tools and software can be downloaded from:

http://www.tscii.org

http://www.tamil.net/tscii/tools.html

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tscii/files/

http://www.jayansweb.com/

http://jayan.tripod.com/

You can also use one of the most popular Tamil software in the USA such as Murasu Anjal. You can download it from: http://www.murasu.com

An alternate program called E-Kalappai, is also widely used is the software bundle that contains keyboard driver and fonts. You can download it from: http://www.gbizg.com/Tamilfonts/ekalappai.htm

You can get help for TSCII related questions by joining the Yahoo Groups called tscii at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tscii

Where can I download TAB fonts?

The TAB fonts are available at: http://www.tamilnet99.org/font.htm

Murasu Anjal also support TAB fonts.

Are there any sample Tamil web pages that we can look at?

Yes, please look at the following sites for more information.

http://www.infitt.org/ti2002/competition/tscsample.htm http://www.infitt.org/ti2002/competition/tabsample.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5180/ http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5180/tscguide.html http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5180/barati1T.html http://www.intamm.com/cgi-bin/vanavil/index.pl

Where can I download information about Tamil software tools?

You can look at the following sites:

http://www.jayansweb.com/ gives a good introduction to Tamil software.

Murasu Anjal (http://www.murasu.com) is a widely used Tamil software for web browsing, e-mails and document creation.

You can download E-Kalappai to use in word processing, eMail, Internet browsing etc., at: http://www.gbizg.com/Tamilfonts/ekalappai.htm

Help for using ekalappai is available at:

http://www.gbizg.com/tamil/Using_ekalappai.htm

PDF-Adobe instructions for installing Tamil font and eKalappai are at: http://www.tamil.net/special/ekalappai3.pdf

The following link teaches you how to do eMail setup to read e-mails in Tamil: http://www.gbizg.com/Tamilfonts/Tamil-Outlook-Express.htm

What are the rules of submission?

Plase see http://www.infitt.org/ti2002/competition/rules.htm

Where can I upload the web pages?

The international panel of judges are all over the world. In order for us to judge an entry, we need to have the web pages uploaded to a web site. You can upload your pages to a server such as the following:

http://www.tamil.net 

http://geocities.yahoo.com/home/ 

http://www.topcities.com/

http://www.1hwy.com/

http://www.fortunecity.com/

http://www.tripod.lycos.com/

Or you can create them on any web server that you have access to.

How do I upload the web pages?

You will need to sign up for an account in one of the services listed above. Most of them offer limited free accounts or trial periods. Uploading pages is different for each of them. You will need to read the help in a service that you select.

Can I submit the entry as ZIP compressed file?

No. It will not be possible for us to install your web page on a web server. If you send us the web pages in a zipped file, there is no guarantee that it will look the way you want in a judge's PC. That is why it is critical to upload it to a web server. It is fairly easy to do that. That way no matter what operating system a judge is using, they can judge the website. Otherwise, you will have to e-mail massive files with images, sounds, etc., and it may not install correctly on the judge's PC.

To have a proper entry, you should upload the web pages to a web server. The sites mentioned above have help pages that describe how to do it.

How can I register for the competition?

To register, please read the legal section at http://www.infitt.org/ti2002/competition/legal.htm

Then fill the form by clicking on http://www.infitt.org/ti2002/competition/form.htm

Is there is a page limit or a space limit for the competition webpage?

There is no limit. But, please remember that a simple project with fewer pages will enable the students to focus on the content better than lots of pages with lots of pictures etc.

We are looking for entriest where the material is fresh, creative, and represents the view of school children rather than material recycled from reference material written for adults.

What else should I know?

As long as the web pages address one of the themes, an entry is eligible. This is an international competition. Best entries not only win prizes but also become part of the conference archive web pages. In addition to the top winners in the age categories, there may be honorable mention prizes that the judges may award. An adult mentor can help the students with the technical details. But we encourage you to use this opportunity to explore your creativity, sharpen your research skills and have fun learning Tamil. It is not the number of pages but the content that is important.