ubiquity:
command the web
with language
web
mitcho
Michael Erlewine
@ Tokyo 2.0, June 2009

ubiquity

Q1. why natural language?
?
ubiquity

Q1. why natural language?
?
Q2. how natural language?
?
ubiquity

Q1. why natural language?
?

Q1. why natural language?
?

Q1. why natural language?
?
A1. for a better interface

The web is offering more and more
functionality and API’s...
...but how do you use them?

API...
...

CC-BY-SA: flickr.com/photos/daveduarte/2678853923/

CC-BY: flickr.com/photos/striatic/1629254/

?

Aza Raskin on
text-based interfaces
“...maybe this confusion isn’t the fault of
command-line interfaces in general; maybe
it’s just the command lines we’re used to. If
commands were memorable, and their syntax
forgiving, perhaps we wouldn’t be so scared
to reconsider these interface paradigms.”
CC-BY-SA: flickr.com/photos/
seanosh/3307290530/

Aza Raskin on
text-based interfaces
“...maybe this confusion isn’t the fault of
command-line interfaces in general; maybe
it’s just the command lines we’re used to. If
commands were memorable, and their syntax
forgiving, perhaps we wouldn’t be so scared
to reconsider these interface paradigms.”
CC-BY-SA: flickr.com/photos/
seanosh/3307290530/

... CUI
CUI
CC-BY-SA: flickr.com/photos/
seanosh/3307290530/

... CUI
CUI
CC-BY-SA: flickr.com/photos/
seanosh/3307290530/

therefore...
A natural language
interface

ubiquity
ubiquity.mozilla.com

without ubiquity
ubiquity

without ubiquity
ubiquity

without ubiquity
ubiquity

without ubiquity
ubiquity

without ubiquity
ubiquity

without ubiquity
ubiquity
?

goal:
how?

goal:
accomplish more
on the web
how?

goal:
accomplish more
on the web
how?
connect the web
with language

:
:

verbs*
*JavaScript

Q1. why natural language?
?
A1. for a better interface

Q2. how natural language?
?

Q2. how natural language?
?

Q2. how natural language?
?
A2. a linguistically informed parser

Localizing ubiquity
ubiquity
• Bring this interface to the world
!

Localizing ubiquity
ubiquity

Localizing ubiquity
ubiquity
• Writing a parser is hard

Localizing ubiquity
ubiquity
• Writing a parser is hard
• Principles and Parameters approach
( )

Localizing ubiquity
ubiquity
• Writing a parser is hard
• Principles and Parameters approach
( )
• a universal parser + individual
language settings

parser

parser

parser

parser
N N V

parser
N N V
goal object

parser
N N V
goal object
V ( goal, object )

Localizing ubiquity
Specify arguments by semantic role
CmdUtils.CreateCommand({
names: [\"email\", \"mail\"],
arguments: [
{role: \"object\", nountype: text},
{role: \"goal\", nountype: contact}
],
...

Localizing ubiquity
Specify arguments by semantic role
CmdUtils.CreateCommand({
names: [\"email\", \"mail\"],
arguments: [
{role: \"object\", nountype: text},
{role: \"goal\", nountype: contact}
],
...

ubiquity
(semantic roles)
CmdUtils.CreateCommand({
names: [\"メール\", \"送信\"],
arguments: [
{role: \"object\", nountype: text},
{role: \"goal\", nountype: contact}
],
...

ubiquity 0.2
with Parser 2

ubiquity 0.2
with Parser 2
Català
Dansk Português
English Svenska
Français
Italiano < your language here* >
* mitcho.com/blog/how-to/adding-your-language-to-ubiquity-parser-2/

Get involved!
ubiquity.mozilla.com
wiki.mozilla.org/Labs/Ubiquity
wiki.mozilla.org/Labs/Ubiquity/i18n
CC-BY-NC-SA: flickr.com/photos/
gsimmonsonca/3285952133/

ubiquity.mozilla.com

ubiquity
ubiquity.mozilla.com

It’s your web ...
ubiquity ubiquity.mozilla.com

It’s your web ...
your tools ...
ubiquity ubiquity.mozilla.com

It’s your web ...
your tools ...
your rules ...
ubiquity ubiquity.mozilla.com

It’s your web ...
your tools ...
your rules ...
and now, your language
ubiquity ubiquity.mozilla.com

Thank you!
mitcho
Michael Erlewine
by-nc
mitcho.com
@mitchoyoshitaka