#OpenEgypt: In Memory of Ali Shaath

Fig. 1. As a small gesture, I have taken tweets from our #OpenEgypt collection and made the data visualization you see above. See in high resolution JPG ormaximum resolution PDF. The software used by Mazaika does not work with Arabic text. That is why the text is all in English.

[reposted from R-Shief]

At R-Shief, we are all very saddened by the sudden passing of our friend and partner, Ali Shaath. We worked together on several projects contributing to the open source movement. Notably, the Arab Digital Expression Foundation funded R-Shief’s most recent Arab Text Analyzer API. We only wish Ali were around to see the beginning development of the Arabic Text Analysis Engine of which he helped lay the foundation.

When I last saw him in February 2013, I could not have imagined it to be the last time. I visited Cairo mainly to discuss the open source Arabic semantic project we had begun together. While I was there, I was lucky to perform with him in “a live cinema event that merged interactive cinema, animation, visual music, and social media, with live poetry and electronic music. Our artistic intervention followed on the heels of the #OpenEgypt and #الفن_مشاع efforts to support creativity and knowledge production with free legal tools.” The video documentation of the event garnered over 32,000 hits.

All of us at R-Shief are thankful to ADEF as a partner, and to Ali Shaath for his relentless support for Arabic contributions to the open source movement. He was a progressive visionary and pioneer in Arab digital expression. We will continue to nurture that vision and carry it forward. May you rest in peace, dear friend.