Eradicate the "Disclaimer" [Thread Closed]
Posted: January 20th, 2007, 9:28 pm
I love the recordings that people have made of the literature and non-fiction.
Glitteringly.
But the first time that I heard a Librivox recording, and EVERY time that I hear a Librivox recording, I am forced to listen to the annoying, completely unnecessary "disclaimer" at the beginning AND end of each mp3 file.
I quote from the FAQ:
[What is "The LibriVox Disclaimer?"
The LibriVox disclaimer is a little line our volunteers read at the beginning of every recording. It generally goes like this:
"This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org. This reading by Kara Shallenberg, www.kayray.org. A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Chapter one: Sara"
We sometimes use a short version for poems: "The Cow, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Read for librivox.org by Henry Frigon..."]
First, I thought, ah ha!, so Librivox is not some community-based project after all -- and there are hidden strings to rich funders who force the kind, compliant book-worms to advertise for their pet project, in exchange for big distribution. (A deal's a deal under capitalism, ain't it?)
But, no!?
I read the FAQ, and there is, supposedly, no money backing the whole project. [Well, there is the Hewlett Foundation hosting the MP3s, but I do not think they encourage the hideous "disclaimer"]
So that means that somehow, somewhen, the founders of this project decided to force everyone to put in the "disclaimer" garbage everywhere.
Odd.
Is there a thread anywhere that discussed removing those "disclaimer" chains?
For a project that supposedly liberates literature for everyone, for free -- you then require that everyone muck up their freshly emancipated book with that horrible "disclaimer" noise.
Not consistent -- self-defeating -- NEEDS TO GO.
I figure the reason that you'd want it in there is to:
a) advertise the site
b) "protect" the public domain recordings somehow
[I leave aside the reader's name and contact information -- which I agree should be included ONCE per recording at the maximum, with no minimum of any kind, except the full, unabridged TEXT turned VOICE]
I respond:
a) ["disclaim" to advertise theory]
While shoving the whole ugly "disclaimer" junk down everyone's ear drums, before every, single, mp3 file does effectively brainwash even the thickest listener's skullcup with Librivox.org and the ability for people to volunteer ---- this brutal method of "persuasion" is unnecessary, technically.
Everyone who loves their audio books and the place where everyone gathers to record them will make sure, at the link to the mp3, to tell everyone where it came from.
The way the web works nowadays, no one is going to find all these wonderful audio book mp3s and then be unable to track down where they were created.
This point deserves more public discussion.
b) ["disclaim" to "protect" theory]
Since you have already decided to make all the recordings totally public domain (and decided correctly, to my judgment), then perhaps people think that somehow the "disclaimer" propoganda will make the job of some evil-doer who would erase the names of the hard-working audio file creators more difficult, or some such.
The previous sentence struggles to make sense, because it is already a cockeyed mis-reasoning in the first place.
GO ALL PUBLIC
NO RESTRICTIONS
That's the correct way, never practiced today, in any sphere of life.
Only fake freedom, with garbage "disclaimer" advertising thrown in -- that's 21st century innovation for ya.
---
So, those are my first theses on a proposal to:
-- erase all the "disclaimers" from the mp3 files
-- discuss publicly how to best recommend a standardized, very very short, introduction
---
Unless someone reasonable, and actually concerned with preserving literature instead of cutesy, arbitrary, domain names arises, I propose to myself download all the recordings, erase the stupid "disclaimers" and re-post the public-domain recordings to archive.org and then start a better mirror version of Librivox.org.
I'm passionate because I care about recording literature.
(Before I found you guys, I had already recorded 10s of 10s of hours of texts and uploaded them to archive.org on my own -- I love the community, but I choose to walk alone, and straight, if necessary).
Greetings again, Librivox community -- I do indeed dearly love all the recordings people have made -- it's just that damned:
"This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org. This reading by Kara Shallenberg, www.kayray.org. A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Chapter one: Sara"
The beating of that terrible heart!!! -- EAP
---
I invite public discussion, criticism, outrage, and solution -- and I can be reached "privately" at:
workoutwellforall@gmail.com.
Best, Christian Pecaut
P.S. I was amazed, awed, delighted most and still with the Tang Dynasty poems. And specifically in this case, listening to extraneous "disclaimer" crap before majestic, formal, ancient poetry _absolutely_ destroys the ambiance and propriety necessary to properly respect the poetry. My suggestion would be to add 20 seconds of silence before each poem so that it is impossible but to hear each poem isolated unto itself. But I'll bring that the the Tang forum.
[This message was also posted for my introduction in the Newbies forum]
Glitteringly.
But the first time that I heard a Librivox recording, and EVERY time that I hear a Librivox recording, I am forced to listen to the annoying, completely unnecessary "disclaimer" at the beginning AND end of each mp3 file.
I quote from the FAQ:
[What is "The LibriVox Disclaimer?"
The LibriVox disclaimer is a little line our volunteers read at the beginning of every recording. It generally goes like this:
"This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org. This reading by Kara Shallenberg, www.kayray.org. A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Chapter one: Sara"
We sometimes use a short version for poems: "The Cow, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Read for librivox.org by Henry Frigon..."]
First, I thought, ah ha!, so Librivox is not some community-based project after all -- and there are hidden strings to rich funders who force the kind, compliant book-worms to advertise for their pet project, in exchange for big distribution. (A deal's a deal under capitalism, ain't it?)
But, no!?
I read the FAQ, and there is, supposedly, no money backing the whole project. [Well, there is the Hewlett Foundation hosting the MP3s, but I do not think they encourage the hideous "disclaimer"]
So that means that somehow, somewhen, the founders of this project decided to force everyone to put in the "disclaimer" garbage everywhere.
Odd.
Is there a thread anywhere that discussed removing those "disclaimer" chains?
For a project that supposedly liberates literature for everyone, for free -- you then require that everyone muck up their freshly emancipated book with that horrible "disclaimer" noise.
Not consistent -- self-defeating -- NEEDS TO GO.
I figure the reason that you'd want it in there is to:
a) advertise the site
b) "protect" the public domain recordings somehow
[I leave aside the reader's name and contact information -- which I agree should be included ONCE per recording at the maximum, with no minimum of any kind, except the full, unabridged TEXT turned VOICE]
I respond:
a) ["disclaim" to advertise theory]
While shoving the whole ugly "disclaimer" junk down everyone's ear drums, before every, single, mp3 file does effectively brainwash even the thickest listener's skullcup with Librivox.org and the ability for people to volunteer ---- this brutal method of "persuasion" is unnecessary, technically.
Everyone who loves their audio books and the place where everyone gathers to record them will make sure, at the link to the mp3, to tell everyone where it came from.
The way the web works nowadays, no one is going to find all these wonderful audio book mp3s and then be unable to track down where they were created.
This point deserves more public discussion.
b) ["disclaim" to "protect" theory]
Since you have already decided to make all the recordings totally public domain (and decided correctly, to my judgment), then perhaps people think that somehow the "disclaimer" propoganda will make the job of some evil-doer who would erase the names of the hard-working audio file creators more difficult, or some such.
The previous sentence struggles to make sense, because it is already a cockeyed mis-reasoning in the first place.
GO ALL PUBLIC
NO RESTRICTIONS
That's the correct way, never practiced today, in any sphere of life.
Only fake freedom, with garbage "disclaimer" advertising thrown in -- that's 21st century innovation for ya.
---
So, those are my first theses on a proposal to:
-- erase all the "disclaimers" from the mp3 files
-- discuss publicly how to best recommend a standardized, very very short, introduction
---
Unless someone reasonable, and actually concerned with preserving literature instead of cutesy, arbitrary, domain names arises, I propose to myself download all the recordings, erase the stupid "disclaimers" and re-post the public-domain recordings to archive.org and then start a better mirror version of Librivox.org.
I'm passionate because I care about recording literature.
(Before I found you guys, I had already recorded 10s of 10s of hours of texts and uploaded them to archive.org on my own -- I love the community, but I choose to walk alone, and straight, if necessary).
Greetings again, Librivox community -- I do indeed dearly love all the recordings people have made -- it's just that damned:
"This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org. This reading by Kara Shallenberg, www.kayray.org. A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Chapter one: Sara"
The beating of that terrible heart!!! -- EAP
---
I invite public discussion, criticism, outrage, and solution -- and I can be reached "privately" at:
workoutwellforall@gmail.com.
Best, Christian Pecaut
P.S. I was amazed, awed, delighted most and still with the Tang Dynasty poems. And specifically in this case, listening to extraneous "disclaimer" crap before majestic, formal, ancient poetry _absolutely_ destroys the ambiance and propriety necessary to properly respect the poetry. My suggestion would be to add 20 seconds of silence before each poem so that it is impossible but to hear each poem isolated unto itself. But I'll bring that the the Tang forum.
[This message was also posted for my introduction in the Newbies forum]