COMPLETE: The Origin of Species... by Charles Darwin - NF/ge

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » May 18th, 2006, 3:52 am

Sorry for the delay - still working on my chapter.

earthcalling · Post by **earthcalling** » May 23rd, 2006, 11:41 pm

Just to let you know that Chapter 4 is recorded, and I'll be able to finish editing this coming weekend.

David

Rev. Steve · Post by **Rev. Steve** » May 24th, 2006, 11:14 am

For all of you who are feeling behind ? don?t worry TOO much ? I am so behind on my own reading and editing it is for shame ? so I am certainly not going to cattle prod any of you ? as long as you are making progress, I am satisfied.

If taking your time makes the difference between a fine recording and a great recording, I would rather wait a few extra weeks. Think of how many times your recording will be listened to when you start to think about the value of making that second recording or that last bit of editing.

On the other hand, if you are feeling overwhelmed, or like you need to release your chapter for someo

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » May 24th, 2006, 2:49 pm

I put a note up earlier in the thread which went like this (I've slightly edited it):

"I've got chapter 14 read and edited ..... but ... I've not been able to work out a suitable way to fit descriptions of the diagrams into my text. Would someone be willing to go through the text and suggest some wording (I've given references to the appropriate sections below), please?

"Diagram 5.00 in the paragraph beginning:

"I attempted also to show that there is a steady tendency in the forms which are increasing in number and diverging in character, to supplant and exterminate the preceding, less divergent and less improved forms."

"Diagram 24.22 in the paragraph/s beginning at:

"But I must explain my meaning more fully. I believe that the ARRANGEMENT of the groups within each class, in due subordination and relation to each other, must be strictly genealogical in order to be natural;"

****

So I was looking for Diagrams 5.00 and 24.22. There was a jpg of a big diagram given earlier in this thread, which I uploaded at the time. I assumed, from the way the text ran, that this was diagram 24.22.

I went to the British Library today to look for the diagrams. Unfortunately the copies of the 6th and earlier editions are stored off-site and weren't immediately available. I did have a look at a modern reprint of what seemed to be the first edition (the publishers printed a facsimile of the first edition front page as a title page). Strangely, there was only one diagram in the book. I can only assume that a) this is actually due to a slight error in the original proof-reading (so some numbered diagrams were missed out) or even in the original manuscript (that it, Darwin didn't include the correct diagrams, or referenced the diagram/s incorrectly), or b) extra diagrams have dropped out in the preparation of later editions.

Raynr has kindly put the diagram on his server:

http://www.librivox.prolegomena.org/upload/origin/DarwinChap4.jpg

So, can anyone have a look at the sections of Chapter 14 that I mentioned and have a go at describing the bits of the diagram relevant to the appropriate text, please. It's beyond me.

Thank you,

Peter

earthcalling · Post by **earthcalling** » June 26th, 2006, 10:23 pm

Chapter 4 is done (I took this over from Anita):-

http://librivox.gesine.org/earthcalling/Darwin/origin_of_species_04_darwin.mp3

Take care, it's 2h 48min long.

Something occurred to me as I was editing this. Could we create a separate file of all the chapter summaries? Someone new to the book could get a good flavour of the content by listening to that, and choose chapters to listen to in full. Just an idea....

David

Rev. Steve · Post by **Rev. Steve** » June 28th, 2006, 1:05 am

Thanks David -

I have not yet listened to your file - though I have downloaded it. I am sure that it is great. If i have troubble with it I will let you know.

Rev. Steve · Post by **Rev. Steve** » June 28th, 2006, 1:20 am

Peter ?

I have looked at the diagram you posted, and I don?t have a good description for you. The best thing I have come up with is to say that it looks something like a family tree ? but that is not an accurate description either.

If I were you I would seriously consider leaving the description of the diagram out all together. I don?t think people expect to see a diagram when listening to an audio book ? and they will understand that they will lack some understanding for the lack of ability to view the diagrams.

I think this is especially true considering that this diagram is the only one, of apparently several, that we can even manage to look up and find to describe in the first place.

I realize that this is not your ideal solution ? nor is it mine ? however I think it is the more realistic one.

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » July 2nd, 2006, 1:48 am

Steve,

I went back to my Audacity file, and found that it had been chewed up a little. Luckily, I had a pre-edit copy of the file untouched .... however, I found that I'd finished the recording too early .. at one of the section boundaries ... so I'm recording the rest of it as quickly as I can.

Two points:

1 I seem to be approximately half way through, and it's already a fraction over an hour long. Should I split it ... "Chapter Fourteen, Part One" (and two) or leave it as one lump?

2 Darwin refers to the diagram at at least three places in the text. We could include the jpg of the diagram on the archive site, and in the catalog, make a note of how much help it would be in understanding the chapter.

Peter

Rev. Steve · Post by **Rev. Steve** » July 5th, 2006, 12:37 pm

Two answers:

1) leave it as one large hunk. Keeping track of two files per chapter is already enough of a nightmare... compounding it is not a good solution. Yes ? An hour long chapter may be a lot to deal with in a single sitting as well ? but people will deal.

Mostly I will deal.

2) Sticking the image on the archive page is keen. Lets just make sure that we have a PD image.

Thanks for your time and effort.

kayray · Post by **kayray** » July 5th, 2006, 1:59 pm

Peter Why wrote: 1 I seem to be approximately half way through, and it's already a fraction over an hour long. Should I split it ... "Chapter Fourteen, Part One" (and two) or leave it as one lump?

If you're half-way through and already over an hour long, I suggest splitting it. Otherwise your finished chapter will be too long to fit on an audio cd.

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » July 23rd, 2006, 8:09 am

I'm so sorry. I'm going to have to give up my section. Either that, or I can edit the bit I've recorded (about an hour, up to the second sub-chapter) and you can find someone for the remaining chapter. i tried and tried. I've never returned a chapter, but I just cannot deal with this right now. So sorry.

Let me know what you'd like to do.

Thanks

Gesine

EDIT: I might have found a solution. Will post again v soon.

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » July 23rd, 2006, 12:00 pm

I think Gesine is willing to share this chapter with me.

Now that I have a new mic, I'm fearleSS about the old SssinessS SStuff.
Let's see... if I get a new watch, will my relationship to time improve??
Yes, at an evolutionary pace. Drat.
I'd rather punctuate my disequilibrium with time, give it a dash and take off.*

[*reference to punctuated equilibrium, the Steven Gould notion that evolution is not a steady, gradual process but one of fits and starts, a series of long periods of equilibrium punctuated with outbursts of change over relatively short spells of time]

Anita

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » July 23rd, 2006, 2:36 pm

Uhm yes. So, I mentioned to Anita feeling bad about dumping Darwin, and she amazingly insisted on sharing. So I'm going to read on a bit until I've done half. Then she'll pick up (from sub-chapter Cells of the Hive, or sthg like that). We'll name the files a and b and we'll say 'Chapter 08 part 1 and part 2' so it's clear. There would have been 2 files anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

Hope that's all right with you, Steve.

Rev. Steve · Post by **Rev. Steve** » August 2nd, 2006, 1:15 am

Well I apologize for ignoring everyone.

I just never got an email telling me there was activity here... so I never bothered to drop in.

Someday I am simply going to have to find time for things I enjoy doing again. But that is a different issue.

Ok ? to catch up:

About splitting files: Don?t do it if you can possibly avoid it. 1 file per chapter should be the most complex any file list should be. Keeping track of THAT much can be annoying, much less an A and a B, or God forbid a C portion of each file. Yes, some files will be long. We already have some files that are long. Longer than a CD even. But that is fine ? we are not making CDs for physical distribution, we are making MP3s for internet distribution.

But then I know what my opinion is worth around here.

Gesine: If I understand correctly you want to go one step further and split a chapter between two readers? I would rather that not happen ? but if there is a compelling reason I can be swayed. Let me know.

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » August 2nd, 2006, 1:43 am

Hi Steve
The compelling reason was that I don't have time to read it all. I can either share with Anita as proposed, as a compromise and because I feel very bad about claiming and then returning, esp. so late in proceedings. But if you'd rather have the chapter read by one person, I'll have to return it. Please let me know what you want to do - whatever you want to go with, is fine by me.

Regarding file length - I don't think we have any LibriVox files longer than about 70-75 minutes. At least I've never seen one. Long files are no problem for listeners with high speed internet, but a real pain for others, and impossible for those on low speeds. I think it's wrong to exclude people from listening just because they don't have the most advanced technology. While it's true that we do not currently offer CDs as part of our output (though schemes are about to put something in place - there's a project underway somewhere (on the wiki?) where some volunteers try to figure out how we can deliver CDs to people who need/want them), many people like making audio CDs out of the mp3 files they download - so they can play them in the CD player in their car for the work commute, for instance, or to give them to their grandmother, who has a CD player but not an mp3 player.
File lengths of 40-60 minutes are common LibriVox practice. I cannot follow your argument about confusion - we split chapters in many other projects. It's a little more work perhaps for the BC to keep track of more than one file per chapter, but surely not an insurmountable admin task. If you are worried about the catalogue, we can make it very clear both in the ID3 tags, the file names, and in the way the catalogue page looks, to ensure that all files play in the correct order and it is easy to see that some chapters come in different parts. Any changes to the metadata can be done once all files are in the Validator for cataloguing (where we check for consistency), so you won't need to go in and make all the changes yourself.

I hope this all makes sense. I'm not sure that I've addressed your concerns regarding file splitting, as I'm not sure to what exactly you are objecting (you just say it will be 'annoying').