The Libritzer

Comments about LibriVox? Suggestions to improve things? News?
johngon
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Post by johngon »

*hides in the corner after realizing what kind of storm he brewed...*
LenLen
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Post by LenLen »

a.r.dobbs wrote:Maybe Spotlight On . . . can cover some of that territory.
I like this idea.
MermaidMaddie
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Post by MermaidMaddie »

a.r.dobbs wrote:Oh, I have a brilliant Idea if I do say so m'self . . .
Let's have a Random Reading featured each week.
From among all the works that have not been otherwise featured,
somehow a completely arbitrary reading is selected -- truly randomly.
I really like this idea a lot!
(Though I don't know how the specifics would work to make it truly random.) but I love the idea behind it...introducing us to something we might otherwise never have the time (or chance) to listen to.

But I guess it is the same idea as behind the "Featured Weekly recording" kri is doing, the only difference being that one is random and one is driven by people choosing their "favorites".
On both counts, i like the main idea idea--bringing recordings to listeners' attention that they othewise probably wouldn't listen to. That was sort of one of my big driving forces when doing the sampler for the anniversary special. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm usually so busy spending time on the forums or doing something volunteer-related, that I hardly take the time to actually actually listen all the way through to our catalogued projects. I'm only listening if it's something I am working on (proof-listening, coordinating, etc.)
I always seem to have a list of titles I want to listen to, but "never get the chance" to. Doing the sampler, I really enjoyed, even though it was just working with short snippets, hearing some of the variety we have here.

ok, back to the general topic....I agree with what Betsie had to say (i.e., having ways recognize contributions other than recording. There is so much that goes into LV besides the recording.)

How about "Most patient with newbies."
"MC you can always go to with a stupid question and they won't make you feel stupid for asking" (Though, that would have several winners, because several of the MCs/admins go out of their way to be nice and welcoming and not make newbies feel stupid for making typical newbie mistakes.) :D
"Person who never gets grouchy or impatient on the forums" (Definitely not me...I think everyone has their moments, since we're human, but I have to say there are some folks here who are really good at letting things roll off them. ) Like that guy who came on and declared only English folks should be "allowed" to read books by British authors. I was amazed at everyone's Zen-like way of acting like the guy hadn't been totally rude and insulting. (I, wisely, didn't comment in that thread because I do not have that kind of tolerance for rudeness or ignorance.)
ok, going off-topic again... :roll:

Back to the idea of "awards"..while some people might feel confident that their recordings are the greatest thing since sliced bread :roll: , most of us probably aren't. I, for one, am a painfully shy person in "real life", and it's only because of my passion for the project (and the somewhat anonymous online environment,) that I am able to share my own recordings, which I feel very self-conscious about. (Sort of) like kri said, making things feel too "competitive" can actual discourage people rather than encourage them...many of us less-confident people might feel bad, when we are doing the best with what we have. That being said, I do still like this thread's basic idea. (The...shoot I already forgot the name...Libritzers) :)

I totally get what Betsie says and think the...Libritzers should, as many people have said, be done in the spirit of fun. many ideas have already been suggested that don't revolve just around praising the people who make the "prettiest-sounding" recordings (those folks probably already know their recordings are great anyway)...so I think this idea still has enough merit to explore further, just being careful not to make it feel like a "popularity contest." Like with the anniversary suggestions...let's focus on the "spirit" of LibriVox. Only a small percentage of us are professionals (or have the money to buy equipment to make us sound like one)

Anita (and, I'm sure, others...I can't see the first page and my memory sucks) have made some fun suggestions already for offbeat, positive, fun "awards" categories that have nothing to do with being "the best reader." so I do think this could be fun. I'm throwing in my wholehearted agreement with emphasizing the "fun" and not the competitive aspect of things.

And that's my...well, way too much to be my 2 cents...I think it was about my $1.02 worth. :)

The Lib...goshdarnit I hate having impaired short term memory, it's the 3rd time I've had to look up the name... :evil: ...Libritzer for long-windedness, though, would have to be a 3 way tie between Anita, myself, and Alan (cloudmountain....as the newest contender) :P

Of course, most people in today's world are so impatient/have such a short attention span that they might've already missed 90% of what this thread was about anyway...how about an award for shortest-winded person too :lol:
[color=green]"Elphaba, where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true...we call it 'history'. "[/color]

[url=http://librivox.org/wiki/moin.cgi/MermaidMaddie][color=purple]MermaidMaddie's Wiki Page[/color][/url]
kristin
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Post by kristin »

I agree with Maddie. Anything that makes recordings more accessible or visible is a possitive. There are a number of things I mean to listen to but never quite get there. And a number of things I would just never listen to as I don't think they would be of interest to me. However, when things are served up with a handy little link, I just can't resist clicking it. (Most resently that 327? volume history thing, which I actually found interesting.)

As to the suggestion of people nominating their own recordings, I see some possible problems there. I wouldn't be confident enough to do it. I don't think my recordings are too bad, but to say, "Here everybody listen to this it's great and I think it deserves an award." Ok, so maybe that is extreme but it is how I would feel and I wouldn't be comfortable doing it.

Oh, how to choose something randomly. Is there a complete list of all the catalogued things somewhere? If there is someone who was really good with excel, they could put them in and make some sort of little program thing to randomly generate one with a single click. I know it can be done because my husband made something like that to randomly generate character names (first and last) because I always have trouble coming up with them when I'm writing. He put in lists from census records and I don't remember what I had to click but it put the names in one of the cells at the top of the lists. Digressing... sorry... Unfortunately I don't know how he did it.

I think fun is the way to go. I'll just nominate myself right now for worst speller and most run-on sentences. :D
Starlite
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Post by Starlite »

thistlechick wrote:
kri wrote:... so that someone like me will never be featured unless there is a category for "most annoying speech impediment".
Oh Betsie, Where's the hug icon? I find the whislting s'ss very endearing. :)
"Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable
people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress,
therefore, depends on unreasonable people." George Bernard Shaw
earthcalling
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Post by earthcalling »

This is a wonderful thread, very thought-provoking, very remindful of why we're all here and what makes this community tick.

How about starting with a simple solution, and see what direction it goes in?

For example, a thread in 'Suggestions, Comments...', perhaps called 'Thanks and Recommendations' (or something less prosy - 'The Libritzer Corner', 'The Pat on the Back', or whatever). Completely free-form, so anything you think deserves a mention can go there, whatever it be. Some people might phrase theirs as an award or nomination ('The most endearing sneeze'; 'The quickest delivery'; etc.), others might just want to thank someone publicly, and others will post links to favourite projects or readings. Room to say as much or as little as we like.

David
kri
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Post by kri »

thistlechick wrote: if all of the focus is always on the readers we're giving the impression that all of the other volunteer activities aren't as valuable and that the only way to be recognized is to be a stellar reader... which most of us are not.
But Betsie, you misunderstand my purpose in doing the weekly featured recording. I did not say I would be choosing "the best" recordings. They aren't either the worst or the best, and I'm not making any judgements about the quality of the featured pieces versus the rest of the catalog. The whole point is to highlight certain recordings based upon their strengths (and they all have strengths to some degree or another).

Why would you think one of your recordings wouldn't be featured? Anyone's recording could be featured, if someone liked it enough to give really convincing reasons and suggest it in the thread. Plus, I like your recordings, you don't give yourself enough credit :P

As far as the focus on the readers....I don't know quite what to do about that. I mean, that's what LibriVox is at its base. People reading audio books. Every contribution to LibriVox is valuable, especially coming from people who don't volunteer by reading. We're always needing more proof listeners, BCs, people with ideas and the energy to follow them through. However, I honestly don't think some random person visiting the LibriVox home page for the first time cares about the great job so and so did on such and such. Maybe if they return, and it's even more likely that they'll care if they get involved in the community...

This doesn't mean I'm saying that I don't think we should encourage and compliment our fellow volunteers for doing a good job. It just has a different space than the weekly recording, and a different purpose.
KATWAL
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Post by KATWAL »

KUDOS! BRAVO! KUDOS!

"Surviving the Testiest Tongue Twister"

I nominate Kelly Bershere. (Sorry if I've slaughtered your last name).

She had to read the definition of Radium from Gidion Wurdz' Dictionary . (Check it out. It was no small fete.) I don't know if you had to do retakes Kelly but, WELL DONE!

(Which one of these smiley faces would do for a bow??) Eh, I'll give you a wink. :wink:

Katwal
rachelellen
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Post by rachelellen »

I'm very new here, but I will venture to say that one of the things I like about Librivox is that unlike most other Internet forums, I don't sense any kind of elitism here. There's no group of Really Important Members with a kind of fan-club thing going on around them (if you don't know what I'm talking about you've never been to, say, dpchallenge.com ;). There ARE readers here who I think do an absolutely phenomenal job and could do this professionally. To me, to single those people out on the site would do a disservice to "the rest of us", the merely competent people who love the idea of volunteers reading books for others regardless of skill level and who are willing to put ourselves out there even though we know we aren't exactly professional-quality readers. I think focusing on readers' skill levels (in contrast to the attitude I sense here of "hey, we're all just having a good time getting these recordings out there and by no means do you have to have any special skills beyond willingness and basic competence in order to participate") would probably intimidate a good number of readers away from doing recordings at all.

Just this newbie's two cents.
Starlite
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Post by Starlite »

KATWAL wrote:KUDOS! BRAVO! KUDOS!

"Surviving the Testiest Tongue Twister"

I nominate Kelly Bershere. (Sorry if I've slaughtered your last name).

She had to read the definition of Radium from Gidion Wurdz' Dictionary . (Check it out. It was no small fete.) I don't know if you had to do retakes Kelly but, WELL DONE!

(Which one of these smiley faces would do for a bow??) Eh, I'll give you a wink. :wink:

Katwal
Wow that was amazing!
:D
"Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable
people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress,
therefore, depends on unreasonable people." George Bernard Shaw
metal.lunchbox
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Post by metal.lunchbox »

I'm not wild about the idea of awards but I would like to see another level of organization in the catalog- having a few featured recordings related by theme, and a selection of the most popular recordings. This avoids all judgements so that we can all go on recording without being nervous, but it still generates interest and motivation. This would also help to navigate a growing catalog which is already overwhelming for first time visitors to the site who face a list of over 300 completed works. I suspect that's part of the motivation for distinctions like awards.

I realize this idea is straying a bit from the topic but the forums seem to be a bit messy these days anyways
James | [url=http://librivox.org/wiki/moin.cgi/JamesSmith]LV Wiki Page[/url] | "Tout et n'importe quoi mais surtout n'importe quoi" - Basile
kri
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Post by kri »

metal.lunchbox wrote:I'm not wild about the idea of awards but I would like to see another level of organization in the catalog- having a few featured recordings related by theme, and a selection of the most popular recordings. This avoids all judgements so that we can all go on recording without being nervous, but it still generates interest and motivation. This would also help to navigate a growing catalog which is already overwhelming for first time visitors to the site who face a list of over 300 completed works. I suspect that's part of the motivation for distinctions like awards.

I realize this idea is straying a bit from the topic but the forums seem to be a bit messy these days anyways
I had been (lost the motivation) doing a weekly featured recording. I took suggestions from whoever wanted to make them, and chose first the suggestions that were the most articulate in why they thought the work should be featured. Again, I lost the motivation to continue doing it, and figured why keep on if I wasn't having fun. However, the project will continue if someone chooses to take over from me.
a.r.dobbs
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Post by a.r.dobbs »

kri, I think there are two great things about your Feature of the Week project:

1) The way you set it up: everyone could recommend and write about their recommendation, and you would choose (no committee, no poll) based on the recommendations. It was simple, clear, clean, easy, and great. You also mixed in themes now and then, and it felt just right.
I will say, every time I looked for it I had to search awhile. Here's the link:
http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3101

2) The fact you stopped when you wanted to: I think it's wonderful to begin a project and try out how it could work, actually make it work, and then step away from it when you don't feel like running that particular show any more.

I think it's important to know that initiative can be rewarding and doesn't have to become a burden. Live free!

[I will note, however, how grateful I am that jimmowatt hasn't (apparently) become tired of the community podcast!!! :D]
Anita
kri
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Post by kri »

a.r.dobbs wrote:kri, I think there are two great things about your Feature of the Week project:

1) The way you set it up: everyone could recommend and write about their recommendation, and you would choose (no committee, no poll) based on the recommendations. It was simple, clear, clean, easy, and great. You also mixed in themes now and then, and it felt just right.
I will say, every time I looked for it I had to search awhile. Here's the link:
http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3101

2) The fact you stopped when you wanted to: I think it's wonderful to begin a project and try out how it could work, actually make it work, and then step away from it when you don't feel like running that particular show any more.

I think it's important to know that initiative can be rewarding and doesn't have to become a burden. Live free!

[I will note, however, how grateful I am that jimmowatt hasn't (apparently) become tired of the community podcast!!! :D]
Thanks Anita :)
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