Too Many Projects?

johngon · Post by **johngon** » January 21st, 2006, 9:47 am

Do we have too many projects underway? I'm just noticed a large amount of new projects - yet few actually making their way to completion? Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this?

kayray · Post by **kayray** » January 21st, 2006, 10:04 am

Yes... it does seem that way sometimes. But it kind of needs to be this way. We need to have a wide variety of "open" projects to attract new readers, and the fully-subscribed books always take forever to complete. It takes a long time for busy folks to get their chapters recorded, so we try not to hound them too soon. And then we have to chase down the ones who might have lost interest, then wait for confirmation, then re-distribute the abandoned chapters, then wait some more for _those_ readers...

Everything gets done eventually, though. :)

Kara

GordMackenzie · Post by **GordMackenzie** » January 21st, 2006, 10:29 am

We do have a big push underway at the moment to get a number of books completed by Feb 15th!

Post by **hugh** » January 21st, 2006, 11:58 am

which reminds me...recording time!

Rev. Steve · Post by **Rev. Steve** » January 22nd, 2006, 10:35 pm

Yup. I hare ya... Lots of open projects ? and logically they certainly SHOULD get finished much sooner than they do..

But which volunteer are you going to turn away? Which project are you going to sideline?

It is a necessary evil I think.

Stephan · Post by **Stephan** » January 22nd, 2006, 11:31 pm

I would like to share my thoughts on this good topic.
What difference does it make to have 10 or 40 projects running?
Does it occupy valuable rescources? No. (Betsie, Annie, Gesine, is it harder to watch 40 books, which take longer?)
Does it cost quality? No.
Do we loose Listeners or Readers with it? I don?t think so.

Just make sure to remind the "forgetters" so there is no unnescessary wait-time.
Please no hurry in a hobby-project.
I can understand that those who record fast are eager to hear themselfs in the completed book, but you can ask a certain patience from them.

Ok, i vote for 3 months completion time-rule-of-thumb, as a compromise to the impatient ones. (but know that consciously waiting for time to pass just makes it harder and creates stronger emotions)

ChipDoc · Post by **ChipDoc** » January 22nd, 2006, 11:42 pm

Admittedly I haven't been here all that long, but I don't really sit around pining over uncompleted projects. I read my bits and upload them, then move on to the next project. A lot of the books are fully subscribed, and there's really no reason to hurry folks to get them done. This isn't an instant gratification sort of thing; we're creating something for the ages! Well, at least for a few years anyhow...

These books are the sorts of things which will happen in their own good time and there's no sense in fretting over them.

GordMackenzie · Post by **GordMackenzie** » January 23rd, 2006, 6:24 am

... I don't believe we should "hurry" folks along, either.

I do think, though, that we have to set a reasonable timeframe to complete a book and then work to meet that goal. If volunteers can't (for whatever reason) complete a reading in the allotted time (I think that a couple of months to read a chapter or two is more than reasonable), then the readings should be turned over to other volunteers that have more time to do the recording.

This is nothing against those that take more time, or even those that can't get their recordings done. That's life. Each of us has committments and this is a volunteer project. Life is going to get in the way sometimes ... as it should.

I believe it is important that the Librivox catalog continue to grow at a good rate. Books like "Childhood", "Leaves", "The Spy" and "Dracula" have been open since October (or September!), and it is time we polished them off.

I don't think we should stop new projects from being started, but we have to keep a balance between encouraging new projects and ensuring that older projects get completed.

Just my 2 pennies.

BradBush · Post by **BradBush** » January 23rd, 2006, 6:34 am

I think one of the more sticky places is the going solo area. There are books in going solo that the volunteer made only a post or two, and then we have not heard from them. When do we "give up" so to speak, and take the book off the to come list?

Some of these books would make good group projects, and although I realize we can have two versions, we have a hard enough time completing one.

Brad

Aldark · Post by **Aldark** » January 23rd, 2006, 6:34 am

I would imagine many of your new readers, such as myself, haven't had much experience in this type of computer work, but rather do it for the love of literature. For almost 8years my job has been computers and how users interface them, but I have never recorded my voice for the intent of some one listening to it.

I have a learning curve playing around with Audacity and caring about pronunciation, proper reading rate, and pitch.

In a project this young you'll have this learning curve, once people get used to how it functions and have figured out when to allot time for recording I think the pace will quicken.

vee · Post by **vee** » January 23rd, 2006, 7:57 am

One problem we have when there are too many projects though, is that projects towards the bottom of the of the page, or (I haven't seen this yet) if the Readers: Wanted page goes to two pages. The more popular projects stay towards the top and get more exposure than the less popular ones, which may get relegated to page 2.

It's sort of the newspaper effect. Everyone reads the stories above the fold, and maybe on the back page (sports generally

), but the bottom half the page A2 stories are only for those really interested. Sometimes it's tempting to put a *bump* in just to get something to the top. Not that I would do something like that

thistlechick · Post by **thistlechick** » January 23rd, 2006, 8:05 am

yes, vee, that does seem to happen... i don't see anything wrong with posting a little note in a thread that says something like "How's everyone doing on their chapters" that will push it back to the top and remind everyone that it is there.

another issue is that we sign up for chapters, aren't able to get to them right away, then another book that we love gets started, and we can't not claim a chapter for that one too... as they say, so many books, so little time =)

We've tossed around the idea of, in addition to having the official "push", to delcare a day of recording... a holiday... a jamboree is the word I think Hugh used for it... we plan/schedule a day in advance, set up an online chat conference or special forum/thread for the occassion.... and as many people as possible set aside the day for recording and editing.... we check in at the conference or special forum frequently, cheering one another on and getting over the hurdles that are holding us back on certain chapters... we make a game of it and get those books completed!

heh... it'd be like the World Day of Prayer... we would know that other Librivoxians all over the world would be reading, recording, and editing at the same time!

Post by **hugh** » January 23rd, 2006, 8:29 am

one other thing to note, if it has not been yet, we do try to keep tabs on solo projects etc. so we know if the project is delayed (fine), should be opened up to public (fine), or sometimes if we get no response from the soloist. this situation is more problematic. but on the other hand we have enough group projects going that there should be enough to choose from.

the one thing I worry about most is a Book Coorodinator who abandons ship before a project finishes - and takes the completed chapters with him/her... that will be awkward.

moral: keep a copy of your recordings at least until the book is cataloged!

kri · Post by **kri** » January 23rd, 2006, 9:11 am

hugh wrote:moral: keep a copy of your recordings at least until the book is cataloged!

Oh, I keep all my recordings permanently. I'm a pack-rat

I think that jamboree one is a great idea!! I know I get burned out if I do anything with recording/editing for more than a few hours. I think part of it is the lack of interaction with people for so long a time, which is how I inevitably head in the direction of the forums

I like the idea for an online chat/conference for little breaks here and there. If this was planned, then I could make sure that I get everything that needs getting done before this day so I can devote a day to it.

It seems to me a good thing to have so many projects open. This gives people options, and plenty of things to read. We'll always have our Aesop's Fables, or Wind in the Willows that get claimed up and recorded really fast. Then there'll be the ones that are more difficult, and are less popular.

We're all doing this because we want to, and nothing's going to happen if a project gets started and never completed. It's not like homework (which I should be doing) that HAS to get done. We want to meet our goals, but not at the expense of fun

Relax, and have fun!!

Post by **hugh** » January 23rd, 2006, 12:22 pm

if anyone wants to do it, please feel free to organize a recording "jamboree" (I keep coming up with silly names for things cause I can't think of anything better and then next thing you know they seem to ... persist - if someone has a preferred name, please change & use that).

anyway, if someone has time and inclination, you are more than welcome to organize some kind of interactive recording/editing session ... It might even help me get some of my recordings done.

hugh.