Forum guidelines?

[neckertb]

I was thinking, it might be useful to make it clear to the potential readers where to go and what to do. I think we need forum guidelines somewhere, or a flowchart, in a visible place.

1. Do you want to read (go to 2) or listen (go to 3) or help in another way (go to 4)
2. Make sure you read this post: link to tech specs. Are we asking for a test?
3. Read this: how to PL
4. Other ways: read this

Then 2 could direct to : solo or group, where to post and how to do, a contact list by MC according to language maybe?

Something like that. I'll keep thinking about that.

now for the thousand dollar question: what are we missing before we can launch something?

[Hokuspokus]

now for the thousand dollar question: what are we missing before we can launch something?

Actually - nothing
We know where to put the files. At the moment we are all experienced readers who don't need everything spelled out.
One thing we need before we can complete a project is some sort of catalog.

But of course you are right, guidelines will be needed sooner or later.
Test recording is a good thing but I wouldn't formalize it like on LV until we are much bigger. I'd ask for the first few lines of what ever a reader would like to record.
A list MC by language might be not so wise. The MC would feel obliged to take on any request. (We will anyway, at the beginning )
That reminds me that I wanted to update my profile ...

[Cori]

I'd suggest letting the guidelines grow as needed, rather than trying to put too much in place to start with. It worked well for LibriVox.

The catalogue could be as simple as a blog, for the moment, since we could use tags for author & narrator info, etc. which makes it searchable in lots of different ways. We could also just have a single page listing all the works available, breaking that into fiction and nonfiction when needed, and then perhaps by genre when that becomes necessary -- and by that time, hopefully someone will be in the mood to write a better catalogue.

I don't think we need a test just yet (we don't have any firm technical settings required -- LibriVox's settings come from archive.org's needs.) I do think we need a launchpad where we can double-check on copyright issues before work is started -- some guidance there seems useful. (Though it's so beautifully simple really: when did the author die? +70 years ago, OK, go!)

[Hokuspokus]

I don't think we need a test just yet (we don't have any firm technical settings required -- LibriVox's settings come from archive.org's needs.) I do think we need a launchpad where we can double-check on copyright issues before work is started -- some guidance there seems useful. (Though it's so beautifully simple really: when did the author die? +70 years ago, OK, go!)

We already have a Launch Pad in place. Once something is there, we will see how we find our way around.

I think we should stick to the LV settings, because we only do works here that can't be done at LV. We know how addictive this is, so people will want to record other books and jump from LV to Legamus and back. But we don't have to be that strict with the settings here. Just point them out and tell them that is would be good to get them the LV way to avoid future problems.

The test recording is not only for the mp3 settings but also for volume, DC offset, clipping and background noise. It helps readers to get their quality as good as possible.

[neckertb]

Should we try and set up a nice little collab as a test run soon?
I'd start a solo if only I did not have two already far from completion...

[Hokuspokus]

We could do a multilingual short works collection. 5 or 10 sections, to see how things work out.

[Leni]

I was going to offer to start a solo, since I am one section away from finishing my Portuguese solo in LV. There is this Portuguese author who published all his good work in 1925 and dropped dead. Very inconvenient. He can't be recorded for LV (except for very few poems he published in magazines), but I always wanted to record one of his books. So, I could also try and record that (it's not very long), and could do all the template and stuff in English, so everybody could follow.

But the multilingual idea is also great, since we could all be involved with it, and start translating templates/disclaimers into other languages.

[kattekliek]

I'd suggest letting the guidelines grow as needed, rather than trying to put too much in place to start with. It worked well for LibriVox.

The difference is that LV started from scratch, and we have their great example now, preventing the need for re-inventing the wheel. I think we'll have to move ASAP to templates, cataloguing etc. that can handle a lot of projects. And - not like usually at my job - "ASAP" doesn't mean "yesterday" here, but "when we have appr 10 or 20 projects up and running, and Viktor's family circumstances permit him again to do some code writing for this". Could we say: appr 3 months from now?

[kattekliek]

I think we should stick to the LV settings, because we only do works here that can't be done at LV. We know how addictive this is, so people will want to record other books and jump from LV to Legamus and back. But we don't have to be that strict with the settings here. Just point them out and tell them that is would be good to get them the LV way to avoid future problems.

Smart thinking!

The test recording is not only for the mp3 settings but also for volume, DC offset, clipping and background noise. It helps readers to get their quality as good as possible.

True, having new people make such a test recording (not obligatory for the very experiences LV'ers ) can prevent a lot of problems with (much longer) first recordings 'for real'.

[neckertb]

I was going to offer to start a solo, since I am one section away from finishing my Portuguese solo in LV. There is this Portuguese author who published all his good work in 1925 and dropped dead. Very inconvenient. He can't be recorded for LV (except for very few poems he published in magazines), but I always wanted to record one of his books. So, I could also try and record that (it's not very long), and could do all the template and stuff in English, so everybody could follow.

But the multilingual idea is also great, since we could all be involved with it, and start translating templates/disclaimers into other languages.

If you are ready, go for it, Leni
Setting up the multilingual thing might take a little while, although it is a good idea too !

and I agree about the test. Most readers will probably be able to direct us to their LV test anyway.