[bksvol-discuss] Re: Sad decision

  • From: "k4zq" <k4zq@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 20:16:56 -0500

Hi Mickey,

You know that I am pretty new to this whole Bookshare thing, but let me just share a bit with you.

Seems to me that Bookshare is in flux at the moment. However, the staff positions seem to be getting filled.

Whenever I look at the news at the top of the bookshare page, the number of available books keeps going up. The only conclusion I can reach is that somebody is doing something.

Sounds as though you have a lot of books that are ready for approval, but it's taking time. Well, in my short time, I've picked up three books for validation; 1 wouldn't upload when I finished it, 1 had missing copyright info, and each chapter was in a different file, and the last one has missing pages. It is also an earlier edition of a book whose newest edition is coming out in 2006. It also is only half the book since it is in 2 volumes, and only vol I is available.

Frustrating, right. Besides, I have a hell of a lot of things I could be reading. At this point, I'm waiting for some comments on the list to see whether I should proceed with this validation, or just reject the book and hope for a later scan.

fifteen hours a week is a lot of time to be putting into an activity which seems to be bearing little fruit. Might I suggest that you just back off considerably, say to 3 hours a week or so, rather than just going away. It may seem that your work for Bookshare is not appreciated, but that's not so at all.

Bookshare is primarily our organization, and it always will be what we make it. The professional staff can only do so much, and the rest is up to us to keep it growing. That means that whatever anyone does as a volunteer is an important contribution.

I can't fault you for wanting to get on with other things, and I can't fault you for your frustration with the number of books you have ready for approval. Guess I'm saying, don't go from one extreme to the other. Get on with your work as a proof reader and medical transcriber, but don't give it up altogether on Bookshare.

My apologies to the rest of the list, but I think per haps what I said to Mickey may be of benefit to others. I know I thought it was pretty cool.

"Of all the things I've ever lost, I miss my mind the most."
Ernie
----- Original Message ----- From: "mickey" <micka@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 3:46 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Sad decision



HHi, Scott.

I would bet, first of all, that I have 15 books in the admin queue. I've done several books, which were already in the admin queue, so they didn't need two copies.

I believe in Bookshare, would like to work for it, but can't spend 10 or 15 hours on a book, to find that it got approved the day before I finished it. That tends to be very discouraging.

I am a proofreader by profession, and keep busy with that and my course. Maybe it's time to just work on that.

I'll keep looking to see if anything I've done needs extra work.

I hope to be back soon.

Mickey

----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott Blanks" <scottsjb@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 3:39 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Sad decision



I'm curious to know how the validations were a waste of your time? I'm asking mostly because I didn't understand your explanation. What has disappointed you?

Scott


----- Original Message ----- From: "mickey" <micka@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 11:32 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Sad decision



Hi, Group.

This is my third year of volunteering with Bookshare. I think it's a great source of wonderful reading material of all types.

However, I know that the Palo Alto center is understaffed, that they're behind. But in the past month I've validated or nearly validated books that were in the administrative queue, which ended up being a total waste of my time. I read a book thoroughly, making corrections when I can as well as spellchecking.

It's impossible to know what is being done, or what has been done--both for the scanner and the validator.

I'm taking a course in medical transcribing, plus working, and can't afford to spin my wheels.

So, for now, I'll stop volunteering. I'll keep abreast of things, in case things get better, but I'm returning the books I've taken to validate.

It's been good working with you all. Thanks.

Mickey

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