[bksvol-discuss] Re: To Scott: News on Files in the Volunteer Workflow that Originate from Publishers as PDF
- From: "Reggie & Brooks" <regandlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:38:44 -0400
Thanks Scott. I am certain I can find things to do and I believe people
here will help if my understanding just won't get around how to do
something. Thank you so much for the bridge you provide between volunteers
and BKS, especially through all the changes which we, as human beings,
always get a little worried about when there is very likely nothing to worry
about! (smiles)
Reggie
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Scott Rains
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 12:21 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: News on Files in the Volunteer Workflow that
Originate from Publishers as PDF
Reggie,
Any answer I give about difficulty is only a guess until we start converting
the PDFs and observe the quality we get but let me clarify that there will
still be other books to work on. Keep in mind that if the RTF from PDF files
turn out to be difficult they can easily be passed over because the filename
will include "PDF."
Here is just one example of what I mean by having other books to work on.
Yesterday I received a work ticket from one of our engineers. She has made
an enhancement to Bookshare's Advanced Search that we requested for
volunteers. When the changes pass our quality analysis the feature will be
incorporated in the re-build of the Bookshare software that takes place
every two weeks. At that time, let's guess "sometime in September," you will
be able to search for only Fair or only Good quality books. Since the only
books coming into the collection now are PQ or Excellent the number of books
that are less than Excellent is stable. This new feature will give
volunteers the opportunity to take initiative in improving the quality of
the collection by upgrading books to Excellent.
There will be something particularly satisfying about this to those with a
passion for filling in the gaps or shooting for the highest quality. If
volunteers work on books from publishers we do not have agreements with the
books they improve will not be replaced in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile
the PQ pipeline will displace the remaining Good and Fair copies. That
should give us a steadily decreasing target of Fair and Good books to tackle
every month even while the total number of books in the collection grows.
Scott Rains
Benetech Fellow, Bookshare Volunteer Department
________________________________________
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Reggie & Brooks
[regandlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 8:16 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: News on Files in the Volunteer Workflow the
Originate from Publishers as PDF
Scott:
Slightly worried about the changes. As a proofer I understand I will still
get RTF files. However, will there be a lot of formatting or technical
things to do, neither of which I am very proficient in?
Curiously, Reggie
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Scott Rains
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 5:58 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: News on Files in the Volunteer Workflow the
Originate from Publishers as PDF
Mike,
Yes, now is a good time to be thinking of new potential volunteers that we
all might be able to recruit
Scott Rains
Benetech Fellow, Bookshare Volunteer Department
________________________________________
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mike and Lori Castner
[mandlcastner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 1:12 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: News on Files in the Volunteer Workflow the
Originate from Publishers as PDF
Hi Scott, your message has lots of good news. It looks like we will need
more proofers. It will be interesting to see all of this as it rolls out.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Rains" <scottr@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 11:14 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] News on Files in the Volunteer Workflow the
Originate from Publishers as PDF
> Volunteers,
>
> Yesterday staff from various departments met about volunteers proofing
> the PDF files mentioned by Jim Fruchterman and Betsy Beaumon in their
> letter to the list. Afterward Pavi Mehta, a volunteer consultant
> (Christine Lu), and I met to continue data gathering and analysis for
> the Volunteer Department strategic planning process. Following this
> Rick Costa and I touched base on the details of converting the files
> and preparing documentation for you.
>
> The first meeting established the workflow steps involved. The second
> meeting reminded us how important it is to collect data as we change
> or develop new processes. The third moved us from talk to action. This
> email is to anticipate a few questions you may have while you wait for
> these files to appear in the queue:
>
> 1) Bookshare will convert the PDF files to RTF before you receive them.
>
> After PDF to RTF conversion Rick will do some cleanup using macros he
> has written before the files are placed in the queue to be proofed.
> Files that originate as PDF will be tagged in the filename for ease of
> identification in the queue. Since the files will flow through the
> existing queue and come to you as RTF your workflow will be similar to
> working with books that originated as scans of physical books.
>
> 2) Documentation will be prepared to answer technical or workflow
> questions.
>
> You will come to recognize clusters of errors that are typical of PDF
> to RTF conversion. These will be slightly different than print to RTF
> via OCR errors. We are developing a tip sheet to alert you to what we
> have learned about typical PDF to RTF scannos. As always your further
> observations and solutions will be valuable as additions to training
> materials. Keep in mind our new file-sharing policy as you work out
> for yourselves how to take on new volunteer tasks. Your innovations
> involving teaming will be of interest to us all.
>
> 3) New data gathering practices are evolving
>
> As we roll out new ways to address the bullet points in Jim and
> Betsy's letter such as this task, textbooks, BSO of Fair and Good
> quality books, and adding metadata we will be asking volunteers to
> participate in various forms of feedback, including inviting specific
> volunteers to test processes. Details will follow as available.
>
> 4) We want to combine automation with transparency
>
> In general we are moving toward a system where it is easier to
> identify who touched a piece of work at each stage. For example, it is
> sometimes helpful for a proofer to ask a question directly to a book's
> scanner. To help with our transparency goal please adopt the practice
> of checking to see your email address is available and including notes
> to the next person in the process where appropriate. As we automate
> some procedures so we can break tasks down into smaller bits or move
> larger volumes more quickly we are working to be certain that
> automated communications are clear while real humans remain within
> easy
reach for unexpected situations.
>
> 5) Response time to questions on PDF files will vary
>
> The addition into the volunteer workflow of files that originate as
> PDF is not one of the automated processes. In fact, it will be a
> manual process falling largely on Rick at every stage. Since you will
> receive RTF files but not the PDF or a TIFF your questions referring
> back to the original PDF will be one more step requiring Rick's time.
> We are aware that this is a design bottleneck. As we test this
> workflow we may find that the best solution involves reserving these
> files for a limited number of volunteers who accept them on
> assignment. This option is under discussion but not decided upon yet.
>
>
> 6) It is too early to announce a date when converted PDF files will
> flow into the queue.
>
> A safe projection on when would be to vaguely say, "in September."
>
> Finally, everyone on the list has noted the high volume of posts. I
> think everyone appreciates the discipline it takes to try to keep up
> with that flow and to limit some of the more fun posts that are part
> of community-building. Thank you.
>
> Here, to remind us why we have been so focussed lately I recap the
> bullet points from the letter on seven newer volunteer-related items
> we are working on simultaneously:
>
> . Determining safe books to scan with our new PQ influx
>
> . Proofing PDF files
>
> . Working with new international titles, publishers, languages and
> new communities of Bookshare volunteers
>
> . Proofing textbooks
>
> . Metadata
>
> . Quality improvements
>
> . Image description
>
> Thanks for all the work you do!
>
> Scott Rains
> Benetech Fellow, Bookshare Volunteer Department
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- » [bksvol-discuss] Re: To Scott: News on Files in the Volunteer Workflow that Originate from Publishers as PDF - Reggie & Brooks
