I think your ideas are good here. I might even do it for fifty cents if I could use info I found on the net without fear of copyright violation. On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:36:10 -0500, you wrote: >Hi Mayrie, > >Hmmm, I've left your message below deliberately. I think you are right >in that the publisher Quality books do need synopses. I think that >before you decide not to submit any more books, you may want to >consider how this boycott will affect readers. The Bookshare staff >isn't going to care if you don't submit any books, just you, Mayrie. >The whole volunteer contingent would have to boycott Bookshare in order >for it to affect the staff. > >On the other hand, here's a couple of solutions. First, your >suggestion of making the submitter of the Publisher Quality books >responsible for their synopses is not a good idea because these books >come in large bunches. To make one person responsible for synopses for >all these books is, IMO unfair. > >However, there is a solution, which I think will be equitable for all. >How would it be if there was a new job created called Synopsis Hunter. >It's not as interesting as hunting for the snark, I am sure, but it is >a worthy task. Could there be a list created somewhere of these >Publisher Quality books so that a Synopsis Hunter could find them and >seek their synopses? Might I suggest that a volunteer be given $1.00 >credit for each book for which he/she found a synopsis? > >This also would require one of the staff to place synopses with their >books. this would add to their work load because the books really >should have their synopses accompanying them when they're submitted. >That allocation of staff resources should, of course be done by >Benetech admins. > >No, Mayrie, I don't think you need boycott Bookshare because they >haven't refused to fix the problem. They haven't had time to ignore >it, and they haven't even come onto the list to express an opinion or >give info either way. Now, if they refused utterly to make equitable >solutions, or if they refused to listen to you, or something like that, >then, you might have reason for a boycott. However, let's not throw >out the baby with the bath water quite yet. Give Benetech a chance to >answer us. > >BTW, I noticed that Amazonia by James Rollins is now on Bookshare. I >have downloaded this book, and plan to read it post haste. I can't >write a synopsis because I haven't read it, but Rollins is in the same >category with Preston and Child. There are several of his books >already on Bookshare. His books are excellent! They are edge of the >chair, pounding heart, non-stop science fiction/suspense novels that >will cause you to cancel all engagements, turn off your phone, put out >a Do-Not-Disturb sign on your door, and generally make it impossible >for you to do anything at all except read! Oh, you might want to pause >long enough for sustenance, as reading does require some brain power >and food keeps your brain active. > >Ann P. > >Original message: >> Hello Everyone, > >> As volunteers we are required to include at least a short synopsis >> with our submissions of books in order to have them even accepted as >> submissions. I do not like not seeing any synopses at all with the >> dozens of Publisher Quality books. If we are required to provide a >> synopsis with each book that we wish to add to the Bookshare >> collection, I think that Publisher Quality books should not be exempt >> from this requirement. > >> I don't know who is responsible for adding these new Publisher >> Quality books to the collection, but I think whoever is responsible >> for including them should also be responsible for including a >> synopsis with each book. It isn't as though anyone had to take the >> time to scan the book, or even validate it, so someone should at >> least be held accountable for providing a synopsis. > >> If I want to know if a book is of interest to me, I have to go >> seeking somewhere else a synopsis of it. That isn't impossible, but >> it is a pain, especially since we as volunteers are required to make >> the effort to include a synopsis with each book which we wish to have >> added to the Bookshare collection. Requirements should be >> requirements across the board, in my opinion. > >> I am seriously considering not submitting any more books until this >> inequity has been rectified. > >> Mayrie > >> To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to >> bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a >> list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject >> line. To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.