[bksvol-discuss] Re: Sturgeon is done!

  • From: Mayrie ReNae <mrenae@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 09:21:26 -0700

Hi Bud,

Page numbers are not deleted, just moved to the proper file in the daisy books. You're doing things properly. Don't worry.

Mayrie

At 09:02 AM 5/21/2008, you wrote:
Now I'm confused again which actually isn't very hard to do. Do I understand that the page number will be deleted by the stripper if it is above a chapter title even though there is a blank line between page number and chapter title? I've been doing this for three or four years and I stilll am unclear about several things as different people keep coming out with different and conflicting suggestions. It's too bad that staff doesn't come out with a complete manual with everything spelled out clearly. I know there is a manual, but it doesn't seem to be very complete. It seems that nobody completely understands that terrible stripper. Didn't mean to rant on agbout this, I just want to turn in as good a scan as I know how to do.
Thanks for listening. That sounds like an old time radio show.

BudAt 06:31 AM 5/21/2008, you wrote:
Hi Bob,

I just wanted to clarify that putting the page number above the chapter heading or story title when page numbers appear at the tops of pages throughout the book will only strip page numbers above chapter titles, not all page numbers. I understand and understood what you meant, but worry about confusing people. What you said kind of sounded as though you were saying that all page numbers will be stripped when they appear at the tops of pages. I think that possibility might terrify some people, in fear of their long lost page numbers. Fear not, all page numbers do not disappear when they appear at the tops of pages. I'm not criticizing, or disagreeing with you, just clarifying, that's all. Hope you don't feel criticized. I'm just trying to head off stark terror before it runs rampant as folks fear for the loss of all page numbers at the tops of pages.

So glad you have found the solution to the frustrating issue of the stripper. Want to know something? Are you sitting down? I'm one of those crazy folks who moves all page numbers to the tops of pages if I don't know who will be validating my submissions. I live in fear of the stripper foiling another volunteer who doesn't know that stray page numbers above chapter headings are not junk and takes them out, thinking they're being conscientious. So, I'm nuts, admittedly. But I make sure that we foil the stripper and keep chapter headings. I'm not advocating this for everyone. Just noting what a headcase I am about making sure the stripper can't win!

 Peace,
Mayrie

At 06:15 AM 5/21/2008, you wrote:
I think, if the page numbers are at the top the book will be ok, but the page numbers will be stripped.

If the page numbers are at the bottom, then some text, like a page number at the top will protect the chapter heading or story title.

I hope this makes sense.

Bob
----- Original Message ----- From: "Silvara" <silvara@xxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 8:06 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Sturgeon is done!


Ok, since this worked, my conclusion is that no matter where the page number is located bottom or top, put in a page number. Would you agree?

Usually I put a page number when the numbers are on top, the gray area came in when page numbers were at the bottom. But since there were no adverse affects with your experiment, that's what I'll do from now on.
*****
Grace

Please sponsor me in the march for independence, Walk for Opportunity in Dallas Texas. Any amount will help, no matter how small.
Proceeds benefit the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan institute.
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----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob" <rwiley@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "bookshare volunteer discussion" <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 8:50 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Sturgeon is done!


I am gloatingly, graciatingly grateful to report that the three Theodore Sturgeon books are finally in the collection with story titles still in tact. I'd like to summarize the process I went through to solve this particular problem. And many of you can rightfully say, "I told you so." I want to describe the problem and it's resolution while it is fresh in my fading memory in hopes it may assist others when confronted with a similar difficulty. Consider this a "lessons learned" message.

The problem. When looking at the three collections of stories by Mr. Sturgeon that had recently been put into the collection, I noticed that the story titles were all missing. Carrie was kind enough to send me the three books that were uploaded to the collection. These three books had story titles in tact. Therefore, the dreaded (expletives deleted) stripper was the culprit.

Solution1. I thought "well, the poor stripper needs something to strip besides story titles". So I globally changed all the page marks to paragraph mark, page break and paragraph mark combinations in the book. Unfortunately, when I sent the books back to be re-uploaded, they appeared with the story titles missing. Therefore, the stripper ignores mere paragraph marks at the top of a page and strips the next line instead. I am still unclear why the stripper doesn't strip non story titles top lines, but it doesn't.

Solution2. I went through the books and at the top of each page with a story title on it, I manually typed in the page number. This particular book had page numbers at the bottom of the page, and, for consistency sake, I probably should have moved all the page numbers to the top of the page. But, I am adverse to tedious work, so moved only the page numbers on the pages with story titles. When these books were uploaded to the collection, the story titles were in tact. Problem solved.

Lessons learned. I have developed a healthy respect for the filthy stripper. It is an awesome, but flawed tool. It attempts to strip repetitive text from the tops of pages, and, usually, does a pretty good job. It's the exceptions that cause the problem. Henceforth, when confronted with a book that has story titles or chapter headings at the top of the page, I will put the page number on a separate line at the top of those pages. this will be one of the automatic checks that I make when validating a book. In the documentation, this is called "protecting chapter headings". I never really knew what that phrase meant. Now I do.

Finally, and more importantly, I have learned that bookshare is not going to support us when we run into difficulties with this sort of problem. As volunteers, we are pretty much on our own. Despite calls for clarification on this problem by many of us here on this list, Carrey was the only staff member who responded to this problem, and she was as ignorant as I was about the cause. Butt, deep down, bookshare just flat doesn't care. Either they don't read this list, which is a shame, or they don't care, which is a worse shame.

I realize that we would most likely get more respect if we had a thirty million dollar grant to offer, but all we have is time to work on books, and a love of reading, and our pride in a job well done.

In one of my earlier posts I stated that I was not going to validate any more books until a staff member responded with some help on this problem. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that this isn't going to happen, but this particular problem is solved, so it's back to validating for me.

My only question is, how many books are now in the collection with chapter headings stripped because the scannor and validator didn't know how to solve this problem? Hopefully none, probably some, but possibly many.

Bob
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has."--Margaret Mead

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Bud Schwab
W 6 Z Y P
Malibu, California


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