[bksvol-discuss] Re: Publishers and Bookshare As a Library

  • From: "Kim Friedman" <kimfri11@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:10:02 -0800

Hi, Jackie, when it comes to audiobooks, I prefer the human-read variety.
Because I have a Braille notetaker, I can download stuff in brf or US-ASCII
(plain text) and read it myself on my notetaker in Braille. I realize that
not everybody has this option and I admit to being picky. I don't like texts
being mispronounced, but if I am reading something in Braille, what I read
may be subject to my mispronunciation (grin). Regards, Kim Friedman. 

-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jackie McBride
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 7:25 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Publishers and Bookshare As a Library

The truth is, most sighted folks find synthetic speech both monotonous &
unintelligible, not to mention annoying when it pronounces words
incorrectly. So the only ones who'd really be using it are the 1's who
actually need it due to disability. I mean, seriously--if I could just pick
up a book & read it, that is precisely what I'd do. When sighted folks do
read audio books, it's usually while driving, & they definitively want the
nice narration, not eloquence reed or something similar. Even the nicer
voices don't have the kind of inflection most people want.

On 12/12/09, Julia <julia.kulak@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I agree with Roger. While I definitely prefer human speech, I listen 
> almost exclusively to synthetic speech. I download a lot of books from 
> bookshare, although I also download from Bard. I like niospeech Kate 
> on my book sense, although I'm hoping this latest firmware version 
> that's coming out hopefully soon will address the words that aren't 
> pronounced correctly, although I've gotten used to that too.
> Julia
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Roger Loran Bailey" <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx>
> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 9:34 PM
> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Publishers and Bookshare As a Library
>
>
>>I can't say that I prefer them, but they are still just fine with me. 
>>I have gotten used to them. If I am listening to a book read by the 
>>Victor Stream's Samantha and concentrating on the content of the book 
>>itself I tend to forget that a synthetic voice is reading it. I almost 
>>may as well be reading it with my own eyes like I used to.
>> "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do  
>>because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B.
>> Anthony
>>
>> The Militant:
>> http://www.themilitant.com
>> Pathfinder Press:
>> http://www.pathfinderpress.com
>> Granma International:
>>  http://www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Soronel Haetir" <soronel.haetir@xxxxxxxxx>
>> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 9:21 PM
>> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Publishers and Bookshare As a Library
>>
>>
>>>I for one prefer TTS (at least with modern high quality voices) to  
>>>human narration.  Humans do not speak fast enough for my tastes.
>>> While there are tools that can do a certain amount of speed change  
>>>without pitch change that is just too much work to be worth it for me.
>>>
>>> On 12/12/09, Valerie Maples <vlmaples@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>> I have to agree with Judy. As a matter of fact, Nichole would never 
>>>> listen to a synthetic voice until the acapella voices that are now 
>>>> available on
>>>>
>>>> her
>>>> device. I don't know anyone who prefers TTS over audio books and 
>>>> most are more than willing to pay for the alternative. The only 
>>>> people who learn to accept TTS are those who need a wider range of 
>>>> books or budget constraints make the other alternative 
>>>> unaffordable. Then there are people with auditory processing 
>>>> disorders who do not even acknowledge TTS as speech as it is 
>>>> processed slightly differently in the brain.
>>>>
>>>> In my opinion we need to constantly be exploring and expanding all 
>>>> mediums all of text accessibility and in a cooperative effort like 
>>>> Bookshare, I think that everyone comes out winners. I know that 
>>>> even though I have a membership now I will probably almost 
>>>> exclusively be a volunteer due to time constraints, but being a 
>>>> member will allow me to check how certain things are handled in the 
>>>> final process or view how proofreaders have handled my scans.
>>>>
>>>> Interesting dialogue everyone...
>>>> Valerie
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> [mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
>>>>> Behalf Of Judy s.
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 2:39 PM
>>>>> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Publishers and Bookshare As a 
>>>>> Library
>>>>>
>>>>> I view the disabling of TTS as about as silly as the digital 
>>>>> rights management.
>>>>>
>>>> <snip>
>>>>> I don't know a single sighted person, other than myself, who will 
>>>>> willingly listen to listen to a book that they can read by 
>>>>> listening to it in a synthetic voice.  Me?  I can't afford 
>>>>> expensive audible downloads, and the NLS's offerings are very 
>>>>> limited in my tastes, so listening to books via bookshare 
>>>>> downloads using either DAISY or Text Aloud has become an acquired 
>>>>> taste, one I've become used to and actually very much enjoy.
>>>>>
>>>>> If sighted readers were the least bit interested in hearing books 
>>>>> read with a synthetic voice, I suspect the market would be flooded 
>>>>> with that sort of book.  Why?  It is much cheaper for a book 
>>>>> publisher to produce that en masse than it is to hire a 
>>>>> professional reader and studio to produce the master for each and 
>>>>> every book that becomes an audible book.
>>>>>
>>>>> I really doubt that sales of human-read audible books would waver 
>>>>> one whit if ebooks had TTS enabled. It would expand the market of 
>>>>> ebooks available to the sighted/disabled reader, but that's about it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Just my opinion.  Grin.
>>>>>
>>>>> Judy s.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Soronel Haetir
>>> soronel.haetir@xxxxxxxxx
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line.
>>>
>>
>> To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to 
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>>
>
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>


--
Change the world--1 deed at a time
Jackie McBride
www.abletec.serverheaven.net
Please join me Saturday, 11/7, on my walk against breast cancer by making a
donation at:
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/larkspur>
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