Cindy,It doesn't really matter whether you insert a blank line or not. Why not? Because:
BookShare tools analyze the text and mark them up with special tags. They do so using XML, a language that is meant for marking up documents. One of the common tags represents a paragraph.
The tools mark streams of text into paragraphs whether they are followed by a single line break or a double one.
So skipping lines doesn't matter because the tools are going to determine what a paragraph is.
In the DAISY case, the software used to read the material will look at the files and see the marked up text. It then decides (sometimes based on user preferences) how to display a paragraph. When viewed with a web browser it looks much like a web pages paragraphs, and most screen readers will simulate a blank line in between paragraphs. If something like Kurzweil is used there is no blank line simulation. It's all up to the software!
In the case of Braille, there are specific rules for displaying paragraphs that the translator will follow. Again though if the file is read electronically rather than on hard copy Braille paper, the user may be able to use software settings to tailor paragraph output to his or her specific liking.
So finally, it doesn't matter what you give the tools, skipped line or not. What users prefer is up to them, but by that same token it is their responsibility to setup their reading apparatus to their liking.
I hope this makes the waters a little more clear. Jake----- Original Message ----- From: "Grandma Cindy" <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 1:06 AMSubject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Questions about brackets, Braille translation, and multiple spaces between words
THe misconception might have arisen from the fact that one member complained about "reading" (I don't know if it is Braille or sound) spaces used for indenting or other formatting. I've solved the problem by setting the first line in paragraph in the Format file to .2 or .3 It means that sometimes I have to change the first line of the page to None, but that's a minor problem. A long time ago when I asked if people preferred indented paragraphs or lines skipped between paragraphs, the majority who answerd said they preferred indented paragraphs. Is it necessar to do anything? Does the paragraph symbol at the end of one paragraph indicate the next paragraph? Is that sufficient for Braille or Daisy readers, or should be indent if paragraphs are indented in the book, for those who do have sight, all or a little. Someone sent me an article, the first of a series of Minneapolis NPR, about three blind people and how they "see" Christmas. In the course of that first part it said that all three were legally blind, (from different causes and for different lengths of time) but were not totally blind. It said that only 10% of legallhy blind people are totally blind. That seemed a small number to me, but I assume it is correct. Cindy --- Pratik Patel <pratikp1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:Maria et al, I am not aware of bracket problems with braille translations. As far as I've seen, Bookshare tools are able to convert brackets. If this is a recent phenomenon, then, as usual, I would appreciate specific book titles where people know brackets are supposed to exist. I will be happy to do comparisons. As far as spacing goes, Bookshare tools do not--I repeat, do not--remove extra spaces. As a self-flagellating person, I would love to be proven wrong. So, specific examples would be very helpful. You just need to be careful of headers and/org footers. Pratik _____ From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Maria Kristic Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 11:56 AM To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Questions about brackets, Braille translation, and multiple spaces between words Hi all, In reading some of the recent messages on-list, I, as someone new, have a few questions. 1. First, about brackets. Someone mentioned that brackets didn't appear in Braille copies of books. As there is a Grade 2 Braille equivalent for a bracket, albeit two cells long (dot 6, dots 2-3-5-6 for an opening bracket and dots 2-3-5-6, dot 3 for a closing one), I'm wondering, what does the Braille translation software used by Bookshare do to them? I would think that, since there is a Braille character for them, they are translated correctly, but apparently, that's not the case? What's done to them, then? Are they converted in to words, as in the words "left bracket" or "right bracket"? I know that Duxbury will convert symbols with no Grade 2 equivalents to words rather than leaving them in Computer Braille, and I can't even begin to tell you how much that irritates me (for instance, a \ symbol would appear in a BRF file as literally the word "backslash" (without the quotes)), but I just checked with it, and even Duxbury translates them correctly, which is making me wonder? If no one knows for sure, can someone please point me to a book which they know should, in theory, contain brackets, so that I can take a look to see for myself? I ask because I used them in Girl in the Shadows, so I want to know whether anything out of the ordinary happens with them; this way, I can decide whether I should be worried about this issue or not. 2. Second, out of curiosity, does anyone happen to know which Braille translation software Bookshare uses? If something strange is indeed happening to brackets, I'm wondering which translator exhibits this odd behavior? 3. Finally, I'm wondering about the issue someone mentioned about words with multiple spaces between them. I thought I'd read on this list before that the software which converts books to BRF and DAISY converts all multiple spaces in to one (someone was told, therefore, not to indent paragraphs), so I'm confused. If the software converts all multiple, consecutive spaces to one, how can there still be words with multiple spaces between them? Does this stripping of spaces take place only in specific places, such as the beginning/end of a page, the beginning of a sentence, or somewhere else? Thanks much to anyone who can clarify this for me, and hope all of you have a happy holiday season! Regards, Maria ________________________________________ Maria Kristic Skype: MariaKristic AIM: MCKristic E-Mail and MSN: <mailto:maria6289@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> maria6289@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Google Talk: <mailto:Maria.Kristic@xxxxxxxxx> Maria.Kristic@xxxxxxxxx Yahoo Messenger: <mailto:mariakristic@xxxxxxxxx> mariakristic@xxxxxxxxx__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput 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.-- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.26/597 - Release Date: 12/21/2006 6:45 PM
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