[bksvol-discuss] Re: dashes
- From: "Evan Reese" <mentat1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:58:24 -0700
I think you need to use your conscience on this one. As I said, when we had
a long discussion about this over a year ago, there was a strong argument
made that replacing the em dash with a double hyphen - despite the fact that
it did not translate properly in Braille - was an alteration of the book;
and as such, should be avoided in the spirit of trying to maintain the
authenticity of the books placed in the collection as much as possible.
I can see the reasoning behind that, but the argument could also be made
that the Bookshare processing itself does damage to the authenticity of at
least the Braille versions by not translating the em dash properly, among
other things such as not observing blank lines and (somehow) not including
italicized type. It could be claimed, I think legitimately, that one is
undoing some of this damage by changing the em dashes to double hyphens, or
by trying to indicate blank lines.
But then on the other hand, if Braille readers are a minority, then you
could argue that by changing the em dash to a double hyphen, you are
reducing the authenticity of the print version for a majority for the
benefit of increasing it for a minority.
On the other other hand, I have heard that a double hyphen does not look
substantially different from an em dash, so how many sighted people would
really notice, or having noticed, really care all that much?.
I hope I have stated the arguments on both sides fairly and have not
forgotten anything important.
Finally, it is really not a major issue as far as I am concerned, which is
why I think you need to use your conscience.
Evan
----- Original Message -----
From: Jamie Yates, CPhT
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 4:38 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: dashes
Ok I guess I am still confused about the em dash situation. It doesn't
translate properly but that's ok?
I don't care either way but I just want what I scan to be right.
Jamie in Michigan
Currently Reading - Loyalty in Death - J.D. Robb
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