I have a couple of suggestions for submitters. Forst, when someone signs
up to submit there should be some kind of info file to which he or she has
access. It should list recommendations by bookshare volunteers and staff
on various issues. One of the most important is the one of settings in the
more popular scanning packages (read Open Book and k1000).
I want people to be given that info so they have a quick guide to scanning
issues. For instance if "the" comes out "die" it is information for the
submitter to adjust, I believe, brightness.
This stuff exists in the manuals I know. In a perfect world everyone would
read and remember all that. I mostly avoid scanning software manuals by
validating.
I have scanned in enough though to have a healthy respect for submitters
and have validated enough to know they need help if they are to submit
better input.
Better input will mean I can validate faster and the step 2 page will
shrink, all other things being equal.
I also think we need a floor on what is an acceptable scan along with
feedback for the submitter. Some well-intentioned person took time to scan
in a book and submit it. The least he or she deserves is info to make it
more likely that the next scanning effort will be successful. It is
downright discouraging to get rejected for anything includeing a book
submission. At least let's make it a learning experience.
Now for my most radical suggestion. All books with a rating below some
arbitrary number get put in a second pool. We could call it some catchy
name. I include in that pool books with ideosynchratic spellint or foreign
words. Anything with a rating below say 97.5 goes into the "special care"
list. This can be a sort of second step 1 page. I am suggesting this kind
of separation mostly so we can figure out what is going on with the step 1
list and get it manageable.
E.
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