Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Spoken Wikipedia/Archive 7

message: A request was made by another user at the talk page of Wikipedia:About for a spoken version of that project page.  I thought I'd place it here so it doesn't get forgotten.  I'm happy to record and upload it, but I may not be able to do so for a little while (still have Oldham in progress), so if anybody else wants to take this on please do so!  Hassocks5489 (talk) 12:34, 3 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[Wikipedia:About]] spoken request 

message: I just uploaded my first spoken Wikipedia recording; it's for the article on Canada.  I tried to stick to (roughly) the following timing:
*2 seconds before each section
*1.5 seconds before each paragraph and image
*1.75 seconds after each image
*1 to 1.25 seconds between sentences
I'd love to hear any of your thoughts on this approach, or any general feedback on the recording.
Also, the article is quite long; the audio comes to over 54 minutes.  This made me wish there were a way to present the audio in separate sections so that the user could jump directly to sections of interest.  Has anyone tried to do anything like that? —Ka-Ping Yee (talk) 12:40, 4 January 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Hi, and thanks for contributing this recording.  I'm downloading it now, and will listen over the weekend — then I'll do a review for you and give you some feedback.  I'm quite experienced at "doing" spoken articles, but I've never reviewed one before and have only listened to a few others; the main driver and review-organiser of the project, Macropode, has regrettably not been seen on Wikipedia for some months (does anybody know where he is?).  So this will be quite new for me as well! :-)  In the normal course of events, a spoken article will be picked up for review a few days/weeks after it is submitted.  Quick answers to some of your questions: those timings/pauses look ideal (I go for about the same when I make recordings); and I know some people have split longer articles into two or more sections, but personally I narrate and upload a whole article in one go, even if it is very long like this one.  My record is 58½ minutes for Peterborough!  I'll have a thorough listen and let you know.  Cheers, Hassocks5489 (talk) 21:58, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

text: Wonderful!  Thank you very much. —Ka-Ping Yee (talk) 23:28, 4 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Canada 

message: Crushing by elephant has been nominated for a featured article review. Articles are typically reviewed for two weeks. Please leave your comments and help us to return the article to featured quality. If concerns are not addressed during the review period, articles are moved onto the Featured Article Removal Candidates list for a further period, where editors may declare "Keep" or "Remove" the article from featured status. The instructions for the review process are here. Reviewers' concerns are here.—GrittyLobo441 (talk) 05:20, 11 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Crushing by elephant

message: Hello. I'd like to try to record some articles, but having trouble getting my Fedora Linux box to record anything in Audacity. Can anyone recommend a good microphone that "just works" in Linux? I've spent a couple of weeks getting a Logitech AK5370 USB mic working, to no avail. Thanks in advance for any suggestions anyone might be able to provide! —Scott5114↗ [EXACT CHANGE ONLY] 04:01, 18 January 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: You may wish to use a simple soundcard microphone with a normal audio jack rather than a USB one.  Assuming your soundcard works in Linux, your mic will be just fine.  USB mics tend to be needlessly complicated in my experience. Rob T Firefly (talk) 19:23, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Anyone know a good Linux microphone? 

message: Just so you don't think everything got deleted, no sweat. Please see Archive 7 for past entries. Reason turns rancid (talk) 22:48, 18 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Archived talk page 

message: Is being reviewed at WP:FAR Featured article review, please come and help bring this article up to current featured article standards. Judgesurreal777 (talk) 22:12, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]

message: There is a discussion underway at Wikipedia talk:Categorization#Hidden categories concerning what kinds of categories should be hidden (using the new HIDDENCAT magic word). For the moment it is proposed that hiding be applied to all categories which classify the article rather than the article subject (i.e. including :Category:Spoken articles). Please weigh in. --Kotniski (talk) 08:57, 27 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Hidden categories discussion

message: Do you think it would be appropirate to have spoken versions of talk pages?. Mythdon (talk) 03:28, 17 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I can't personally see how they would be of much use, with the possible exception of pivotal discussions in the history of Wikipedia policy. Did you have any specific pages in mind or thoughts on the issue? -SCEhardT 03:49, 22 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Spoken talk pages 

message: If you do, I think William Shakespeare is a prime candidate for this. It is extremely stable and really hasn't been edited much at all in several months since it became an FA. It is also really popular, with page views ranging in the thousands (and sometimes tens of thousands) per day. Wrad (talk) 18:24, 28 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, requests are welcomed.  There is a category for requests - see :Category:Spoken Wikipedia requests for instructions on how to go about setting up a request (essentially, you just need to put a template on the article's talk page) - although I don't know how extensively it's monitored.  In this case, I will pick up the Shakespeare article, as I have some time this weekend and thereafter; not sure exactly how long I'll take, but I'll keep you informed of progress.  Hassocks5489 (talk) 18:32, 28 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Do you take requests? 

message: It seems to me that this project could benefit from a repository where volunteers could store the raw uncompressed audio, perhaps even in section sized pieces. This would make it easier to update articles - just rerecord the parts that changed. It would also allow multiple readers to cooperate on an article and/or a new volunteer to correct or update an existing recording. Dfmclean (talk) 15:40, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, it would be helpful if they could be stored somewhere; at the moment I keep all of mine on my hard drive, so I could "donate" it all.  I'll certainly continue to keep them in future as well, in case something is done towards this, although I'm not sure how one would go about setting it up.  Hassocks5489 (talk) 12:10, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Actually, I think that we can probably put them on Wikimedia Commons. Dfmclean (talk) 13:57, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Wikimedia Commons doesn't do uncompressed audio but putting OGG files works just fine. So far, I've been naming the files in an ArticleNameSectionName format. One of the "problems" listed on the main page is that spoken articles can quickly become out of date. Using a section based approach could help to ameliorate this problem. Dfmclean (talk) 15:26, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Repository for raw audio? 

message: Having just listened to a spoken Wikipedia article for the first time, Peterloo Massacre to be exact, I wondered if anyone had considered using sound effects for atmosphere where appropriate. For example, the article I've mentioned could have some sounds in the background such as crowds and the sounds of horses hooves. There used to be royalty-free sound effects records available in those distant days of vinyl, so I'm sure there must be something available today. Richerman (talk) 22:56, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I partly agree and partly disagree. While sound effects might add some color to a dry recording, it might also interfere with the clarity of the voice. Dfmclean (talk) 04:25, 19 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Well I think if it was done subtly, just with some sound in the background it would be ok. If the BBC can do it....... If I get some time I may have a go myself sometime. Richerman (talk) 09:36, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I did the spoken article in question.  Richerman's idea is interesting, and could certainly work in certain situations, but it would be difficult for amateurs like me to implement.  I produce my recordings in a home environment without easy access to free-licence sound effects, and my audio mixing skills are rudimentary at best.  Having said that, it's a logical idea which should be considered in some cases.  Hassocks5489 (talk) 12:07, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: And a fine job it was too! I was thinking of something quite simple like a cassette tape (remember those!) playing in the background at relevant points. Alternatively there's probably some simple to use audio software that would add two tracks together. It would be a fun thing to try out sometime if I can tear myself away from editing articles. Richerman (talk) 12:41, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  You can listen some sound effects & music (taken from Jamendo, music with open license) in the audio version of the article "Korean War" (in Russian), listen audio part 1 and part 2. -- AKA MBG (talk) 02:58, 27 June 2009 (UTC)

text:  P.S. The benefit of using of sound and music effects is that it's possible to use the same effects in the parallel interwiki articles, e.g. in English or in Deutsch language version of e.g. "Korean War". -- AKA MBG (talk) 05:43, 27 June 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sound effects 

message: Right, I've gathered there's about 30 of us working towards this project. I'm about to pick out some of my favourite articles myself to begin, so yeah. Perhaps we should take up divisions of work, like administrators already do with sub-fields? Perhaps this isn't needed now, but certainly may do in the future, especially since you don't want to be recording an article someone is in the midst of doing. I guess that's the problem with non-instant content creation. Melaisis (talk) 18:54, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, I'm quite happy to narrate articles on request, as it were, or have tasks allocated.  The main concern people might have—and it certainly applies to me—is that help on pronunciation may have to be sought (and given in a timely manner) from Wikipedians outside the project, in respect of articles outside one's area of expertise.  For example I tend to concentrate on UK geographical and sport articles, where to put it simply I know how to pronounce everything.  Attempting articles with lots of foreign, unfamiliar or technical words would need the assistance of editors specialising in those areas (perhaps by asking on relevant WikiProject talk pages?  I've done that successfully for at least three of my articles.)  Hassocks5489 (talk) 12:15, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I wouldn't mind at all. I used to be able to be quite active but time, as usual, is at quite a premium. As far an pronunciation, I've found a few free TTS (text to speech) programs online which give you quite accurate pronunciations in Italian, German, French, even Arabic and Japanese which I've found exceedingly helpful in other projects . I would like to see an active community back again. Reason turns rancid (talk) 15:38, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Rallying The Troops

message: I just recently added my name to the list of participants of this project. I'm planning to narrate the Super Smash Bros. Melee article, but before I do, I want to know what mistakes I'm making. I recorded the playable characters section of the article and uploaded it (see bottom of this entry). If someone wouldn't mind giving me a few tips about what I'm doing wrong, that would be greatly appreciated! (Because this isn't going to go on the article, I didn't fuss too much over my errors which I would have changed otherwise. Some of the things that I noticed that I will try my best not to do while recording the whole article are: not saying the section number, blowing into the mic, taking noticeable breaths, not digitally removing the background noise, different lengths of pauses after punctuation, and different volumes and ammounts of muffling) You're dreaming eh? 22:50, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: *I concur with Reason Turns Rancid.  The most noticeable areas for improvement are the uneven volume between consecutive sentences, which can be sorted out by compressing and normalising the audio, and occasional variation in the gaps between sentences, with some gaps being a little too short (possibly as a result of editing/splicing two pieces of audio together).  Pace was good, especially after 0:56 - slower than mine, but I tend to narrate relatively quickly.  There were no variations from the text and minimal noises (I heard one small breath noise and no pops/taps/scrapes).  Hope you enjoy doing the full narration - it's quite a long article, so may take a while, but stick with it!  Hassocks5489 (talk) 16:23, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: *Thanks for the tips! I'll get started as soon as I can! You're dreaming eh? 17:38, 5 May 2008 (UTC)

text: I had a spare moment and tossed up a . Good work! Since you seem a fan of Lost, you could even work your way through the series since they all seems short or, for the most part, well written. Just watch the editing noise and keep your pacing smooth and you'll be fine. Reason turns rancid (talk) 20:43, 19 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for the tips.  I wasn't sure about the pronunciation of Monaghan...  You may be right.  I'll look it up before I do any more.  I'll try to find time to work on more Lost episodes and other pages, but it might be slow going.  Thanks much!--Dukeruckley (talk) 20:57, 19 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tips? 

message: I just posted my first spoken article and I was wondering if someone wouldn't mind critiquing me.
Thanks for your time!--Dukeruckley (talk) 17:35, 19 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I had a spare moment and tossed up a . Good work! Since you seem a fan of Lost, you could even work your way through the series since they all seems short or, for the most part, well written. Just watch the editing noise and keep your pacing smooth and you'll be fine. Reason turns rancid (talk) 20:43, 19 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for the tips.  I wasn't sure about the pronunciation of Monaghan...  You may be right.  I'll look it up before I do any more.  I'll try to find time to work on more Lost episodes and other pages, but it might be slow going.  Thanks much!--Dukeruckley (talk) 20:57, 19 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  First Article 

message: I am about halfway through recording The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which I'm sure must be some kind of blasphemy, since I'm American - I feel like it needs and deserves a recording by Peter Jones). I'm having trouble figuring out what I'm eventually going to put down for "accent" when I upload. I was born and bred in the Philadelphia suburbs, so it's mostly General American, but I've been told there are a couple of quirks to it. Any ideas? Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 11:26, 15 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: You can be as general as "American English", or as specific as "English Lower east side Philadelphia" if you wish. I reckon however a simple "American English PA" or some such will do fine. (I can't believe I used the word "reckon" in all seriousness.) Reason turns rancid (talk) 02:08, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Accent 

message: I have been in contact with a professional voice actor via OTRS who is interested in recording U.S. President articles for us. Here is a sample (introduction to the John Adams article):
He wants some pronunciation help for certain words and possibly technical help with uploading and/or recording in OGG format. Is anyone interested in helping out? howcheng  {chat} 00:24, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Feel free to drop any questions on my talk page should the need arise. Maybe he could give me tips to make my home studio sound more like that in return! Reason turns rancid (talk) 02:05, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  New volunteer 

message: How should tables be read? Buc (talk) 06:46, 25 June 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: The method I use, which is non-intrusive and keeps things simple and accurate (in my view!), is to read the first heading, pause for a second, read the first entry under that heading, pause for a second, and work across through each heading, again reading the first entry under the relevant heading, until the first row of data is complete.  In a simple table of two or three columns, where it is obvious what the headings are, they do not need to be repeated; in more complex cases, or if in doubt, read the headings again before each entry.  For example, for this table:
Manager   	Years
Fred Brain	1915–1953
Joe Head  	1953–1964
Dave Foot 	1964–present
...I would read:
"Manager.  Fred Brain.  Years.  1915–1953.  Joe Head.  1953–1964.  Dave Foot.  1964–present."
However, for something like this:
Town      	Population	Area       	Restaurants	Crime Rate
Dullsville	23        	99 acres   	1          	High
Snazzytown	17,404    	1,000 acres	32         	Low
...I would read:
"Town.  Dullsville.  Population.  23.  Area.  99 acres.  Restaurants.  1.  Crime Rate.  High.  Town.  Snazzytown.  Population.  17,404.  Area.  1,000 acres.  Restaurants.  32.  Crime Rate.  Low."
Have a listen to some of mine, for example Dover Athletic F.C. and Peterloo Massacre, for examples of tables of various complexity.  Hope that helps.  Hassocks5489 (tickets please!) 12:03, 25 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tables?