[bksvol-discuss] Re: Fiction By Best Selling Author & See Long Synopsis
- From: Pam Quinn <quinns@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:07:46 -0500
Agreed. Those of us who are sharing high quality books are doing so
because we want to, not because we feel any obligations. If we allow
volunteers to start quibbling and cracking the whip, I for one would
say to hell with it. I have enough books here to enjoy for several
lifetimes and can scan more as I wish. But if it comes to having books
rejected because of lack of page numbers, lack of personal preferences
in synopsis, we need to change the rejection notices to include the
reason for rejection at the very least. Above all else though,
emphasis should be placed on quality, especially now that near perfect
scans are no problem. I've seen some books on here that have a
wonderful synopsis, page numbered accurately and what have you, but
are virtually unreadable due to so many errors. If books such as these
are a thing of the past, we're dooing great, I'd say.
Pam
On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:38:42 -0400, you wrote:
>The quickest way to discourage me from submitting scanned books would be to
>suggest that my efforts were being rejected because somebody didn't like my
>synopses. I would simply take my tent and go home. I do not know whose job
>it should be to assure that such things are handled correctly and share
>Guido's disaffection with useless short summaries. However, let us not
>suggest the firing squad for what is, compared to the overall effort, a
>misdemeanor punishable by an email slap on the wrist, perhaps.
>
>Paul
>
>Paul Edwards, Director
>Access Services, North Campus
>Phone: (305) 237-1146
>Fax: (305-237-1831
>TTY: (305) 237-1413
>Email: pedwards@xxxxxxxx
>home email: edwpaul@xxxxxxxxxxx
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: E. [mailto:thoth93@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 12:18 PM
>To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Fiction By Best Selling Author & See Long
>Synopsis
>
>
>I agree. What is stopping a volunteer from coming up with a one or two
>sentence brief description? There also seem to be a lot of submissions
>with no long or short descriptions at all. How can you scan a book and
>know absolutely nothing about it? Please take a moment and come up with a
>short description at the very least. Usually you can find enough from the
>scanned book jacket info to do this even if you have no intention of
>reading the book.
>
>While on my rant "romance" is not a short dexcription I find
>satisfactory. I even have trouble with "historical romance". I do like
>"historical romance set in eighteenth century America" as an example. I
>similarly dislike "science fiction" as a description. Surely a little more
>info can be gleaned from somewhere by the submitter!!!
>
>E.
>
>
>At 09:27 AM 4/28/2004, you wrote:
>
>>In spite of the repeated please from several of us, I keep finding glib
>>or useless short synopsis in recent submissions. Quite frankly I do not
>>understand which part of the word USEFUL some volunteers have a problem
>>comprehending.
>>
>>In particular, in today's fresh crop of glib contributions I see
>>
>>The Golden Cup by Delva Plain,
>>
>>anonymously submitted by a "Bookshare Volunteer", whose short synopsis
>>proudly states: Fiction by best-selling author.
>>
>>Another title,
>>
>>Holding Out by Ann O'Falk
>>
>>was submitted by 'Louise' and bears the totally useless short description:
>>"see long synopsis".
>>
>>In both cases, a meaningful long description is available for these
>>books. Is there any reason why a shorter version of these descriptions
>>was not inserted in the short description field? Book submitters should
>>ensure that their own submissions include meaning ful short
>>descriptions. Reviewers should catch omitted or meaningless short
>>descriptions and repair them appropriately.
>>
>>Ultimately please remember that we volunteers are performing a service
>>for our customers, who deserve the best fruit of our efforts.
>>
>>I must conclude with a recommendation to the Bookshare staff that all
>>further reviewed/approved books containing trivial short descriptions be
>>routinely rejected by the administrator.
>>
>>Thank you for listening,
>>
>>Guido
>>
>>Guido D. Corona
>>IBM Accessibility Center, Austin Tx.
>>IBM Research,
>>Phone: (512) 838-9735
>>Email: guidoc@xxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>Visit my weekly Accessibility WebLog at:
>>http://www-3.ibm.com/able/weblog/corona_weblog.html
>
>
>
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