Dear Paula, Thanks for your kind words. I really appreciate your support. For myself, I've stopped submitting any files until these problems are worked out. I simply can't bear knowing that so much of my hard work and the efforts of the validators will be undone by the flaws in the system. I'd much rather save a backlog of files and upload them when I know they will be safe. Debbie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paula and James Muysenberg" <outofsightlife@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 2:55 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Guidelines for prep of books for submission? > Debbie, > > I appreciate the time and effort you are putting into helping Bookshare > understand what's going on with the braille files. After seeing problems in > BRF files I've downloaded from the site, I've been afraid to even look at > the BRF versions of any books I've submitted. > > I realize most users may prefer the DAISY format, but I hope something > can be done in the coming months, to improve the quality of the braille > files. Not only is the stripper a problem, but odd things seem to happen > with translation. In addition, tabs appear to be lost, so I've started > replacing all tabs with spaces. I thought Duxbury was a very good program, > so I'm not sure why it would be dropping tabs, unless that has something to > do with the DAISY conversion that happens first. > > As far as page numbers are concerned, I have decided that until > something is worked out, I will only submit books for which page numbers are > not as important. > > Paula Muysenberg > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Deborah Kent Stein" <dkent5817@xxxxxxx> > To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 2:47 PM > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Guidelines for prep of books for submission? > > > > > > > > Hi again, > > > > Once again I feel I must weigh in on the discussion of the stripper > > problem - a discussion which has become for me increasingly painful and > > frustrating. It saddens me tremendously to find us working so hard to > come > > up with ways to protect our files by outwitting the stripper, when we have > > no actual guidelines from management on what to do. We should not have to > > struggle with this at all, and our efforts seem to be inconsistent and not > > very effective. > > > > Through a couple of exchanges with Jim I have begun to get a sense of what > > is going on, from an engineering standpoint - although my understanding > may > > well be imperfect. It seems that the stripper "grabs" page numbers and > > chapter headings in order to create the "tags" which are so valuable to > > Bookshare readers who use DAISY files. Therefore, DAISY files would be > > harmed if the stripper were turned off. The BRF files are being stripped > of > > page numbers and chapter headings because the stripper is using them to > > create DAISY tags. I have been told that this is "an output problem" > which > > might be handled by the engineering department by working with the Duxbury > > program, which is used to create the BRF files. I am trying to get the > > names of people in engineering in order to exchange ideas about what can > be > > done, and to find out about the time frame we can expect. > > > > I think it is very important for everyone who is concerned about the > > condition of the BRF files to contact Jim Fruchterman and Janice Carter. > > Unless they hear from us, clearly and directly, it is easy for this issue > to > > be kept on the back burner indefinitely. Right now DAISY seems to be a > > priority and BRF is a neglected stepchild. Those of us who prefer Braille > > to audio need to make our voices heard - Braille users deserve the same > > level of quality as DAISY users do. > > > > Debbie > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jill O'Connell" <jillocon@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > > To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 12:00 PM > > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Guidelines for prep of books for submission? > > > > > > > I can see the advantage of placing the chapter number on a different > line > > > from the word "chapter" but if the page number which is constantly > > changing > > > is on that same line, wouldn't you think the stripper would leave it > > alone? > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Mike Pietruk" <pietruk@xxxxxxxxx> > > > To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > > Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 5:02 PM > > > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Guidelines for prep of books for > submission? > > > > > > > > > > Jill > > > > > > > > "protecting" is as much an art as a science. > > > > Basically, the stripper is fond of doing its handy work near the top > and > > > > bottom of pages. > > > > Hence, I attempt to keep the "Chapter" a few lines away from the top > by > > > > first leaving a couple of blank lines at the top of the page, > > > > then a line of a couple of hypphens, then another blank line, then the > > > > page number, then a blank line, then a line with a couple of hyphens,, > > > > then the Chapter heading. > > > > The idea is to give the stripper something to work on that can be > lived > > > > without. > > > > Another good idea is to place the word "chapter" on one line and the > > > > number of that chapter on the line below. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > > > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > > > > Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.10/73 - Release Date: > > 8/15/2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >