posted
I had a lot of fun with the reading out loud club we had here at Hatrack, but it tapered off. To be honest I was fine with it tapering off as I had a ton of things to do and no real time to listen anymore.
For those of you who weren't in on it last time it was exactally what the title suggests, a group of Hatrackers reading things out loud to each other. Some of the things were original poetry, or stories, and some were just our favorite stories....pretty much anything was open for interpetation.
We found a free sound program, Audacity, for those who needed one, and it works great. All that was required was an open mind and respect towards others, as some of us were sharing some personal stuff, and a microphone if you wanted to record anything yourself.
I think I can make a web site to hold the content this time around, but I am not sure. I will look into it, but I vaugely remember something about having the ability to do that with my broadband connection. If not we can always use the email system we built last time around.
Anyone up for it this time around?
I miss my niece, Logan, something fierce down here in FL, and I think I might do a series of children's books, then send her a copy of them. I really, really like that idea. I call dibs on "Where the Wild Things Are", as I know she has two copies of it....I bought her one of them
I even have a small idea for an original story, but I need to flesh it out a bit before recording.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Boon
unregistered
posted
I was just looking at my yahoo stuff recently and noticed that group again...yeah, I miss it too.
If anyone lost the link to the group or wants to join, it's http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jatraqueros/ and I'm the owner. There are several moderators that can approve new members. If you send a request, include your member name here so we'll know it's a legit request.
Available titles are listed under the database section with either a link or the email address of the person who recorded it so you can request the file.
Alternatively, I can delete the group or turn it over to someone with more time (and webspace) to devote to it.
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I don't care, IIRC I was at one time someone who can approve new members.
I will really look into the web site thing, I think the cumbersome email process was when it started to die. It's better than nothing, though.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Boon
unregistered
posted
True enough. Web downloads combined with email notification when new files are available would be the bomb.
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posted
Yep...there are enough free sites out there now that we should be able to work something out, I think, even if Road Runner doesn't offer me a home page...which it does.
Now, setting it up will be fun. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Boon
unregistered
posted
maybe a PBWiki would be a good option?
Like this, which anyone with the password can edit and change? It would save any one of us from all the work. Just an idea.
posted
I found one that doesn't, at least they don't say they do.....250 meg, up to 50 meg at a time.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Here . I am testing it, so we can reserve the names ReadingOutLoud I and II, and have all we need. Turns out it is a 10MB browser upload limit, but if you use FTP there is no size limit to uploads at all.
posted
Only drawback is that he limits mp3's, so I sent him an email explaining what we want to do, asking if it would be ok.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I posted a sonnet I had saved, and a clip of Jenni and her mom singing a round. Please don't be too critical as her mom hasn't sung in years, and they were both using the same little computer mic.
Off to bed, I have a job interview tomorrow. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Kwea, if you want the page to look a little nicer you can create an index.html page and that will be the site that people see when they click that link. This page can have links to all the files and have some formatting done. It looks like when you do this there is no advertising shown either.
Also, if you want to get past the mp3 restriction you could zip the files. That way the files will have to be downloaded (not streamed). Streaming is often why sites like this don't want mp3s (other than the potential copyright issues).
I don't think I ever got around to adding anything to the club last time around but I was checking it out regularly.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I haven't had time to do any of this, but I am unpacking the rest of my books tomorrow. I will probably try to work on the web site as well.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I'm interested. If it involves reading children's books, I do a pretty good Mickey Mouse impression (that at least one person on Hatrack can attest to) that most little kids seem to get a kick out of (okay, they're all my second cousins, but they're still kids).
Either way, it sounds interesting.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
Very cool. Once I get it all up and running I will let you know.
Also, I was thinking...we will run out of space pretty quick if we all use one site, but if we ALL got our OWN space at that site we could just link to it once we uploaded new content.....
If Icky wants to participate I think I will talk to him about using his site to host, providing we won't cost him any money to do so. He offered, so I don't think it will be a problem. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I already thought about that Kwea and created my own account (username annafrenc) It's pretty empty right now (only 1 file) but I'll try to take the time to make a new record this week or this week-end.
Posts: 3526 | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
I could be down to do something like this as well, if I have the time for it.
I'd like to read the Pablo Neruda Collection I just bought (practice my spanish). I would also love if anyone would want to read some spanish books (don't have to).
Another idea is some Shakespeare, or a collection of short sci-fi stories? Also greek philosophy I wouldn't mind doing!
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I recorded "Westwoods" by Eleanor Farjeon last night. I've really fallen in love with her stuff recently. If you are not familiar with her, she wrote literary fairy tales, like Hans Christian Anderson only happier.
I'm not quite sure how this is supposed to work, so I set up my own account on the site Kwea linked to. Here it is. If I misunderstood and we are going to have them all on the same site, let me know.
Warning: it's kind of long . . . almost 40 min.
Posts: 364 | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Anna, you have to log on to see your files, for some reason. Looks like mine are still there.
Amilia, that is fine for now. We may even go in that direction, although I would like to compile a master list/storage space for them all if possible (and everyone agrees).
What format did you save that file as? MP3?
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
OGG. I had trouble figuring out how to make the program that would convert my file to MP3 work.
Posts: 364 | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Are you using Audacity? If so converting it is easy.
I tried to download your file but something was messed up with my connection so I will have to try it again. I wasn't about to wait for over an hour, that's why I got broadband! Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
OK, here are the files I have uploaded so far, from my old ROLC files saved on my computer. It isn't a full list, and I hope to reorganize it at some point, but it will do until we decide what we are doing long term.
quote:Are you using Audacity? If so converting it is easy.
I tried to download your file but something was messed up with my connection so I will have to try it again. I wasn't about to wait for over an hour, that's why I got broadband!
I am using Audacity, but when I tried to convert to mp3, it said I needed lame_enc.dll. So I downloaded that, but I could not open it. The unzip software they recommended was $20. When I asked my brother for a good free unzip software, he suggested I just convert to Ogg, as it is the same sort of idea as MP3, except open source. As Audacity was willing to convert to Ogg without making me jump through hoops, that is what I did.
I'm sorry it did not work out so well. I think the trouble is on my end, not yours. My brother said it took him forever to download as well.
I'll play around with it, and figure out how to get it into an MP3, but it probably won't be until the weekend that I have time.
Posts: 364 | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Thanks to your help, I have finally figured out how to convert my story to mp3. Now the trouble is . . . the site seems to be out of order. I'll try it again in the morning, see if it is up and running again.
Posts: 364 | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Argh! I couldn't get the mp3 file to upload. I kept getting a message that said "nix > proceed." I thought that maybe the file was too big. So I split it in half and tried to upload in two chunks. It looks like it worked, but when I try and play it, it doesn't get any further than "Westwoods, by Eleanor Farjeon."
I'll play with it again later.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Posts: 364 | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Welcome back? I've always been here. You must remember that I am a lurker by nature, and I only poke my head out for special occasions.
I am in San Francisco, and will have been here exactly a year this coming Sunday. So I guess I... did.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
OK, my first attempt, a short one: The Mewlips. You will need a username (hatrack) and password (beauty_of_it) to access the file. And it might be a little quiet. Blame my puny laptop mic.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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