Castingwords Transcribers - Questions and Answers

The thing is, it's a Style Guide, not a Style Mandate.

Lots is open to interpretation. It'll get easier the longer you do the work. Or less frustrating, most of the time. The subsequent exceptions will be extreme. Just less frequent. IMO

 

Yeah, but it is what CW wants. The editor made almost everything into one line....Or 1-2 lines and one to two sentences..they broke paragraphs up that much and wanted to give me that low of a grade? Huh?? That doesn't follow what CW wants. Well that is fine if they want it, but I shouldn't get a bad grade because of the way the editor wants it,lol.
It is what CW wants. If they want to edit it to another style- then they can do that..but don't give a person a bad grade based on personal opinion and not following what CW wants.

Makes no sense. I kept each under 4-5 lines, which it says in the guide- Well really it is a mandate though- They are rules even though it says guide for most of the stuff in there. Yes some is not clear in it..but it certainly doesn't say to have one sentence paragraphs and to give someone a bad grade if they have only 4-5 lines- It says that is fine

I fear when I do a long transcription today,LOL. Yikes!

 

Angelface83, the way I transcribe (been here several years) is to use short sentences, but don't make it choppy. Then 2 or 3 sentences per paragraph. I don't go by lines, I go by the number of sentences.

But sometimes you get a long sentence and there's no way to break it up. You just have to go with it and hope you get a grader with enough sense to realize why you have a long sentence/paragraph in your work.

 

I don't think it's a mandate. It would have more specifics if they had one client. One way of speaking. One situation.

There has to be flexibility. Yesterday I did some transcriptions where the person being interviewed used slang, cussed, bad grammar. I stayed true to her tone. That's what I felt was best. The editor cleaned it up. Fixed grammar, blah blah blah. I'm ok with it. Really.

And you refer to what CW showed you, but the thing is -- that's one example. One speaker (or set of speakers), their topic (for instance) - what works for that piece may not work for the next.

I guess that's all I can say. You seem pretty set in your thinking but I hope it works out for you.

 

I'm not set in my thinking- I follow what CW says. You are never very nice :/ I wasn't asking you specifically but you are very rude often when you respond. I didn't come here to fight or argue.

I come to share experiences and get some relaxation and talk. I don't mean anyone grading etc in CW- I mean actual CW support....They told me to do it that way. So I will. Also I follow the rules in the guide...they are what we have to do. Yes some things can be up for interpretation and yet even more is not included.. I did get a horrible grade once for things that were not included about how to transcribe interuptions..but a lot is set rules.

There should be a rule here in this forum to keep it nice like it does in my work at home forums. That would be a good thing.

 

Yes I do that. I was just shocked they put one to two sentences in each paragraph. It says you can have up to 500 characters or 4-5 lines in the transcripts in the guide- CW did give me more of a bonus and upgraded my grade from the editors 7.
This person did break up all sentences and made each one pretty short even if they started with and :/. It says to not make them.. I forgot they word they use, but if it is in the same thought, don't break the sentence up if you don't have too. Not choppy, just like you say.

I just didn't understand why they had so many independent paragraphs, full of one sentence each,lol. I kept each below 4-5 lines and about 3 sentences each. Sometimes 4. No more than 4 lines though as it says.

TY. Yes I hope I get editors and graders like that but we all know how that goes some days.

 

I have yet to actually be rude to you. When I am, you'll know it and you'll write to the admin saying "Off with her head!"

In the meantime, you can go clickety-click on my profile and block me. Your problem will be solved.

 

Some good audio up! =)

I've also got auto-approval 9s tonight on some of them tonight. Color me happy

 

You've helped me TONS =) Thank you!

Reason: took out "usually" b/c they are fair

lol yeah...sometimes I still feel jilted and say it while *kicking rocks* and my head hanging down

 

I guess I have to stick my nose in as well. Admittedly, I haven't been here for eons like some people.. but I've never run across Whimsy being 'rude'. Unfortunately reading written text on a computer screen.. well intent never really comes off the way we intend it to. Unless someone is saying 'Hey you're an ignorant moron and you don't know anything' maybe let's not jump to calling them rude. Just my opinion and really, what do I know LOL

 

I don't think Whimsy was rude, if I may poke my nose where it's not wanted.

 

Thanks, guys.

I read back to try and see where she's coming from. I've responded to her here and in a SpeechInk thread. I tried to be informative but it wasn't what she wanted to read, and I didn't offset stuff with LOL, smilies, or general pats on the back. My bad (no seriously, not being facetious). I was technical and she read it as indifferent and harsh. Hopefully she comes back - but my tone is going to stay basically the same for the life of CW threads and some others.

 

I don't think anyone is here to beat about the bush. I much prefer directness. Maybe poster was stinging from a harsh grading. I know how it makes me feel.

 

As someone who has been doing work for CW since the beginning, I have to agree with Whimsy that the style guide is a GUIDE not a mandate and IS open to interpretation and producing the best result for each individual client, as their needs do differ quite a bit. If you think about it, 99.999% of most transcription companies (including Speechink) have different style formats for different clients, so sometimes making a judgement call on some of the "rules" (and I use that word very loosely) will save you tons of headaches. I've had nothing but 9s for years now and have had many, many discussions with the folks at CW about the guide and the answer has always been to use your best judgement on some things. It took years, and I do mean years, to get them to add in percent and not % in the damn thing, so there's a ton of stuff in there that's a judgement call Not trying to be rude but I am trying to save you a TON of frustration and headaches Whatever you do, just be consistent, i.e. if you break down contractions in one sentence, make sure they're broken down in the other sentences (although this isn't a rule for them and we just use contraction forms).

 

What melissa said.

I've also been doing CW hits for a long time and am on auto-approval 9s, (always nice!). I use the Guide as much as possible, but there are definitely places where I am going to use my own judgement, with the goal of a high-quality, readable transcript of what was actually said.

 

Strike my name off that list of "more experienced transcribers." I only just started in June. I've done fewer than 90 transcripts for CW.

 

Congrats!
Me too. It was such a nice relief and helped in powering through before the ones I was working on expired. Now if only my ears would let me put headphones back on lol They're on strike atm.