Casting words sucks?

Discussion in 'CastingWords' started by spudarthur, Jun 24, 2012.

  1. Turkalicious

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2012
    Messages:
    1,642
    Likes Received:
    0
    I was just going to come here and say all the ones I ever see say it has to be at 90, then I just refreshed the mTurk panel and there's like 4 up that I could do. Glad I didn't put my foot in it.

    Now one of these days [soonish] I'm gonna get brave and try one.
     
  2. interneteditor

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    362
    Likes Received:
    0
    There are not very many for us down at 80 and you have to grab them fast. I didn't do any of yesterday's as the audio all sounded poor quality so I let them go. They are only really worth doing if you can hear them clearly. Bad audio should be higher scale and therefore higher pay. i.e. I don't consider them "easy" if you need to go back over a phrase repeatedly due to poor recording quality. (I don't mean background noise I mean just downright crappy quality).

    Follow them on Twitter, they post link to all the newly posted HITs.
     
  3. hapless

    hapless Guest

    :) No need to apologize, you did your job correctly according to your understanding. Thanks for including your note to explain what you changed.


    The following is not to critique CW, but merely a matter of my own personal transcription tendencies:

    Perhaps the CW style might not be my favorite way to transcribe. I might be more comfortable transcribing nearly 'verbatim' (removing only the most basic filler).

    For example, suppose someone were to say: "Umm, OK, yes, ahh, right, right, uhh, you know, that's right." I wouldn't be entirely comfortable reducing that down to "OK, yes, right" or just "Right." :) I'd want to type: "OK, yes, right, right, you know, that's right," if that (sans the um's and ah's) was what the person actually said. Such 'verbatim' transcription would not be suitable under CW standard rules, IIUC.

    Although I'm still accepting CW jobs, I've also begun transcribing for another company that apparently accepts a more nearly verbatim style.
     
    #43 hapless, Jul 10, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 10, 2012
  4. interneteditor

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    362
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have done lots of court transcription which is obviously verbatim (in the UK) so I agree it is more straightforward in that way. I am just about to do the SpeechInk test, which is verbatim! Wish me luck!

    And thanks for not being mad at me :)
     
  5. melissa71642

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2009
    Messages:
    201
    Likes Received:
    0
    Actually, here's the definition of a 9 straight from CW: Excellent transcript that needs no editing (or very little). It's readable, follows the CW style guide, and is true to the audio while not being verbatim (unless requested by the customer.)

    There can be a few errors and still be a 9, but not a whole lot :) Hope this helps. I've been doing other things lately because there doesn't seem to be much work for CW these days, but I'm hoping it'll pick up sooner or later. I've been with them for a long, long, long time and I've seen it dry before, but I don't recall ever seeing it like this.
     
  6. pwt

    pwt User

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2012
    Messages:
    191
    Likes Received:
    0
    They are supposed to be, under Difficult Audio. The problem there, I think, is that CW gives their customers a list of things that would make audio difficult and then it's up to the customer to tell CW that they consider their audio difficult. And most customers don't do that because it costs more money.

    The very first thing a transcriber should do for a session is listen to every single Difficult Audio HIT that's available, because from time-to-time, I've found very clear and perfect audio in there that maybe had birds chirping in the background, or just needed the loudness boosted.

    But the opposite of that is an unfair problem, too much difficult audio that's being passed off as regular, which pays us less. Difficult accents, phone interviews (should always be difficult audio), cafes, people talking over each other constantly, more than three speakers -- I've had them all under normal audio.

    Like I said last night, CW has automated way too much of their business and it's everybody but CW that has to pay a price for it.
     
  7. hapless

    hapless Guest

    Yes it helps ;-) to confirm that I might've deserved a 9 on that one. ;-)
     
  8. hapless

    hapless Guest

    I've been trying to steer clear of numerous speakers talking over each other. Those jobs kinda stress me out.

    That's not to say that I don't enjoy a stimulating challenge once in a while. ;-)

    My favorite and most challenging CW transcript (up to now) was just a simple interview, but the interviewee mentioned several place-names in two foreign languages, and some of those names were spoken or mumbled quite rapidly, with only a few contextual clues to help me resolve them.

    I spent just about every minute of the entire allotted time on that job, desperately researching via Wikipedia and Google Maps and other sources, until I could finally resolve those names with certainty. (I don't like to request extensions. I was keen to finish the job properly without one.)

    After considerable research, I managed to resolve almost every one of those place-names -- including a trio of related names that sounded almost exactly alike (very easy to get wrong). I believe I got most of them exactly right (although, to my dismay, an editor messed one of them up, LOL).
     
    #48 hapless, Jul 10, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 10, 2012
  9. hapless

    hapless Guest

    Although I do enjoy a challenge (such as described in my previous reply), right now I want more 9's. ;-) My strategy for the moment is to take the shortest that easiest jobs. Maybe that way I can get myself some more 9's sooner rather than later.

    Not that it matters really. I just want some 9's and I want them now. LOL
     
  10. Whimsy

    Whimsy User

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2012
    Messages:
    805
    Likes Received:
    0
    Very, very.

    Even though very is an adverb, it's like dealing with conjuctive adjectives. A comma separates them. I would've also added the comma. Even though you're using a pause as your gauge, that's not going to always improve readability. In the end, readability is key. Commas and shortened sentences decrease the potential for confusion.

    A few days ago I did get the auto-approval on three of five transcriptions. An 8. The transcriptions graded manually got 9s. I'm trying to find a balance between what's written in the style guide, the tips here, and peeping at the final efits. I try to see the line between 8 and 9 and I can't find it. It's subjective. At this point, I don't care as long as I get paid. Still waiting on some bonuses. Mail back stated it was a technical issue which was being addressed.
     
  11. pwt

    pwt User

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2012
    Messages:
    191
    Likes Received:
    0
    Yet all of that is wiped out by the fact that I've had both commas and extra words removed.

    It's a no-win scenario.
     
  12. Whimsy

    Whimsy User

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2012
    Messages:
    805
    Likes Received:
    0
    Well it does and doesn't wipe it out. Commas are tricky, there are more than a dozen rules for using them. And that being said, I don't think editors always have it together. Still think that if a transcription only needs a few changes character-wise, a 9 should be within reach. Especially if commas are what's changed. Simple, easy edit. No relistening to the audio to detemine a word, no fillers to mess with...IDK. Sometimes I really am ok with 8s. But damnit if I'm getting 9s on every single Improve, what's the deal with 8s on transcriptions? =\

    *banging head on desk* If I didn't enjoy listening in on others' conversations, I would go nuts.

    Good luck with 9s, really.
     
  13. hapless

    hapless Guest

    Yeah I've been bit for leaving out commas like that. ... On the other hand, I am a comma junkie most of the time. One editor knocked me down for excessive comma usage. I can't win.

    Edits. LOL.
    (Actually I like "efits" -- or "effits." "Those effin' effits!") ;-)
     
  14. hapless

    hapless Guest

    ;-)

    FWIW, one view holds that a conjunction can sometimes appear at the beginning of a sentence but "only when the result is perfectly clear and more effective than some other alternative":
    http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/Usage/Usage184.html
     
  15. hapless

    hapless Guest

    Try as I may, the elusive 9 remains out of reach most of the time .... :eek:

    That's OK. I give up. There's no point in whining about it, no reason to "pine for the nine," so to speak -- for if I am destined forever to remain "behind the eight-ball," so to speak, then so be it. :p

    I shall continue doing the best I can on each and every transcript -- and I'll enjoy the work, just as it is -- and I'll take pride in my growing collection of 8's. :rolleyes:
     
  16. interneteditor

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    362
    Likes Received:
    0
    I got my first two 9s this week... whoop whoop!
     
  17. pwt

    pwt User

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2012
    Messages:
    191
    Likes Received:
    0
    Cool. Congrats.

    I had 16 8s in a row, then 3/4 were 9s. Now I'm starting another 8 streak of four and counting.

    Good work to be done in two of the last three days. I'm quite happy. Should end up being $30.50 when they all get approved. Looks kind of dead right now though.
     
  18. InParentheses

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2012
    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    0
    I've been doing Casting Words HITs like crazy, since I started MTurk last month. (Yeah, I'm pretty new!) I quickly got the hang of it, and moved up to a 95 PPT. I was surprised I got there as fast as I did, but happy.

    I did the "Improve a Transcript" HITS for a while, but lately I've just been doing the express transcriptions. I find I can do them fairly quickly, if they have clear audio. Anyway, literally, my last 95 have been graded 9. From reading here, I feel like that's not normal. Even before that, I had very few 8s.

    I'm not quite sure if I'm ridiculously lucky, or what... Are the express transcriptions just easier to score a 9 on or something?

    Tonight's were especially good to me. I found a large batch that was very easy to do quickly, but they're all gone now. :(
     
  19. interneteditor

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    362
    Likes Received:
    0
    I think you must be very good at transcribing and "in tune" with exactly what CW wants AND getting lucky with graders :) Well done, can you share your secret with me? Hehe.
     

Share This Page