The Transcription Place

I know I promised that my next post would be about  ”More Veterans Stories”, but I have something that I would like to share.

Because of my love for Butterflies, I felt inspired to write this essay.  Hope you enjoy it.

A Butterfly Essay

I think that butterflies are truly one of the most extraordinary mysteries of nature. How could it be possible for a lowly little caterpillar to be transformed into such a beautiful creature – the butterfly?

 Butterflies are the symbol of hope, transformation, strength, beauty, faith, love, and trust and a perfect demonstration of God’s love for us. Here is this extraordinary little creature – with wings that appear to be as fragile as tissue paper. This magnificent creature that can fly thousands of miles in all kinds of weather and come to a destination where they know they are supposed to be. How is this possible? Scientists may explain this mystery – scientifically of course, but I believe there is a much deeper, meaningful story here. This is the story that I believe to be true:

 Butterflies are mysterious, magical, and extraordinary! They start out as a caterpillar, spin their cocoon, and emerge as a beautiful, magnificent butterfly. Are they afraid to leave their cocoon? It must seem so safe and comfortable there. When they emerge, what will they find? What will their life be like? They seem so fragile and yet they are so strong. They fly free and migrate for thousands of miles. How does a creature that appears to be so fragile, withstand all of the many things they must encounter in their flight to a far away land? Their strength, their courage, and their beauty is matchless.

Our lives are like that of the butterfly. We are born helpless little babies but we grow and are faced with so many, many challenges throughout our life here on earth. Do we strive to go back to the womb? Would we even consider that if it were possible? We are beautiful souls, each and every one of us and each time we face a challenge our “wings” become stronger and stronger. We can learn so very much from the Butterfly. That magnificent creature would never consider going back into that chrysalis and wrapping the cocoon tightly around those glorious butterfly wings. We were born to fly free and to soar. That is what life is about. Who of us would want to go back to being a caterpillar once we have become that butterfly? The challenges may be difficult, and can be very painful at times. Fear may take hold. But if we use that fear as a security blanket we will never realize the wonder of the ultimate joy we can achieve by using our wings to fly higher and higher and travel so very, very far.

Is it worth the struggle? I believe that it is, because without that struggle we would just remain in that chrysalis and never experience the true joy of being who we are meant to be. So, be that butterfly and when challenges come just spread those beautiful wings and fly free. We are meant to do so.’

©Copyright  – Sylvia Mallonee 2010

Why Do You Need a Transcript for Your Podcasts and Other audios?

 Podcasts were initially used to allow people to distribute their own content or radio style shows to a wider audience. The clarity of a podcast digital recording has been ideal for a variety of media, such as interviews, teleconferences, lectures/speakers, oral history interviews, writers, radio broadcasts and more.

So why do you need a transcript if you have the audio?

1. A quality audio supported by a transcript will always generate more interest and a bigger audience than an audio on its own.

 2.  If someone is hearing impaired, their only option may be to read a transcript. A transcript can do for the hearing impaired, what books on tape do for the visually impaired.

 3.  Reading a transcript can also be helpful if voices on the audio are hard to understand. Having a back-up transcript can be helpful in such circumstances so they may be able to clarify any bits they did not hear clearly the first time around.

 4. Some people prefer to read content because it is quicker for them rather than listening to an audio file.

 5.  Some people may only want to listen to a small section at a time and without a transcript they would have to listen to the whole recording or spool back and forth in order to try to find the relevant part.

 6. Transcripts can be tweaked to ensure the search engines can find you by adding relevant hyperlinks and keywords.

 7. By providing all options for your audience, they will remember which audios are more user friendly than others.

Provide your audience with choices; they will thank you for it!

Next: How Can Speakers benefit by having a transcript?

Who Will Benefit by Hiring a Professional Transcriptionist?

There are many people who will receive  benefits of turning their recorded audios into professionally transcribed manuscripts. To name a few:

 1. Podcasters

 2. Speakers

 3. Interviewers

 4. Writers

5. Coaches/Consultants

6. Teleseminar Leaders

 7. To put on your website

Anyone who would like a print version of their audio product!!

So be creative and add your own ideas to this list.

Next: Why do you need a transcript of your Pod casts and other audios?

What Does a Professional Transcriptionist Do?

 Whenever anyone asks me that age old question, what do you do, I say “I am a Professional Transcriptionist. Their first comment is, “Oh so you do medical transcription.” This is the first and sometimes the only thing that comes to anyone’s mind when you say transcription. I have to admit, I felt the same way at one time.

After I retired from the 9 to 5 corporate world I thought I would like to be my own boss and start my own business. I thought the obvious thing for me to do would be to provide transcription services from my home.

 I did some research and discovered that of course medical transcription was not the only field for transcription, there was general transcription. This opened up unlimited possibilities so I decided this would be my niche. As I connected with people my business started to grow and I soon found out just how many people were in need of a transcriptionist to get their valuable messages out to the world.

 The art of high quality transcription is comprehension, not just putting words on paper, but putting the right words on paper. I do more than just type the words. I am deeply interested in whatever it is I am transcribing. There is a creative, collaborative give and take between my clients and me that seems to be of benefit to both of us, beyond the action of me just transcribing their audio recordings. I do enjoy what I do!

 There are so many wonderful rewards that come with my business. First of all, I have made a connection with so many extraordinary people, most of whom I have never actually met face to face. The range of topics that I have been privileged to transcribe cover many areas; from informational to inspirational, and everything in between.  From interviews of people in the far off islands in the pacific, to radio personalities; from NASSA software engineers to global warming; from history to astronomy, from spirituality to human interest stories; and many more. Is it any wonder I love what I do?

Next: Who Will Benefit from Hiring a Professional Transcriptionist

Remembering My Father on Memorial Day

 I would like to share a personal story. My father was in the Army during World War I. He served his country and was wounded while in France. That was really all I knew about his time in the service.  A number of years ago I became very interested in genealogy and did quite a bit of research. My mother did not keep a journal or a diary, but she had a lot of little pieces of paper here and there with some notes that were very helpful as far as finding out some facts about some of the events in her life.

 My son recently told me about a very interesting book that he was reading that was written by the grandson of a World War I veteran. The man in the book served in Company D and my son was wondering if his grandfather was in Company D as well. Well, from my some of the notes my mother had recorded, I learned the following:

 My father was 21 when he enlisted in the U. S. Army. On July 19, 1917 he left Baltimore and was sworn in at Fort Slocum, New York on July 22, 1917. His rating was private first class. He left New York on July 30 and went to Chickamauga Park, Georgia.

 He came home on furlough April 17, 1918 and married my mother on April 22, 1918. On April 24¸1918 just two days after marrying my mother he went back to Chickamauga Park, Georgia and then moved to Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina in May of 1918. He was in Company D 53^rd Infantry.

 He boarded the troop ship the Leviathan and served his country in Geradmer Sector Meuse, Argonne France from July 6, 1918 to June 12, 1919. I know that he was wounded while in France but that is really all I know. I don’t recall that being talked about, and I am sure it wasn’t.

 I can only imagine how difficult was for both of my parents. They had only been married two days when my father returned to his base camp. Then in less than three months he was off to fight in what is now called the Great War. The war front was not covered back then like it is today, so my mother must have been very worried about him and wondering what was happening. Then to get word that he had been wounded had to have been so difficult to hear.

 Back then it was not like it is today. There was only the radio to hear the news about the war. As far as mail was concerned, it probably took weeks to get a letter to and from France. So not knowing from day to day what was happening over there had to be way beyond difficult.

 Then on April 5, 1919 my Grandfather passed away at the young age of 54. The war was over then but my father did not come home until June 12, 1919 and he received an honorable discharge June 19, 1919.

 He did not learn of his father’s death until he arrived home. I suppose everyone thought it best to not write him telling him of his father’s passing, but to wait until he came home. I cannot help but wonder how he must have felt; coming home from the war and hearing such sad news.

 While I do know the facts and dates, I would love to have had some written record of his experiences and the feelings behind those experiences which are clearly a part of history. What a wonderful treasure it would have been if only my parents had recorded their memories. I am fortunate however that I do have many pictures but the stories would have added so much to those pictures.

 Everyone does have a story to tell!  My message to each and every one is, keep those treasured memories alive and families connected by recording your story.

 To quote Mark Twain, “There was never an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.”

Next:  More on Veterans Stories

Memorial Day Remembrance – May 30, 2010

 “Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day as a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.  There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil war. While Waterloo New York was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it is difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.  It is not important about who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division, it is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.” [Taken from an article on Memorial Day History]

 Unfortunately traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. Many people feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. I believe that changing the date merely to create a three day weekend has undermined the very meaning of this dayof rememberance.

 I can’t help but wonder how many young people really do not think about or even know what Memorial Day represents. It seems to be all about three days off to celebrate the beginning of summer, having picnics, parties and outdoor barbecues. And there is the ever growing popularity of the commercial aspect – ‘sales’ that abound for every holiday. This is not to say that these family celebrations are not good things because they are, but I feel that Americans need to be reminded of the true meaning of Memorial Day.

 ”To help to re-educate us, the National Moment of Remembrance resolution was passed in December of 2000, which asks that at 3:00 p.m. local time, for all Americans to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in the service to their country so that we can enjoy the freedom that we have.”

 Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and was first observed on 30 May 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. [Taken from the article Memorial Day History]

Next: Remembering My Father on Memorial Day

Why Hire a Professional Transcriptionist to Convert Your Audios to Typed Text?

Not too long ago someone mentioned to me that she uses a voice recognition software program for converting her audios into typed text. That certainly is a legitimate question – why should someone hire me if they can buy the software.

Since I have never worked with this kind of software, I thought about it and I came up with the following questions that I had to ask myself.

• With audio recordings of interviews, groups, or live teleseminars and so forth, how does the software distinguish between multiple speakers? How does it know to punctuate and break the text into paragraphs appropriately?

• When people just speak naturally, their speech is filled with tons of ‘ahs’ and ‘umms’ and you know’s’ and so forth. Does the software know to filter those out when appropriate? People also string multiple sentences together with ‘and’, forever! Does the software know when to break the sentences apart?

• How about when the quality of the audio recording is not top-notch, such as when there is background noise or people speaking on top of each other…how does the software handle that?

• Even when there is only a single speaker, if they do not dictate punctuation, paragraphs, etc., does the software take care of that?

If the software does not handle these issues well, how much work is involved in cleaning up the text?

Then too, I do more than just type the ‘words’, I am deeply interested in whatever it is I am transcribing. There is a creative, collaborative give and take between my clients and me that seems to be of benefit to both of us, beyond the action of me ‘just’ transcribing their audio recordings. I do enjoy what I do!

I have a valuable, worthwhile service to offer my clients. I am very proud of my skills and my dedication in assisting my clients to creatively contribute their valuable knowledge and experience to the world.

Video Transcription – the Wave of the Future

What determines the length of time it takes to transcribe an audio?

• The quality of the recording – This can be affected as much by the recording equipment itself as by background noise which obscures the words or the recording volume.

• The type of microphone being used.

• The number of people speaking.

• The speed at which they are talking. This may sound odd but if someone is a fast talker, it will take longer to transcribe what they are saying than someone who speaks more slowly. For example, take two audios – both one hour in length. The first interviewee talks slowly, ‘normally’ the resulting transcription is perhaps 10,000 words long. The second interviewee talks at ‘machine gun’ speed and the transcript totals 16,000 words. Same length of audio – completely different results. A fast talker = more words. More words = more to type = more time taken = more time charged.

• Whether they speak in coherent sentences. Everyday speech is usually littered with ‘ums’ and ‘you knows’. People switch thought in mid-sentence or don’t speak in coherent sentences at all. In such situations, the transcriber must go back and work out where to insert the punctuation so as not to lose the thread of the whole piece. The more coherent speakers are, the less time it takes to transcribe their words. The transcriber can ‘type as they talk’ and rarely needs to go back and puzzle out the meaning.

• Whether there are any regional accents. Wherever a recording is made in the world, if the speaker has an accent which is difficult to decipher, this will adversely affect the time it takes to transcribe a recording.

• The amount of technical and specialized terminology involved. Material which is full of technical, financial, computer or specialized terminology which may be unfamiliar to the transcriptionist will increase the amount of time required to transcribe an audio. It may be necessary to re-listen to words, sentences or even whole sections several times in order to distinguish the words. In such circumstances, it helps enormously if a glossary can be provided in advance by the client or if words can be spelled out at the time by the person speaking.

It is in the interests of both the transcriber and the client to deal with recordings of the highest possible quality. A poor quality recording will result in a high number of ‘inaudibles’ and take longer to transcribe.

Good, clear recordings result in highly accurate transcripts. The less time it takes to transcribe your material, the lower your final cost will be.

Next: Why Hire a Professional Transcriptionist to Convert Your Audios Into Typed Text

Learn the Secret of Asking Questions to Get the Story You Want to Hear

If you are helping your parent or parents record their story then you want to ask the questions that will get the story you want to hear. If you are writing your own story then answer those same quesitons as they would pertain  to you.

Some General quesitons to ask your parent(s) or yourself.

• Briefly tell about one or more of your family’s best stories or tall tales.

• What family traditions are still practiced in your family?

• What personal traits or charcteristics seem to run in the family?

• What may have caused you to say, “Just wait until you have children of your own?”

• What are some of the most memorable historical events you  have seen in your lifetime?

• Did you travel? Where? What places were most interesting and why?

• What would you say is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

• What decision do you consider to be your wisest decision?

• Do you have a philosophy of life to share? What is it?

• Write about some of your favorite things and tell why they are your favorites.

The secret to not feeling overwhelmed is to cut the task down to size by writing one bite at a time, and focus on only one bite at a time. Remember the old elephant jokes? “How do you eat an elephant?” ONE BITE AT A TIME! That is the best way to go about writing your story.

Once again, be creative! This is your story so add as many ideas as you would like to this list.

Next: More about Veterans Stories

What Would You Like to Include When You Tell Your Story?

Each and every one of us has a story to tell and it is our sacred duty to preserve that story and pass it on. In addition to this you want to keep the stories and memories alive of those who have gone before us.

Create a portrait of your life with words! Some topics to consider:

• A turning point in your life.

•  An accomplishment you look back on in pride.

• The changes in the world that you have seen in your life time.

• The people [family and friends] that have and still have an impact on your life.

• Any amusing, interesting, inspiring or incredible stories.

• Life reflections, such as things that you value, things that you believe in, things that you are grateful for and thoughts or ideals that you want to pass down to future generations.

Be creative, but above all else remember this is your story, so let it reflect your personality. 

Next: Learn the Secret of Asking Questions to Get the Story You want to hear.