Anybody else had enough of the pile of hard expediteds?

Discussion in 'CastingWords' started by ayeembored, Nov 9, 2012.

  1. ayeembored

    ayeembored Active Member

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    Geez, this glut of expediteds that should be marked as difficult are really driving me crazy. The audio is mediocre at best and sometimes horrible and the people are arguing about the same dang thing for three hours total. I've had ENOUGH! ENOUGH ALREADY!

    The number of them aren't going down, either, so the rest of the people qualified for expediteds must feel the same way. Oh well. I'm off onto some express at 145% that I snagged that are crystal clear.
     
  2. naturegirl

    naturegirl User

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    I hear CW's been wondering why no one wants them. :)

    I've had other stuff going on this week, so haven't been able to take a look at them. But I agree on voting with your feet (fingers?). And they do listen, when we tell them certain audio is not acceptable as Expedited work. So it's apparently fine and even encouraged to mark it as problem audio, just because it doesn't meet Expedited standards. I do!
     
  3. ayeembored

    ayeembored Active Member

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    I hate to say it, but I think that I've picked out all that's worth doing at normal price. Since it looks like this file was originally over three hours long, there's no way that anybody listened to the whole thing and instead just did spot checking. The beginning of the full file was fine, but after a break, the people repositioned themselves and the mike doesn't quite pick them all up anymore.

    I've reported a couple HITs in the pile, but I'm wary that I'm letting boredom cloud my judgement. The subject matter is SO mind numbing.

    But still, there's 40ish expedited hits out there right now, most of them from the long file. There may be some that are still worth doing, but I think I've reached the frustration point on them where I'll wait for higher pay.
     
  4. nobody

    nobody User

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    I'm with you ayeembored. Those files need to be paid at the Difficult Expedited rate. If I have to tweak the audio and listen to everything three or four times, it just isn't worth it. I can make more on Express HITs.

    I don't know if the problem is the people who rate audio (a couple of them rate everything 3) or CW just not realizing how bad the audio sounds, but I can't do them at that rate. I've been finding lots of work on and off mturk the past several weeks, so I'll leave those files for someone with a little more patience.
     
  5. naturegirl

    naturegirl User

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    I don't think you need to hate to say it (and nobody, this is pertinent to some of what you said, too). You were right, after all, it was over 3 hours (more like over 5, I believe) of stuff that nobody wanted!

    Here's what I gather from CW based on the research I recently did on transcription companies: they do not like it either when clients try and sneak something in as Expedited that is not Expedited quality. But their system requires them to mostly rely on us, the ones eligible to work on Expedited, to tell them that there is a problem. It appears (this is conjecture on my part, based on murmurs I have heard from their staff) that clients get something like preapproval to upload Expedited, because that audio is all time-is-of-the-utmost situations. Unfortunately, this does mean that stuff too crappy to be Expedited can get into the Expedited queue. CW will fix that, as long as they get enough complaints from us. The faster and harder we complain, the faster they respond. I love that about them. ;) Can't say that about most MTurk requesters!

    That's awesome, nobody, that you have been finding work off and on MTurk! Not surprising, but excellent to hear. Go, you!

    And nobody, it's also good to see you around---your posts were so helpful to me when I was brand-new, and I'm glad to have the chance to tell you in "person."

    BTW, I don't think they're going to end up offered as Difficult Expedited. Likely to be premium Express Difficult.

    NG
     
    #5 naturegirl, Nov 9, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 10, 2012
  6. Maggiemw

    Maggiemw User

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    I received a message from Mike at CW which might help with these, if they're the HITs for Difficult Audio: Denver John New York #121344. Send him a message and he will send replacement audio files.
     
  7. nobody

    nobody User

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    Glad I could help. I received a lot of help from people here when I was just getting started with transcription, and I'm glad I could pay it forward. Also, congrats on the ebook!! That is truly awesome. In my lifetime I've started about 40 books, but haven't finished one yet, so good for you. I'm sure it will help a lot of people, because starting a career in transcription isn't always easy.
     
  8. naturegirl

    naturegirl User

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    You totally did pay it forward, nobody. :) Your thread on scripts for newbies is also awesome and still the most thorough collection I know of!

    Thank you about the book---that's very nice of you to say. I did write it to help people, so I would love for it to do that.

    I hate to be so OT, even though I think the batch that the OP was talking about has finally abated. I'll PM you with one more bit!
     

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