Wednesday, June 23 2010
We hear about code-cutters, wire-benders, propeller-heads, geeks and nerds. Silicon Valley gazillionairre? 5-time TED speakers? Fanboys? U ain't got nuffin on... ... A WordNerd.
A What?
WordNerds:
1. Are WordNerds born or are they created?
2. What are the characteristics of a WordNerd?
3. You mean I need to be a WordNerd AND be able to listen and respeak at the same time?
4. WordNerd WANTED at Ai-Media.
wordnerd also wurdnurd (nûrd)
n. Slang
- A person who thinks and speaks with punctuation
- A person who has successfully completed the Ai-Skills™ training and accreditation program to be an Ai-Media captioner
Why are you called a WordNerd?
WordNerd #1: I’m the kind of person that ponders the etymology of the word ‘Bluetooth’ - and is pleased to discover it is from Blåtand, the epithet of a tenth-century Scandinavian king who united several tribes - just like Bluetooth technology unites several communication protocols. I enjoy spending an afternoon looking up foreign words with no English equivalent (for example, the German word schadenfreude, which describes pleasure derived from the misfortune of others – like that first unstoppable amused smile when you see someone walk into a glass door). It is this geeky enthusiasm for language that makes me a definite WordNerd.
WordNerd #2: I guess it’s because I get a kick out of languages. I can speak French, Spanish and Auslan (Australian Sign Language). I like reading ‘Column 8’, playing Scrabble, and I am a big fan of good spelling and punctuation.
So is a WordNerd cool?
WordNerd #1: If you are a WordNerd yourself, then you’ll think it is cool to be a WordNerd. If you aren’t a WordNerd, you’ll probably think WordNerds are just language geeks. However, geekiness has become increasingly popular with the rising influence of the Internet. It’s a new kind of cool.
WordNerd #2: We get quite a lot of feedback from people who see us in action who are fascinated by our skills...and everyone wants to give it a try. It’s funny seeing people get tongue-tied trying to keep up with speaking and adding punctuation as well as knowing when to breathe!
Can anyone be a WordNerd?
WordNerd #1: WordNerds are a particularly special breed of people - not only good at spelling, grammar and language, but people who actually enjoy spelling, grammar and language! A WordNerd is someone who spots a misspelt word in a book and gets that little jolt of satisfaction from having found it (mixed with some indignation at the carelessness of the editor, of course).
WordNerd #2: There is a certain aptitude for respeaking that a WordNerd has…interestingly about 30% of the population has this aptitude. But you know, it might be genetic – my mum is a cryptic crossword master.
Just what is Respeaking?
WordNerd #1: Respeaking is one way of generating online captions where the captioner has been trained to listen to an audio track and repeat everything that’s being said, continuously. We have trained voice recognition software which then produces the text. Respeakers have to say all the punctuation as well so that the text has context.
WordNerd #2: The trickiest parts are putting in the punctuation and keeping up with the speaker. To add the punctuation we have to say the punctuation marks as they would be positioned in a written sentence. It can sound quite funny actually…”Hello comma how are you question mark”…Keeping up with people who speak really quickly can be challenging – we need to be able to re-word, re-phrase or condense what we are hearing, preserving the meaning as much as possible – and these decisions we make rapidly and, over time, it becomes intuitive.
What is Offline captioning?
WordNerd #1: Offline captioning is used for pre-prepared video content. Offline captioners receive the video material then create a caption file with our solutions, typing, applying time codes and positions to the captions, so they come on and off at the correct time once the caption information is embedded in the video information.
What is Stenocaptioning?
WordNerd #2: Stenocaptioning is a way to create live captions in some live environments. Stenocaptioners create text by using a stenograph machine. They use a very complex symbolic writing method that uses special shorthand techniques so that they can type as fast as people speak. It’s like watching a grade 9 pianist…amazing!
How does someone become a Captioner at Ai-Media?
WordNerd #2: If someone is interested in becoming a Captioner with Ai-Media they can go to
ai-live.com right now to register their interest. They’ll be invited to take our aptitude test to see if they have the potential to become a respeaker. If a person is successful at this stage, they’ll receive an invitation for an interview and respeaking test. This is when we see if the applicant has the ability to listen and repeat at the same time. Once they complete and qualify on these levels the person becomes eligible to enter the
Ai-Skills™ Training and Accreditation Program.
What's it like going back to school?
WordNerd #1: Listening in on the classes is always interesting - it really takes you back. Some things have changed, like the fact that most of the students have laptops in class nowadays. Some things have stayed the same…like the naughty kid at the back of the class.
WordNerd #2: It is surprisingly enjoyable! The students are very tech savvy so our
Ai-Live™ solution is something they embrace very quickly as a new innovation that improves their classroom experiences, giving them access and inclusion.
What's the funniest captioning gig you've experienced?
WordNerd #1: When respeaking was first being used for creating live captions (before the advent of Ai-Live™) I was live captioning a TV show that was about Hollywood gossip. The topic at the time - Jennifer Lopez. I respoke the segment - but to my horror, as I observed the TV screen to check my output J-Lo’s name continually appeared as ‘General Lopez’! In those days, there was no way to correct misrecognitions once they had appeared, so there was nothing I could do but gather my composure (and try to contain my laughter) and carry on captioning.
WordNerd #2: One memorable Biology lesson about animal classification involved an enthusiastic discussion between the teacher and students about whether you could successfully breed an elephant with a cat!
Words and Nerds…a fascinating and extremely important combination in the innovative realm of Ai-Media’s captioning services. WordNerds are changing the way people with deafness or hearing impairments gain access to discussions, phone conferences, school and Uni classes, workshops and tv shows. It makes you wonder about a dinner party conversation amongst a bunch of WordNerds….”pass the salt comma please full stop”.
They’re nerds alright [ed. All right] – and are definitely very cool.
Ai-Skills™- Have you got what it takes?
Go to ai-live.com and take the test. Explanation mark!
