Transcript Workflow: Difference between revisions

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This is where we coordinate to get transcripts of every episode completed. If you want to help, join '''[https://discord.gg/BDmJVp8 The Portal Transcripts Discord]'''. This is part of the '''[[Transcript Completion Project]]'''.
{{#lst:The Portal Transcripts|transcript-infobox}} <!-- Includes the Transcripts project infobox -->


This is the workflow for generating and editing transcripts for [[The Portal Podcast]] and other [[Content by Eric Weinstein]]. It introduces the tools we use, our [[Transcript Style Guide|style guide]], and our process.


== Making a Transcript ==
== Before you start ==
The programs below have been useful for automatically generating a transcription of audio or video, which then only needs editing to properly identify speakers, fix grammatical issues, and be made human-readable. Once this has been done transcripts can be exported as Microsoft Word documents, which allows for easy find-and-replace editing that implements wiki-formatting syntax before copying the finalized transcript onto its respective wiki page. In addition, exporting and uploading to the wiki a .vtt version of the transcript allows it to be used in many of our [[Projects|community projects]]. Some of the listed programs have free trials/transcription time, so don't hesitate to get involved!
There are a few things you should have ready before starting. Also check that there isn't already a completed transcript for what you would like to contribute to, using our [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lFYnK-Z_eDAp_6D7SAZvCrcw3LxoLdBcEHzzVs9oztI/edit?usp=sharing spreadsheet], the [[:Category:Transcript|transcript wiki category]], or the [https://theportal.group/tag/transcript/ blog].


* [https://www.descript.com/ Descript]
=== Make accounts ===
* [https://otter.ai/ Otter.ai]
In order to give you access to our transcripts, you'll need accounts with the services we use.
* [https://temi.com/ Temi.com]
* Have a [https://discord.com/ Discord] account. Discord is an online chat service where we coordinate our work.
* Have an [https://otter.ai/ Otter.ai] account. We generate our transcripts in Otter, where they can be edited to match speakers to text.
* Have a [https://google.com/ Google] account. We use Google Drive and Google Docs to store and coordinate our work.


Each time a new YouTube video is released, we need to take the audio from that and upload it to the CDN on the wiki. This will ensure that all of our time codes are matching up.
=== Contact us on Discord ===
Contact Aardvark or Brooke on our transcript-focused [https://discord.gg/wu957e7 Discord server] or our main [https://discord.gg/VxEuDZD2PC Discord server]. Say what you'd like to work on and we'll give you access to our Drive folder and the AI-generated transcript in Otter.


== Annotating a Transcript ==
== Basic Editing Rules ==
* [[Annotating episodes]]
[[File:ParagraphsExampleImage.png|thumb|right|A labelled example of paragraph formatting.]]
We have developed a [[Transcript Style Guide|style guide]] to keep our transcripts consistent. Here are the basics:


== Progress ==
* We use American English.
* We use a clean verbatim style. This means filler words (um, uh, etc.), false starts, and repeated words or phrases, when they do not add meaning or nuance, are removed.
* Paragraphs are not indented.
* An empty paragraph is left between paragraphs.
* Timestamps (preferably taken from the content's YouTube version) are at the start of a paragraph, italicized, of the form ''HH:MM:SS'', and separated by a line break (<code>Shift + Enter</code>) from the rest of the paragraph.
* Speaker tags are bold, punctuated with a colon, and use the speaker's full name (first + last).
* Only the first of consecutive paragraphs by a speaker should have a speaker tag.
* Add notes in brackets for things that happen in video but don't translate to audio.
* Add headings to identify the discussion topic.


=== The Portal Podcast Human Readable Transcripts ===
Be sure to review our style guide for everything in detail with examples.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
|-
== Editing Process ==
! # !! Title !! Transcript Status !! Wiki Page Status
Some people prefer doing the majority of their editing and corrections in Otter, while others prefer Google Docs. Both are necessary, but you are free to use them as best suits your preferences. The general process follows these steps:
|-
# Edit in Otter, focusing on matching text to the correct speaker and correcting obvious errors as convenient.
| 29 || [[A_Portal_Special_Presentation-_Geometric_Unity:_A_First_Look|29: A Portal Special Presentation- Geometric Unity: A First Look]] || Transcript needs editing. || [[File:Geometric-Unity-A-First-Look_-_YouTube.vtt|VTT Needs Editing]]
# Export to Google Docs when finished.
|-
# Edit in Google Docs while listening to the source material, correcting major errors and adding paragraph breaks and new timestamps where necessary.
| 28 || [[28: Eric Lewis - The Singular Genius of Elew]] || Transcript incomplete and need machine-readable transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
# Edit in Google Docs again, fine tuning grammar and punctuation.
|-
 
| 27 || [[27: Daniel Schmachtenberger - On Avoiding Apocalypses]] || Transcript incomplete and need machine-readable transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
=== Editing Tips ===
|-
* Leave comments where you're uncertain on what is being said.
| 26 || [[26: James O’Keefe: What is (and isn't) Journalism in the 21st century]] || Machine-readable transcript complete, need human-readable transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
* Search online for terms or phrases that you don't know. [https://www.google.com/ Google], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikipedia], and [https://arxiv.org/ arXiv] should cover almost all cases.
|-
* Search for song lyrics or exact quotes in order to mirror how they were originally written.
| 25 || [[25: The Construct: Jeffrey Epstein]] || Machine-readable transcript complete, need human-readable transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
 
|-
For guidance on typesetting mathematics, see our [[Transcript Style Guide|style guide]].
| 24 || [[24: Kai Lenny - To Play and Flirt with Giants]] || Auto-transcription complete. Ping @Jayg#7232 for access to edit in Descript || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
 
|-
=== Tips for Otter ===
| 23 || [[23: Agnes Callard - Courage, Meta-cognitive detachment and their limits]] || Auto-transcription complete. Ping @Jayg#7232 for access to edit in Descript || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
[[File:OtterExportOptions.png|thumb|right|Options to use when exporting from Otter.]]
|-
* Export as text to your clipboard, and paste it into a new Google Doc. '''Wait to make sure that Otter has finished "matching speakers" before exporting.'''
| 22 || [[22: Ben Greenfield - Wheat From Chaff in Human Fitness]] || Transcript finished and linked below || Needs linking and subcategories.
* [https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/360047731754-Edit-a-conversation Otter's Editing Guide]
|-
* [https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/360047733634-Export-conversations Otter's Export Guide]
| 21 || [[21: Ashley Mathews (aka Riley Reid) - The mogul and brains behind America's Sweetheart]] || Transcript incomplete, need machine-readable transcript. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
 
|-
=== Tips for Google Docs ===
| 20 || [[20: Sir Roger Penrose - Plotting the Twist of Einstein’s Legacy]] || Transcript complete, needs editing and cleaning up. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Needs Sponsors section.
[[File:GDocsSmartQuotes.png|thumb|right|The smart quotes option in Preferences.]]
[[File:GDocsSubstitutions.png|thumb|right|The automatic substitution option in Preferences.]]
* Disable smart quotes in Preferences (see image on right).
* Disable substitutions in Preferences (see image on right).
* Use heading level 3 as your highest heading level.
 
== When finished ==
Tell Aardvark or Brooke. We'll look it over and post it on the blog.
 
=== Putting it on the wiki ===
[[File:WikiTimestampLineBreakExample.png|thumb|right|Example of using <br> tags to insert linebreaks after timestamps.]]
Copy/Paste it from Google Docs onto the wiki. Note that:
* Timestamps must be followed by a <code><nowiki><br></nowiki></code> tag to insert the linebreak.
* Speaker names will need to be bolded. Perform a find/replace operation with each speaker name, replacing the speaker name with the name surrounded by three tick marks. So <code>Eric Weinstein:</code> is replaced <code><nowiki>'''Eric Weinstein:'''</nowiki></code>.
* Add the necessary markup around section headings. Keep in mind that heading levels may differ between the Google Doc and the wiki, all that needs to be preserved is the relative ordering.
 
Add the [[:Template:Transcript blurb|transcript blurb template]] and credit yourself.
 
For more help on using the wiki, see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext Wikipedia's guide on Wiki markup] and our [[Wiki Usage FAQ]].
 
== Example Transcripts ==
Here are some completed transcripts to refer to as examples.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
| 19 || [[19: Bret Weinstein - The Prediction and the DISC]] || Transcript complete. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
! Transcript !! Google Doc !! Wiki Page !! Blog Post
|-
|-
| 18 || [[18: Slipping the DISC: State of The Portal & Chapter 2020]] || Transcript generated. ||  Needs linking in the transcript section.
| The Portal Podcast Episode 2 || [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BEXCxpOkKKK7lYWRYlnf2p9QTD2VWz-GYUDY_OP8zLw/edit?usp=sharing Link] || [[Ep2|Link]] || [https://theportal.group/the-portal-episode-002-what-is-the-portal/ Link]
|-
|-
| 17 || [[17: Anna Khachiyan - Reconstructing The Mystical Feminine From The Ashes Of “The Feminine Mystique”]] || No transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories. Needs Sponsors section.
| The Portal Podcast Episode 8 || [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xoYpcimh0SflNpzshWSbUVbzw2gk21195p-RvSRZK9o/edit?usp=sharing Link] || [[Ep8|Link]] || [https://theportal.group/8-andrew-yang-the-different-candidate-the-media-wants-you-to-ignore/ Link]
|-
|-
| 16 || [[16: Tyler Cowen - The Revolution Will Not Be Marginalized]] || Transcript generated but not complete, needs much cleaning, formatting, and speaker identification. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic. Needs Sponsors section.
| Eric on the Glenn Beck Podcast || [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mY1xPog-jW12uwtepsuAZ0Wz95Q5a-hMzHumZwH50wY/edit?usp=sharing Link] || [[Why Eric Weinstein Is Finally Talking to Glenn Beck (YouTube Content)|Link]] || [https://theportal.group/eric-on-the-glenn-beck-podcast/ Link]
|-
|-
| 15 || [[15: Garrett Lisi - My Arch-nemesis, Myself]] || Transcript generated but not complete, needs much cleaning and formatting, need machine-readable transcript. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
| Geometric Unity on Into the Impossible || [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g-FYv6Wi0zQLhPlaRRcaix2aySKkyGNivWX70UOkI-Q/edit?usp=sharing Link] || [[Eric Weinstein: A Conversation (YouTube Content)|Link]] || [https://theportal.group/into-the-impossible-eric-weinstein-geometric-unity-revealed/ Link]
|-
| 14 || [[14: London Tsai - The Reclusive Dean of The New Escherians]] || Machine-readable transcript complete, need human-readable transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
|-
| 13 || [[13: Garry Kasparov - Avoiding Zugzwang in AI and Politics]] || No transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
|-
| 12 || [[12: Vitalik Buterin - The Ethereal Prince and His Virtual Machine]] || Transcript generated but not complete, needs much cleaning and speaker identification. No machine-readable transcript. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
|-
| 11 || [[11: Sam Harris - Fighting with Friends]] || Transcript needs editing. || [[File:11_Sam_Harris.vtt|VTT Needs Editing]]
|-
| 10 || [[10: Julie Lindahl: Shaking the poisoned fruit of shame out of the family tree]] || Transcript generated with speaker identification and timestamps. Editing for readability, spelling, and grammar would be helpful. || Needs linking and subcategories.
|-
| 9 || [[9: Bryan Callen - Cracking Wise]] || No transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
|-
| 8 || [[8: Andrew Yang - The Dangerously Different Candidate The Media Wants You To Ignore]] || Transcript complete. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
|-
| 7 || [[7: Bret Easton Ellis - The Dark Laureate of Generation X]] || No transcript. || Needs transcript with linking and subcategories.
|-
| 6 || [[6: Jocko Willink - The Way of the Violent Intellectual]] || Transcript generated with speaker identification and timestamps. Editing for readability, spelling, and grammar would be helpful. || Needs linking and subcategories.
|-
| 5 || [[5: Rabbi Wolpe - “So a Rabbi and an atheist walk into a podcast...”]] || Transcript generated with speaker identification and timestamps. Editing for readability, spelling, and grammar would be helpful. || Needs linking and subcategories. Needs Sponsors section.
|-
| 4 || [[4: Timur Kuran - The Economics of Revolution and Mass Deception]] || Transcript generated with speaker identification and timestamps. Editing for readability, spelling, and grammar would be helpful. || Needs linking and subcategories.
|-
| 3 || [[3: Werner Herzog]] || Transcript generated but not complete, needs much cleaning and speaker identification. No machine-readable transcript. || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
|-
| 2 || [[2: What Is The Portal?]] || Transcript complete || Needs linking in the transcript section. Transcript section needs subcategories by topic.
|-
| 1 || [[1: Peter Thiel]] || Transcript complete without timestamps, need a machine-readable version || Needs linking in the transcript section.
|-
| 0 ||[[0: Welcome to The Portal]] || Transcript complete. || Wiki page complete.
|}
|}


== If I want to stop part-way through ==
Tell us! This is a volunteer project, so we have no expectations or requirements for completion.
<!--
== Working on a Transcript ==
=== Make a Machine Readable Version ===
* Get the MP3 (from the episode wiki page)
* Import the MP3 into Descript
* Export a VTT file from Descript
** Check the "Remove ums/uhs Checkbox"
* Upload VTT file to wiki
* Link VTT file in [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lFYnK-Z_eDAp_6D7SAZvCrcw3LxoLdBcEHzzVs9oztI/edit#gid=0 The Portal Media Progress]
=== Run Through Alex's VTT Conversion Program ===
Find the [https://github.com/Buhlean/The-Portal-Scripts VTT Conversion Program] on Github.
Then either:
* Download [http://Python.org/downloads Python] 3.x, download the Conversion Script ([https://github.com/Buhlean/The-Portal-Scripts/blob/master/Transcript_Converter.pyw .pyw]) and run it.
or:
* Download the [https://github.com/Buhlean/The-Portal-Scripts/blob/master/Transcript_Converter.zip .zip] with the Windows executable inside from GitHub and run it.
Regardless of which one you choose, you can then:
* open the output '_wiki.txt' file
* Paste into Wiki
=== Make Human-Edited Version ===
* Add your name to the "Responsibility" column in [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lFYnK-Z_eDAp_6D7SAZvCrcw3LxoLdBcEHzzVs9oztI/edit#gid=0 The Portal Media Progress], so people know who to contact with questions.
* Make edits to the wiki. All progress will be tracked in the "View History" tab.
** If you want your name to be listed in the History, then you'll need to [[Special:CreateAccount|create an account]].
=== Update VTT file with Human-edited Version ===
* Upload the MP3 file to Descript
* Make sure file is in right format to be imported into Descript.
** https://help.descript.com/en/articles/2343178-import-transcript-formatting-tips
** https://help.descript.com/en/articles/3337674-transcribing-an-audio-video-file
** Import the transcript into Descript
* Export VTT file
* Upload back to wiki. Make sure you use the same filename, so that a new version of the file is created.
=== Run Through VTT Parser to Make Wiki-Friendly Text ===
* Paste new version to wiki.
* Update "Transcript Notes".
-->
<!--
=== The Portal Podcast .vtt Files ===
=== The Portal Podcast .vtt Files ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"  
{| class="wikitable sortable"  
Line 90: Line 140:
! scope="col"| File Status
! scope="col"| File Status
|-
|-
| 29 || [[A_Portal_Special_Presentation-_Geometric_Unity:_A_First_Look|29: A Portal Special Presentation- Geometric Unity: A First Look]] || [[:File:Geometric-Unity-A-First-Look_-_YouTube.vtt|Episode 29 VTT File]] || .vtt file needs editing
| 31 || [[31: to be broadcast]] || - || .vtt file needed
|-
| 30 || [[30: Ross Douthat - The Rave before the Fall]] || - || .vtt file needed
|-
| 29 || [[29: Jamie Metzl - The Bio-Hacker will see you now, Ready or Not]] || - || .vtt file needed
|-
| Special 1 || [[A_Portal_Special_Presentation-_Geometric_Unity:_A_First_Look|A Portal Special Presentation- Geometric Unity: A First Look]] || [[:File:Geometric-Unity-A-First-Look_-_YouTube.vtt|Special 1 VTT File]] || .vtt file needs editing
|-
|-
| 28 || [[28: Eric Lewis - The Singular Genius of Elew]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 28 || [[28: Eric Lewis - The Singular Genius of Elew]] || - || .vtt file needed
Line 106: Line 162:
| 22 || [[22: Ben Greenfield - Wheat From Chaff in Human Fitness]] || [[:File:Ep_22_art19.vtt|Episode 22 VTT File]] || Finished
| 22 || [[22: Ben Greenfield - Wheat From Chaff in Human Fitness]] || [[:File:Ep_22_art19.vtt|Episode 22 VTT File]] || Finished
|-
|-
| 21 || [[21: Ashley Mathews (aka Riley Reid) - The mogul and brains behind America's Sweetheart]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 21 || [[21: Ashley Mathews (aka Riley Reid) - The mogul and brains behind America's Sweetheart]] || [[:File:Ep_21_art19.vtt|Episode 21 VTT File]] || Finished
|-
|-
| 20 || [[20: Sir Roger Penrose - Plotting the Twist of Einstein’s Legacy]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 20 || [[20: Sir Roger Penrose - Plotting the Twist of Einstein’s Legacy]] || - || .vtt file needed
Line 114: Line 170:
| 18 || [[18: Slipping the DISC: State of The Portal & Chapter 2020]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 18 || [[18: Slipping the DISC: State of The Portal & Chapter 2020]] || - || .vtt file needed
|-
|-
| 17 || [[17: Anna Khachiyan - Reconstructing The Mystical Feminine From The Ashes Of “The Feminine Mystique”]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 17 || [[17: Anna Khachiyan - Reconstructing The Mystical Feminine From The Ashes Of “The Feminine Mystique”]] || [[:File:Ep_17_art19.vtt|Episode 17 VTT File]] || Finished
|-
|-
| 16 || [[16: Tyler Cowen - The Revolution Will Not Be Marginalized]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 16 || [[16: Tyler Cowen - The Revolution Will Not Be Marginalized]] || - || .vtt file needed
Line 126: Line 182:
| 12 || [[12: Vitalik Buterin - The Ethereal Prince and His Virtual Machine]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 12 || [[12: Vitalik Buterin - The Ethereal Prince and His Virtual Machine]] || - || .vtt file needed
|-
|-
| 11 || [[11: Sam Harris - Fighting with Friends]] || [[:File:11_Sam_Harris.vtt|Episode 11 VTT File]] || Speakers and timestamps aligned. May require editing for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
| 11 || [[11: Sam Harris - Fighting with Friends]] || [[:File:11_Sam_Harris.vtt|Episode 11 VTT File]] || Speakers and timestamps aligned. May require cleaning and removal of filler words.
|-
|-
| 10 || [[10: Julie Lindahl: Shaking the poisoned fruit of shame out of the family tree]] || [[:File:Ep_10.vtt|Episode 10 VTT File]] || Speakers and timestamps aligned.  May require editing for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
| 10 || [[10: Julie Lindahl: Shaking the poisoned fruit of shame out of the family tree]] || [[:File:Ep_10.vtt|Episode 10 VTT File]] || Speakers and timestamps aligned.  May require editing for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Line 142: Line 198:
| 4 || [[4: Timur Kuran - The Economics of Revolution and Mass Deception]] || [[:File:Ep_4.vtt|Episode 4 VTT File]] || Speakers and timestamps aligned.  May require editing for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
| 4 || [[4: Timur Kuran - The Economics of Revolution and Mass Deception]] || [[:File:Ep_4.vtt|Episode 4 VTT File]] || Speakers and timestamps aligned.  May require editing for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
|-
|-
| 3 || [[3: Werner Herzog]] || - || .vtt file needed
| 3 || [[3: Werner Herzog]] || [[:File:3_Werner_Herzog.vtt|Episode 3 VTT File]] || Finished
|-
|-
| 2 || [[2: What Is The Portal?]] || [[:File:2_What_Is_The_Portal_.vtt|Episode 2 VTT File]] || Finished
| 2 || [[2: What Is The Portal?]] || [[:File:2_What_Is_The_Portal_.vtt|Episode 2 VTT File]] || Finished
Line 150: Line 206:
| 0 ||[[0: Welcome to The Portal]] || [[:File:0_welcome.vtt|Episode 0 VTT File]] || Finished
| 0 ||[[0: Welcome to The Portal]] || [[:File:0_welcome.vtt|Episode 0 VTT File]] || Finished
|}
|}
-->


=== Other Media ===
[[Category:Projects]]
Create a table here for other media the community finds relevant or useful.
[[Category:The Portal Transcripts]]
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Commented content]]

Latest revision as of 15:05, 18 August 2022

The Portal Transcripts (Transcript Completion Project)
Portaltranscript.png
Information
Topic The Portal Podcast
Leader pyrope#5830
BeefSandwich27#0143
Aardvark#5610
Start Date 31 January 2020
Methodology Transcript Workflow
Style Guide Wiki Page
Portal Media Spreadsheet Sheet
Google Drive Drive
Links
Website The Portal Blog
Discord Link
The Portal Group Discord Link
All Projects

This is the workflow for generating and editing transcripts for The Portal Podcast and other Content by Eric Weinstein. It introduces the tools we use, our style guide, and our process.

Before you start[edit]

There are a few things you should have ready before starting. Also check that there isn't already a completed transcript for what you would like to contribute to, using our spreadsheet, the transcript wiki category, or the blog.

Make accounts[edit]

In order to give you access to our transcripts, you'll need accounts with the services we use.

  • Have a Discord account. Discord is an online chat service where we coordinate our work.
  • Have an Otter.ai account. We generate our transcripts in Otter, where they can be edited to match speakers to text.
  • Have a Google account. We use Google Drive and Google Docs to store and coordinate our work.

Contact us on Discord[edit]

Contact Aardvark or Brooke on our transcript-focused Discord server or our main Discord server. Say what you'd like to work on and we'll give you access to our Drive folder and the AI-generated transcript in Otter.

Basic Editing Rules[edit]

A labelled example of paragraph formatting.

We have developed a style guide to keep our transcripts consistent. Here are the basics:

  • We use American English.
  • We use a clean verbatim style. This means filler words (um, uh, etc.), false starts, and repeated words or phrases, when they do not add meaning or nuance, are removed.
  • Paragraphs are not indented.
  • An empty paragraph is left between paragraphs.
  • Timestamps (preferably taken from the content's YouTube version) are at the start of a paragraph, italicized, of the form HH:MM:SS, and separated by a line break (Shift + Enter) from the rest of the paragraph.
  • Speaker tags are bold, punctuated with a colon, and use the speaker's full name (first + last).
  • Only the first of consecutive paragraphs by a speaker should have a speaker tag.
  • Add notes in brackets for things that happen in video but don't translate to audio.
  • Add headings to identify the discussion topic.

Be sure to review our style guide for everything in detail with examples.

Editing Process[edit]

Some people prefer doing the majority of their editing and corrections in Otter, while others prefer Google Docs. Both are necessary, but you are free to use them as best suits your preferences. The general process follows these steps:

  1. Edit in Otter, focusing on matching text to the correct speaker and correcting obvious errors as convenient.
  2. Export to Google Docs when finished.
  3. Edit in Google Docs while listening to the source material, correcting major errors and adding paragraph breaks and new timestamps where necessary.
  4. Edit in Google Docs again, fine tuning grammar and punctuation.

Editing Tips[edit]

  • Leave comments where you're uncertain on what is being said.
  • Search online for terms or phrases that you don't know. Google, Wikipedia, and arXiv should cover almost all cases.
  • Search for song lyrics or exact quotes in order to mirror how they were originally written.

For guidance on typesetting mathematics, see our style guide.

Tips for Otter[edit]

Options to use when exporting from Otter.

Tips for Google Docs[edit]

The smart quotes option in Preferences.
The automatic substitution option in Preferences.
  • Disable smart quotes in Preferences (see image on right).
  • Disable substitutions in Preferences (see image on right).
  • Use heading level 3 as your highest heading level.

When finished[edit]

Tell Aardvark or Brooke. We'll look it over and post it on the blog.

Putting it on the wiki[edit]

Example of using
tags to insert linebreaks after timestamps.

Copy/Paste it from Google Docs onto the wiki. Note that:

  • Timestamps must be followed by a <br> tag to insert the linebreak.
  • Speaker names will need to be bolded. Perform a find/replace operation with each speaker name, replacing the speaker name with the name surrounded by three tick marks. So Eric Weinstein: is replaced '''Eric Weinstein:'''.
  • Add the necessary markup around section headings. Keep in mind that heading levels may differ between the Google Doc and the wiki, all that needs to be preserved is the relative ordering.

Add the transcript blurb template and credit yourself.

For more help on using the wiki, see Wikipedia's guide on Wiki markup and our Wiki Usage FAQ.

Example Transcripts[edit]

Here are some completed transcripts to refer to as examples.

Transcript Google Doc Wiki Page Blog Post
The Portal Podcast Episode 2 Link Link Link
The Portal Podcast Episode 8 Link Link Link
Eric on the Glenn Beck Podcast Link Link Link
Geometric Unity on Into the Impossible Link Link Link

If I want to stop part-way through[edit]

Tell us! This is a volunteer project, so we have no expectations or requirements for completion.