X Close

Transcribe Bentham

Home

A Participatory Initiative

Menu

Archive for November, 2012

Progress update, 24 to 30 November 2012

By Tim Causer, on 30 November 2012

Welcome to the progress update for the period 24 to 30 November 2012, during which time further steady progress has been made. A total of 14,639 words (including XML markup) were transcribed during past seven days.

4,709 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially-transcribed by volunteers, which is an increase of 29 on last week’s total. 4,463 (94%) transcripts are complete and locked, which is 35 up on this time last week.

  • Box 2: 351 manuscripts transcribed of 532 (66%)
  • Box 27: 348 of 350 (99%)
  • Box 35: 275 of 439 (62%)
  • Box 50: 90 of 198 (45%)
  • Box 51: 351 of 940 (37%)
  • Box 62: 53 of 565 (9%)
  • Box 70: 226 of 250 (64%)
  • Box 71: 651 of 665 (97%)
  • Box 72: 606 of 664 (91%)
  • Box 73: 151 of 151 (100%)
  • Box 79: 198 of 199 (99%)
  • Box 95: 116 of 147 (78%)
  • Box 96: 526 of 539 (97%)
  • Box 97: 37 of 288 (12%)
  • Box 98: 21 of 499 (4%)
  • Box 100: 110 of 433 (25%)
  • Box 115: 267 of 307 (86%)
  • Box 116: 294 of 864 (34%)
  • Box 139: 38 of 38 (100%)
  • Overall: 57% of the 8,164 manuscripts uploaded to the website have been transcribed thus far.

Boxes 70 and 116 were the most heavily worked on during the last seven days.

Bentham featured again in an article in the New York Times this week, which discussed UCL’s use of Bentham in their fundraising efforts.

Thank you, as ever, to all those who have participated in Transcribe Bentham during the last seven days. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated.

Progress update, 17 to 23 November 2012

By Tim Causer, on 23 November 2012

Welcome to the progress update for the period 17 to 23 November 2012, during which time further steady progress continues to be made by transcribers: a total of 15,198 words (including TEI markup) were transcribed over the last seven days.

4,680 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially transcribed, which is an increase of 26 on last week’s total. Of these transcripts, 4,439 are complete and locked, which is 31 up on last week’s total.

The more detailed state of progress is as follows:

  • Box 2: 350 manuscripts transcribed of 532 (66%)
  • Box 27: 348 of 350 (99%)
  • Box 35: 275 of 439 (62%)
  • Box 50: 90 of 198 (45%)
  • Box 51: 351 of 940 (37%)
  • Box 62: 53 of 565 (9%)
  • Box 70: 216 of 250 (61%)
  • Box 71: 651 of 665 (97%)
  • Box 72: 606 of 664 (91%)
  • Box 73: 151 of 151 (100%)
  • Box 79: 198 of 199 (99%)
  • Box 95: 116 of 147 (78%)
  • Box 96: 526 of 539 (97%)
  • Box 97: 37 of 288 (12%)
  • Box 98: 16 of 499 (3%)
  • Box 100: 104 of 433 (24%)
  • Box 115: 267 of 307 (86%)
  • Box 116: 287 of 864 (33%)
  • Box 139: 38 of 38 (100%)
  • Overall: 57% of the 8,164 manuscripts uploaded to the website have been transcribed thus far.

Boxes 70 and 116 were the most heavily transcribed during the past week. Amongst the Box 70 material was a couple of interesting manuscripts. In one, Bentham discusses what might be termed the ‘pleasures of revenge‘, or the ‘irascible appetite’.

In the second manuscript, Bentham strays off into some casual stereotyping: ‘A Dutchman when he has fouled his under-garment, it is said, will cover it with [another] instead of changing it for a clean one … not to change it for another, but to clap a clean one over it, & so on to the number of perhaps half a dozen‘. (Thank you to volunteer JFoxe for transcribing both of those).

Elsewhere, you can also read more about Transcribe Bentham‘s latest award in a blog post from earlier this week.

Thank you, as ever, to all those who have given their time and effort to Transcribe Bentham during the last seven days. It remains greatly appreciated.

 

Transcribe Bentham receives award in Knetworks competition

By Tim Causer, on 22 November 2012

Just over twelve months ago, Transcribe Bentham received an Award of Distinction in the ‘Digital Communities’ category of the 2011 Prix Ars Electronica. Now, we are delighted to say that the project has received a further award, having been placed second in the ‘Platforms for Networked Innovation’ competition, run by the Knetworks project.

Knetworks is funded by the European Union, and is a partnership between CEGER (The Management Center for the Electronic Government Network in Portugal, the University of Oxford, the University of Cardiff, the University of Toulouse II, Fundación Universidad da Coruña, and the Universidad de Cantabria. The competition sought to identify the ‘most innovation web-based platforms enabling regional networks of innovation for public, private or research organisations’ in the Atlantic Region.

Transcribe Bentham‘s Knetworks award certificate

Last Thursday (15 November), I attended the Knetworks workshop in Oxford, hosted by the Oxford Internet Institute. A number of interesting papers were presented at the workshop, and the event closed with each of the award winners presenting their work. The day was rounded off wonderfully with a dinner in the atmospheric surroundings of Balliol College, where the award certificates were presented.

All of us who work on Transcribe Bentham were delighted to receive news of this award, and are thrilled that the work of the project—and, more importantly, the ongoing work of volunteer transcribers—has been recognised in this manner. We also offer our congratulations to the joint third-placed projects, Skeltrak, and TKNIKA INNOVA, as well as the overall competition winner, Social Media Surgery +.

We would like to thank the Knetworks project and the competition jury for favouring Transcribe Bentham, and for permitting me to talk about the project to the workshop delegates (and thanks to the attendees for putting up with me waffling on). Thank you too to the Oxford Internet Institute for hosting and organising such a great event. Needless to say, we are extremely grateful to everyone involved, and hope that volunteers participating in Transcribe Bentham will be just as pleased at this news as we are.

Knetworks dinner, Balliol College, 15 November 2012 (picture by Cristóbal Cobo). View more pictures of the event.

Progress update, 10 to 16 November 2012

By Tim Causer, on 16 November 2012

Welcome to the Transcribe Bentham progress update for the period 10 to 16 November, during which further steady progress has been made. We are also delighted to be able to say that TB came second in the Knetworks ‘Platform for Networked Innovation’ competition, which we will talk more about early next week.

4,654 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially transcribed, which is an increase of 19 on last week’s total. Of these transcripts, 4,408 (94%) are complete and locked.

The more detailed state of progress is as follows:

  • Box 2: 350 manuscripts transcribed of 532 (66%)
  • Box 27: 348 of 350 (99%)
  • Box 35: 274 of 439 (62%)
  • Box 50: 90 of 198 (45%)
  • Box 51: 351 of 940 (37%)
  • Box 62: 53 of 565 (9%)
  • Box 70: 205 of 250 (58%)
  • Box 71: 651 of 665 (97%)
  • Box 72: 606 of 664 (91%)
  • Box 73: 151 of 151 (100%)
  • Box 79: 198 of 199 (99%)
  • Box 95: 114 of 147 (77%)
  • Box 96: 526 of 539 (97%)
  • Box 97: 36 of 288 (12%)
  • Box 98: 16 of 499 (3%)
  • Box 100: 103 of 433 (23%)
  • Box 115: 266 of 307 (86%)
  • Box 116: 278 of 864 (32%)
  • Box 139: 38 of 38 (100%)
  • Overall: 57% of the 8,164 manuscripts uploaded to the website have been transcribed thus far.

Boxes 70 and 116 were the most heavily transcribed during the past seven days.

Last week, UCL Museums—who look after Bentham—removed the auto-icon from its box for conservation purposes (cleaning Bentham’s clothes, cleaning the box and so on). You can read about the day and have a look at some photographs on the Museums Blog, and watch a video of the auto-icon being taken from the box and moved upstairs in a lift (like a Dalek, Bentham doesn’t like stairs, these days).

Alternatively, you can also watch a slightly more dramatic version of the move in the video below.

Thank you, as ever, to all those who have given their time and effort to Transcribe Bentham during the last seven days. Your work is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

Progress update, 27 October to 2 November 2012

By Tim Causer, on 2 November 2012

Welcome to the Transcribe Bentham progress update for the period 27 October to 2 November 2012. This week was a slightly slow one for transcription, but steady progress continues to be made.

4,612 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially transcribed, which is an increase of 18 on last week’s total. Of these transcripts, 4,367 (94%) are complete, 13 up on this time last week.

  • Box 2: 350 manuscripts transcribed of 532 (66%)
  • Box 27: 348 of 350 (99%)
  • Box 35: 274 of 439 (62%)
  • Box 50: 89 of 198 (44%)
  • Box 51: 351 of 940 (37%)
  • Box 62: 53 of 565 (9%)
  • Box 70: 182 of 250 (52%)
  • Box 71: 651 of 665 (97%)
  • Box 72: 606 of 664 (91%)
  • Box 73: 151 of 151 (100%)
  • Box 79: 198 of 199 (99%)
  • Box 95: 109 of 147 (74%)
  • Box 96: 526 of 539 (97%)
  • Box 97: 36 of 288 (12%)
  • Box 98: 16 of 499 (3%)
  • Box 100: 103 of 433 (23%)
  • Box 115: 266 of 307 (86%)
  • Box 116: 265 of 864 (30%)
  • Box 139: 38 of 38 (100%)
  • Overall: 56% of the 8,164 manuscripts uploaded to the website have been transcribed thus far.

Box 116 was the most worked-on batch of material during the last seven days: volunteers are uncovering some really interesting things about Bentham’s criticism of the early history of New South Wales.

As we have mentioned elsewhere, Bentham’s auto-icon will emerge from its box on Thursday 8 November. Don’t worry: he’s not going on a rampage round UCL, but is coming out for some conservation work to his clothing and the box itself. The auto-icon will also be on public display here at UCL for a couple of hours, and details of where and when you can come face-to-face with Bentham in the wild will be released soon. In the meantime, keep an eye on both our Twitter account, and that of UCL Museums for the latest news.

Our best wishes are with TB‘s participants from the east coast of America, following Hurricane Sandy earlier in the week. We hope that all are well.

Thank you, as ever, to all those who gave their time and effort to participate in Transcribe Bentham during the last seven days. It is greatly appreciated by us all.