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Archive for December, 2014

Progress update, 13 to 19 December 2014

By Tim Causer, on 19 December 2014

Welcome along to the Transcribe Bentham progress update for the period 13 to 19 December 2014, during which time further excellent progress has been made by TB volunteers.

11,950 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially-transcribed, which is an increase of 40 on this time last week. We continue to close in on the 12,000th transcript, which will make a very pleasant Christmas present!

Of these transcripts, 10,858 (91%) have been checked and approved by TB staff. We’ve made a good dent in the backlog of submissions, having checked 172 transcripts this week, and we thank volunteers for their ongoing patience as we work through them.

The more detailed state of progress is as follows:

Box No. of manuscripts worked on No. of manuscripts in box Completion
Box 1 239 794 30%
Box 2 470 753 62%
Box 4 1 694 1%
Box 5 199 290 68%
Box 7 0 167 0%
Box 8 2 284 1%
Box 9 30 266 11%
Box 15 77 914 9%
Box 18 4 192 2%
Box 27 350 350 100%
Box 29 22 122 18%
Box 30 1 193 1%
Box 31 18 302 6%
Box 34 38 398 9%
Box 35 286 439 65%
Box 36 33 418 7%
Box 37 31 487 6%
Box 38 64 424 15%
Box 39 11 282 3%
Box 41 84 528 14%
Box 42 88 910 9%
Box 44 52 201 25%
Box 50 167 198 83%
Box 51 379 940 40%
Box 57 18 420 4%
Box 62 57 565 10%
Box 63 137 345 39%
Box 70 306 350 87%
Box 71 663 663 100%
Box 72 613 664 92%
Box 73 151 151 100%
Box 79 199 199 100%
Box 95 126 147 85%
Box 96 534 539 99%
Box 97 131 296 44%
Box 98 220 499 44%
Box 100 194 422 43%
Box 106 26 581 4%
Box 107 501 538 93%
Box 110 6 671 1%
Box 115 276 307 89%
Box 116 505 864 58%
Box 117 363 853 42%
Box 118 244 880 27%
Box 119 530 990 53%
Box 120 25 686 3%
Box 121 133 526 24%
Box 122 304 717 41%
Box 123 31 443 7%
Box 124 1 383 1%
Box 139 40 40 100%
Box 141 1 381 1%
Box 149 4 581 1%
Box 150 249 972 25%
Box 169 189 728 25%
Add MS 537 729 744 97%
Add MS 538 658 858 76%
Add MS 539 833 948 87%
Add MS 540 50 1012 4%
Add MS 541 257 1258 20%
Overall 11,950 31,767 36%

Among the transcripts checked this week were a series from 1793 in which Bentham discusses what he called ‘conversation tubes’, which he conceived of as a means for which the panopticon prison inspector to communicate from his office with inmates in their cells. Bentham describes how ‘even a whisper was heard perfectly’ through one of these tubes, and that a network of these tubes could be an effectual method of maintaining security. Recalling the Gordon Riots of 1780, Bentham argued that establishment of a ‘chain of Conversation Posts’ could allow the alarm to be raised ‘with a degree of celerity hitherto inconceivable’. Bentham also notes concerns – perhaps anticipating phone-hacking – over securing the secrecy of communication between government ministers and others using conversation tubes. We’re very grateful to Keith Thompson for transcribing these manuscripts!

UCL closes for the Christmas and New Year break on Tuesday 23 December, and re-opens on Monday 5 January. During this time, submissions will not be checked and there may be some delay in responding to messages. We apologise for any inconvenience which this may cause, and thank you again for your patience.

In the meantime, we would like to wish everyone who has contributed to TB during the last twelve months a very happy festive period, and the very best for 2015. Your support of the project is enormously appreciated by us all. TB would be nothing without you and your efforts.

 

Progress update, 6 to 12 December 2014

By Tim Causer, on 12 December 2014

Welcome along to the Transcribe Bentham progress update for the period 5 to 12 December 2014, during which time I’m delighted to report that further terrific progress has been made by volunteer transcribers.

11,910 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially-transcribed, which is an increase of 87 on this time last week. We are now within touching distance of the 12,000th transcript which, given that the 10,000th transcript was only worked on in mid-August, is an amazing achievement on the part of transcribers.

Of these transcripts, 10,686 (90%) have been checked and approved by TB staff: apologies for the continuing backlog in checking of submissions, we’re working hard to get through them.

The more detailed state of progress is as follows:

 

Box No. of manuscripts worked on No. of manuscripts in box Completion
Box 1 230 794 28%
Box 2 470 753 62%
Box 4 1 694 1%
Box 5 199 290 68%
Box 7 0 167 0%
Box 8 2 284 1%
Box 9 30 266 11%
Box 15 77 914 9%
Box 18 4 192 2%
Box 27 350 350 100%
Box 29 22 122 18%
Box 30 1 193 1%
Box 31 18 302 6%
Box 34 38 398 9%
Box 35 286 439 65%
Box 36 33 418 7%
Box 37 31 487 6%
Box 38 61 424 14%
Box 39 11 282 3%
Box 41 84 528 14%
Box 42 88 910 9%
Box 44 52 201 25%
Box 50 167 198 83%
Box 51 379 940 40%
Box 57 18 420 4%
Box 62 57 565 10%
Box 63 126 345 36%
Box 70 306 350 87%
Box 71 663 663 100%
Box 72 613 664 92%
Box 73 151 151 100%
Box 79 199 199 100%
Box 95 126 147 85%
Box 96 534 539 99%
Box 97 131 296 44%
Box 98 220 499 44%
Box 100 194 422 43%
Box 106 24 581 4%
Box 107 500 538 92%
Box 110 5 671 1%
Box 115 276 307 89%
Box 116 505 864 58%
Box 117 363 853 42%
Box 118 243 880 27%
Box 119 530 990 53%
Box 120 24 686 3%
Box 121 133 526 24%
Box 122 304 717 41%
Box 123 31 443 7%
Box 124 1 383 1%
Box 139 40 40 100%
Box 141 1 381 1%
Box 149 4 581 1%
Box 150 243 972 25%
Box 169 189 728 25%
Add MS 537 729 744 97%
Add MS 538 656 858 76%
Add MS 539 833 948 87%
Add MS 540 49 1012 4%
Add MS 541 49 1258 20%
Overall 11,190 31,767 36%

We are delighted to say that the Bentham Project has been awarded a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant, to produce the authoritative edition of Bentham’s writings on political economy. It is expected that, in total, the economic writings will consist of five volumes of the Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham, and thereby supersede the edition edited by Werner Stark, which has long been considered as deficient.

Dr Michael Quinn will be editing this important material, and volunteers can help out directly by transcribing manuscripts relevant to this research. If you navigate to the list of Bentham boxes on the Transcription Desk, boxes 1, 2, and 150 contain manuscripts which will be used in the production of this edition of Bentham’s writings.

Thank you, as always, to everyone who has given their time so generously in contributing to Transcribe Bentham during the last seven days. It remains as greatly appreciated as ever.

Progress update, 29 November to 5 December 2014

By Tim Causer, on 5 December 2014

Welcome along to the Transcribe Bentham progress update for the period 29 November to 5 December 2014, during which time further tremendous progress has been made by volunteer transcribers.

11,823 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially-transcribed, which is an increase of 123 on this time last week. Of these transcripts, 10,655 (91%) have been checked and approved by TB staff, who continue to work their way through the backlog of submissions.

The more detailed state of progress is as follows:

 

Box No. of manuscripts worked on No. of manuscripts in box Completion
Box 1 229 794 28%
Box 2 470 753 62%
Box 4 1 694 1%
Box 5 199 290 68%
Box 7 0 167 0%
Box 8 2 284 1%
Box 9 28 266 10%
Box 15 76 914 9%
Box 18 4 192 2%
Box 27 350 350 100%
Box 29 22 122 18%
Box 30 1 193 1%
Box 31 18 302 6%
Box 34 38 398 9%
Box 35 286 439 65%
Box 36 33 418 7%
Box 37 31 487 6%
Box 38 61 424 14%
Box 39 11 282 3%
Box 41 84 528 14%
Box 42 86 910 9%
Box 44 52 201 25%
Box 50 166 198 83%
Box 51 379 940 40%
Box 57 18 420 4%
Box 62 57 565 10%
Box 63 126 345 36%
Box 70 306 350 87%
Box 71 663 663 100%
Box 72 613 664 92%
Box 73 151 151 100%
Box 79 199 199 100%
Box 95 126 147 85%
Box 96 534 539 99%
Box 97 128 296 43%
Box 98 220 499 44%
Box 100 193 422 43%
Box 106 13 581 2%
Box 107 500 538 92%
Box 110 4 671 1%
Box 115 276 307 89%
Box 116 505 864 58%
Box 117 363 853 42%
Box 118 240 880 27%
Box 119 527 990 53%
Box 120 22 686 3%
Box 121 133 526 24%
Box 122 302 717 41%
Box 123 20 443 4%
Box 124 1 383 1%
Box 139 40 40 100%
Box 141 1 381 1%
Box 149 4 581 1%
Box 150 240 972 24%
Box 169 189 728 25%
Add MS 537 729 744 97%
Add MS 538 651 858 75%
Add MS 539 822 948 86%
Add MS 540 48 1012 4%
Add MS 541 2 1258 18%
Overall 11,823 31,767 36%

Thank you, as always, to everyone who has contributed to Transcribe Bentham during the last seven days. The rate of transcription for 2014 – an average of 105 transcripts edited each week, or 120 week since mid-March – has been enormously impressive, and we look to be going out on the year on a remarkable high. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by us all.