[gmonthly] EXTRA! Special Edition -- D.P. Milestone

Project Gutenberg Newsletter news at pglaf.org
Tue Oct 19 19:15:28 PDT 2004


DISTRIBUTED PROOFREADERS UPDATE - OCTOBER 19, 2004


"Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to humanity, which are
delivered down from generation to generation as presents to the posterity
of those who are yet unborn."

--Joseph Addison



TABLE OF CONTENTS

[ ]  The 5,000th Title Collection
        - What has been accomplished.
        - Why it is significant beyond commemorating a milestone.
        - Why the Collection was organized.
        - How it was accomplished.
        - How the past lead us to this expansion of DP's potential.
        - What the 5,000 commemoration means for the future of DP.
        - What is presently involved in supplementing the 5K Collection.
        - The DP News & Information Center
        - Acknowledgements.


[ ]  MANIFEST OF THE COLLECTION

===========================================


THE 5,000th TITLE COLECTION - OCTOBER 2004

by Thierry Alberto



"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."

--Jorge Luis Borges


On the morning of October 8, 2004, near his library window overlooking a
quiet lake in upstate New York, David Widger ran a series of final checks
and verifications on a partitioned element of the 11th edition of the
Encyclopedia Britannica.  Yes, that same EB11 which has long been known as
a formidable processing challenge throughout the Project Gutenberg
community.  This latest approach towards its digital conversion did little
to diminish that reputation.  It was about to do something of great
importance, however.  Dr. Widger had been anticipating the project files
for some 48 hours by the time they were at last wrestled into acceptable
compliance.

For everyone aware of what was on the Whitewashing agenda that morning, an
intermingled sense of relief and excitement began to spread.  This "slice"
of EB11 was not simply another single project being posted to the PG
shelves, but the final component in a varied and impressive collection
which had been in preparation for several months.  When the final checks
were cleared, the Britannica text joined 50 other finished works as a
single commemorative event organized to mark the completion of Distributed
Proofreaders' 5,000th unique title produced for Project Gutenberg and the
digital public domain.

This event is the largest single contribution to Project Gutenberg in the
four year history of Distributed Proofreaders.   Through the orchestrated
collective efforts of its members throughout the world, DP produced 50
diverse and significant written works to accompany the 5,000th title on its
journey to the PG library.  A total of over 13,000 original pages from a
distinctive variety of books in several languages were carefully chosen to
display the merits and strengths of the DP production model.  A sister
objective for this collection was to produce a newsworthy example of the
fertility of public domain content yet to be converted into digital
formats.

In our own "Field of Dreams," we have learned collectively, that if we
build it ... they will definitely come.  What we do not know yet, is how
strongly "they" and others to come will defend what we are building, should
the public domain be challenged further.  At the heart of the inspiration
for this Collection is a belief that we can help insure that present and
future volunteers will care enough to stand up should they be called to.
If we make a dramatic and valid statement now and then, proving what a
fertile field this really is, we may indeed embolden many to care and
nurture these legacy resources.


"All that Mankind has done, thought, gained or been--it is lying as in
magic preservation in the pages of Books."

--Thomas Carlyle


These 51 projects have much in common that binds them together as a family
with a focused intention.  In one manner or other, all of these titles
belong to a larger set of projects, some of them so vast that it will
require several years to complete them. The titles within the collection
were selected from amongst its most challenging and complex projects in
order to demonstrate the varied strengths of the Distributed Proofreaders
production model.

There are four classes of super or "uber" projects which make up the 5,000
Collection. These are:

1) 'Classic Ubers' - Truly massive works such as EB11 or the Bureau of
American Ethnology reports, spanning over thirty years.

2) 'Large Book Sets' - Smaller in scale than the Classic Ubers, yet still
daunting enough to discourage commencement by an individual.  Among this
class are Hakluyt's 'Principal Voyages of the English Nation', 'The
Psychology of Sex' by Havelock Ellis and 'The Library of the World's Best
Literature.'

3) 'Author Collections' - Organized programs to provide entire libraries of
an author's work for Project Gutenberg, or to complete catalogs of authors
partially represented.  The intention with these sets is to systematically
advance PG towards comprehensive coverage of commonly requested authors
with works in the public domain.  Featured authors include: Hendrik
Conscience, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Edward Lear and George Sand.

4) 'Periodicals'  -  As a whole, the processing of entire runs of many
volumes of journal titles is perhaps the largest initiative DP has ever
undertaken.  Among the many periodicals represented within the 5K
Collection are: 'The Atlantic Monthly', 'Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine',
'Notes and Queries', 'Punch', and 'Scientific American.'

The accomplishment represented by the 5,000 milestone is a source of great
pride to the membership of DP.   Fueling the labor of our intentions for
the 5K Collection was a desire to produce for the world a gift of immense
value that would dramatically exemplify the best of which Distributed
Proofreaders is now capable. Read through the manifest at the end of this
newsletter and see if that wealth of titles does not stir up a sense of
profound excitement about the work we are all engaged in here.  There is a
fine hope which we are capable of encouraging together with our dedication.
Intending towards a greater good for the world with our industrious
energies, we become a living example of what is possible when like-minded
people join together in creative endeavor.  It is a rare example, true ...
but it is powerful ... and so greatly needed within this time of deep and
uncertain change. Faith in a brighter future is an essential source of
courage and stability.  Preserving history and cultural legacies of the
past sustains that faith by providing recognition of the continuity of the
human story across time and change.  This is not the day to day reason for
why we preserve public domain works, yet it is a subtle, derivative effect
of what we do.


"For books are more than books, they are the life, the very heart and core
of ages past, the reason why men lived and worked and died, the essence and
quintessence of their lives."

--Amy Lowell


5,000 unique written works.  As accustomed as many of us have become to the
steady accomplishments of the Project Gutenberg community, being book
lovers, we are still capable of being awed by our milestones.   5,000
published works is a vast library by the measure of any human lifetime.
To secure such an archive in print form would cost a fortune, the likes of
which few of us will ever amass.  Yet here they all are! ... available to
anyone in the world with access to the Internet; and now to some even
without such access.  We are not talking about just any books we can lay
our hands on.   Amongst these 5,000 titles are a large number of creative
works that are treasured among the great legacies of world culture.  In
organizing the choices for this collection, it was decided from the
beginning to emphasize the value of content within the public domain which
has yet to be converted into digital formats.  This has been successfully
achieved through the inclusion of exemplary representatives of such written
treasures.

Having been closely involved with the previous milestone celebrations, I
can avow that these rituals mean much more to the members of DP than
crowing over past accomplishments.  What we each derive from these
celebrations has more to do with inspiration than anything else.  When we
pause in our daily efforts at DP to commemorate the rounded figures of
Golden projects, posted to PG, what we experience is a refreshed
recognition of why it was that we came to devote our time and energy to
this cause in the first place.   These are times when we reflect on how far
we have each come, the projects we have been involved with and what we have
learned.  At these times we remember (or blissfully forget) the various
challenges we have passed through along the way and we share all these
recollections and reflections with people who have grown to become our
friends, even though continents may lay between us.  There is always a
renewed sense of energy and commitment after each celebration, and this
time the inspiration is more deeply felt than ever before.  The reasons for
this are as varied as the individuals who make up the DP membership. In
this past week, I have received a wondrous outpouring of distinctive
expressions from people involved in all fields of project production.  One
common feeling that I have been noticing is joy.  It is a joy that comes
from participating in something greater than oneself, which is at the same
time intimately familiar and personally valued.  This is a deeply felt and
powerful emotion experienced by many involved in this field of work.  Yet,
all we are doing here is crafting some old, dusty tomes into e-texts.
Right?


"Read, read, read."

--William Faulkner


It is just four years now since Charles Franks put forth an innovative idea
for how to enhance the development process of public domain texts for
Project Gutenberg.  It is not at all uncommon for someone to pull down a
good or even brilliant idea from wherever it is that spirit of invention
springs.  What is very uncommon is for someone to take a great idea and
follow through upon it across the forge of trial and error unto eventual
success. Project Gutenberg is an impressive example of what can happen in
this world when one individual does pass through the crucible of creative
innovation to see an idea crafted into manifest utility.  Sometimes the
hardest challenge while bringing a new idea into existence is rallying
enough supporters to your cause.  An idea in and of itself will not do the
work for you.  Action must be taken and the validity of the idea must be
proven, if others are to ally themselves with the values and intentions
underlying the idea.  The positive effects of Michael Hart's contribution
to our age will continue on well into the lives of generations to come.  We
may not be able to measure the full extent of  Project Gutenberg's benefit,
but we none the less know it is extensive, world spanning and long lasting.
What Charles and the early circle of DP members proved, was that
inspirational lightning could definitely strike the same ground twice.

It took a while and a lot of puzzle work to figure out how best to
implement those early concepts of distribution, but in time they were well
worked out.  As with most productive endeavors, we can measure the success
of DP by the quality and growth of its expressive output.  Both of these
measures have been improving at a steadily impressive rate over the past
three years, from about the time the foundational process of DP was settled
upon.  For quality, I offer that you merely spend some time with any number
of the texts within this collection.  Let the work convey its own merit to
you, in ways I could never hope to match.   For the quantity measure, we
can look to the primary indicator of growth at DP ... the number of pages
being proofed each day.

By the middle of 2001, with the basic production models in use, the daily
average of pages proofed was 259.  One year later that figure had nearly
quadrupled to an average of 1001 pages per day.  Step forward two more
years, to the present, and DP is averaging in the neighborhood of 6,000
pages proofed on a daily basis.  Of course this measure alone does not come
near to conveying the advances of all the production processes involved in
the creation of finished texts at DP.  It is merely a single snapshot
...yet one that captures a clear sense of how successful the distributed
model has proved to be.

Another new and dramatic measure which became evident in 2004, is the
broadening interest in adapting the DP model to other archival projects.
The most advanced of these at present is Distributed Proofreaders Europe,
initiated and maintained by the Rastko family of archives and cultural
initiatives based in Belgrade.  The European DP will provide support for
Project Gutenberg Europe which is soon to begin its official testing phase.
PG Europe will expand what is available online in the public domain
according to European copyright terms.

What the future holds for DP seems bright with promise in many directions,
and it is to the future, more than anywhere else, that we are turning our
attention this month.


"The oldest books are still only just out to those who have not read them."

--Samuel Butler


The significance of the public domain edition of Encyclopedia Britannica
and the broad based interest in its development, led to its selection as a
milestone project for DP. While EB's 11th edition easily meets the
classification as one of the most complex of DP's multi-volume projects,
its selection was also influenced by future possibilities. By giving the
Britannica project spotlighted prominence as the 5,000th title during
ongoing promotions, we will also be drawing attention to the need for new
waves of volunteers to assist in its eventual completion.  This is true for
most of the projects within the 5K Collection.  Some of the book sets and
periodical titles are nearing completion, a few are even completed.  These
will serve as inspiration ... impressive examples of the significant work
which people can participate in.  For the most part however, the complex
projects represented in the collection have a long way to go before they
are entirely available from the PG shelves.  The ongoing promotional work
beginning this month with the 5,000th title, shall carry forward through
the end of the year, reaching out to new generations of volunteers, who
will see these vast works through to the final page.

It is for these future generations of volunteers that the second exhibition
of the 5,000 Collection was conceived.  Yes ... a second exhibition.  After
providing everyone, including myself some time to recuperate from the
preparations of the First Collection, the Second Collection is now in
production.  The aim of this follow through pageant is to sustain the
messages of the 5,000 Collection while providing a dynamic demonstration of
DP's production capabilities.  The presentation of this broad selection of
complex projects was an organized event, yet it was not an extraordinary
exercise spent for the sake of promotional theatrics.  Processing large
scale, complex projects is part of DP's daily stock & trade.  Because the
labor is broadly distributed, we often lose sight of the scale of what is
being accomplished over time.  The purpose of extending the presentation of
the 5K Collection is to provide a stage upon which the present strengths of
the DP model can be substantiated.

The Second Collection is timed to coincide with the end of the month.  The
actual date of posting will depend upon the reluctance of those few
projects who may shy away from their initial public premiere.   Among the
featured titles will be several additional volumes or periodical issues
appearing in the First Collection as well as some projects more complex, in
their own way, then any among the initial 50.  If the Fates are kind, we
expect to deliver another portion of EB11. With what we have been learning
from these first two partitions, we do expect to soon witness a steady
stream of 11th Edition "slices" making their way to PG. Once each volume
has been completed, a single file matching the original print edition will
be compiled.

An original content feature is being crafted as a supportive initiative to
the 5,000 events. Background information about each project is being
gathered and prepared to form a permanent resource for public access.
These articles will explore the history of each work and its author,
augmented by a chronicle of the project's development at DP.  In time,
other features will join the project backgrounds to form an evolving news
and information center at DP.  Among other content being developed for the
center are articles documenting the history and lore of DP's evolution, a
variety of community resources, support for new visitors and timely
coverage of current events.  Watch for announcements on the main page at DP
regarding the progress of the news and information center.


"Books--the children of the brain."

--Jonathan Swift


It is a little over a week now since the First Collection posted to PG.  In
that time, over 100 titles have followed after those 51 and turned to Gold.
As we turn our attention to the labors of the Second Collection and move on
towards the future, we carry with us a happy certainty: wherever that
future takes us, there will be plenty to read when we get there.

With an initiative of this scale it is difficult in the space allowed to
fairly credit each person who participated.  Once the second collection is
complete we will compose a roll of all those involved and post it in a very
public place at DP.  At present, I want to express a deep sense of
gratitude to three volunteers on the PG side who deserve noted recognition.
Well in advance of posting the first collection David Widger, Jim Tinsley
and Joseph Lowenstein began working in close coordination with us.
Performing like great chefs over a two week period, the Whitewashing team
orchestrated all 51 projects into organized assembly.  Presenting these
works as a cohesive collection would not have been possible without their
advice and dedication.

To everyone who made the 5,000 Milestone a reality ... one page at a time
... Congratulations! I look forward to reporting on all the future
milestones yet to be realized as we continue the labor begun by Michael
Hart of building the world's grandest library.

For now.

Thierry


"Books, books, books had found the secret of a garret-room piled high with
cases in my father's name; Piled high, packed large,--where, creeping in
and out among the giant fossils of my past, like some small nimble mouse
between the ribs of a mastodon, I nibbled here and there at this or that
box, pulling through the gap, in heats of terror, haste, victorious joy,
the first book first.  And how I felt it beat under my pillow, in the
morning's dark. An hour before the sun would let me read! My books!"

--Elizabeth Barrett Browning



================================================================


MANIFEST OF THE 5,000th TITLE COLLECTION - OCTOBER 8, 2004

Notes:
- Initial number: PG E-Text number - Second number: DP Unique Title number
- Where other than English, language is noted in parenthesis.


13600 / 5000 - Encyclopedia Britannica 11th edition, Vol II, Part I - AND-
ANI
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13600/13600-h/13600-h.htm

13601 / 5001 - Expositions of Holy Scripture - Romans, Corinthians, by
Alexander Maclaren
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13601/13601-h/13601-h.htm

13602 / 5002 - Slave Narratives, a Folk History of Slavery, Vol. IV,
Georgia, I
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13602/13602-h/13602-h.htm

13603 / 5003 - Bureau of American Ethnology Publications -
      The Romance of Laieikawai by Haleole & Beckwith (English & Hawaiian)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13603/13603-8.txt

13604 / 5004 - TIA Children's Library -
      Thrilling Stories of the Ocean by Park, Marmaduke
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13604/13604-h/13604-h.htm

13605 / 5005 - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and
Discoveries
      of the English Nation, Vol. XII, by Richard Hakluyt (English & Latin)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13605/13605-8.txt

13606 / 5006 - General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol.
XVIII,
      by Robert Kerr
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13606/13606-8.txt

13607 / 5007 - Historie de la RTvolution frantaise, Vol. X, by Adolphe
Thiers (French)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13607/13607-h/13607-h.htm

13608 / 5008 - Filosfia fundamental, Vol. I, by Jaime Balmes (Spanish)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13608/13608-8.txt

13609 / 5009 - Vector Analysis and Quaternions by Alexander MacFarlane
      (Cornell Math Collection) TeX and pdf format only
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/0/13609/13609-pdf.pdf

13610 / 5010 - The Psychology of Sex, Vol I - Evolution of Modesty,
      by Havelock Ellis
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/1/13610/13610-h/13610-h.htm

13611 / 5011 - The Psychology of Sex, Vol II - Sexual Inversion,
      by Havelock Ellis
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/1/13611/13611-h/13611-h.htm

13612 / 5012 - The Psychology of Sex, Vol III - Analysis of the Sexual
Impulse,
      by Havelock Ellis
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/1/13612/13612-h/13612-h.htm

13613 / 5013 - The Psychology of Sex, Vol IV - Sexual Selection in Men,
      by Havelock Ellis
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/1/13613/13613-h/13613-h.htm

13614 / 5014 - The Psychology of Sex, Vol V - Erotic Symbolism,
      by Havelock Ellis
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/1/13614/13614-h/13614-h.htm

13615 / 5015 - The Psychology of Sex, Vol VI - Sex in Relation to Society,
      by Havelock Ellis
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/1/13615/13615-h/13615-h.htm

13616 / 5016 - The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Vol. III by Blair &
Robertson
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/1/13616/13616-8.txt

13617 / 5017 - A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents -
      Harrison, Benjamin, ed. Richardson
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/1/13617/13617-h/13617-h.htm

13618 / 5018 - Bell's Cathedrals - The Cathedral Church of Peterborough,
      by W.D. Sweeting
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/1/13618/13618-h/13618-h.htm

13619 / 5019 - Little Journeys to Homes of the Great, Vol. 5, English
Authors
      by Elbert Hubbard
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/1/13619/13619-h/13619-h.htm

13620 / 5020 - The Worlds Greatest Books, Vol. XIII. ed. Mee & Hammerton
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13620/13620-h/13620-h.htm

13621 / 5021 - Jonathan Swift - Poems, Volume II
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13621/13621-8.txt

13622 / 5022 - Une histoire d'Amour by Paul MariTton (French)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13622/13622-h/13622-h.htm

13623 / 5023 - Library of the World's Best Literature, Vol. VI,
      ed. Charles Dudley Warner
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13623/13623-h/13623-h.htm

13624 / 5024 - Chronicles Vol. I, The Historie of England, Part 2
      by Raphael Holinshed
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13624/13624-h/13624-h.htm

13625 / 5025 - De Kerels van Vlaanderen by Hendrik Conscience (Dutch)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13625/13625-h/13625-h.htm

13626 / 5026 - The Forty-Five Guardsmen by Alexandre Dumas
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13626/13626-h/13626-h.htm

13627 / 5027 - Memorie del Presbiterio by Emilo Praga (Italian)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13627/13627-8.txt

13628/ 5028 - La Esmeralda by Victor Hugo (French)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13628/13628-8.txt

13629 / 5029 - Correspondence, Volume I - George Sand (French)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/2/13629/13629-8.txt

13630 / 5030 - As Farpas, Junho a Julho 1882 (Portuguese)
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13630/13630-h/13630-h.htm

13631 / 5031 - Atlantic Monthly - Issue 71 Sept. 1863
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13631/13631-h/13631-h.htm

13632 / 5032 - Bay State Monthly - Vol. I, Issue 5 May, 1884
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13632/13632-h/13632-h.htm

13633 / 5033 - Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - April 1844
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13633/13633-h/13633-h.htm

13634 / 5034 - Continental Monthly - Vol. I - Issue 2 Feb 1862
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13634/13634-h/13634-h.htm

13635 / 5035 - The New York Times Current History:
      The European War, Vol. 1 Issue 1, What Men of Letters Say
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13635/13635-h/13635-h.htm

13636 / 5036 - Lippincott's Magazine - February, 1873
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13636/13636-h/13636-h.htm

13637 / 5037 - McClure's Magazine -January 1896
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13637/13637-h/13637-h.htm

13638 / 5038 - Notes and Queries - Vol. I, Number 19, March 9, 1850
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13638/13638-h/13638-h.htm

13639 / 5039 - Punch - Vol. I, Issue 1, July 17, 1841
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/3/13639/13639-h/13639-h.htm

13640 / 5040 - Scientific American Supplement - No. 821, September 26, 1891
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/4/13640/13640-h/13640-h.htm

13641 / 5041 - The American Missionary - October, 1888, Vol. XLII. No. 10.
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/4/13641/13641-h/13641-h.htm

13642 / 5042 - The Journal of Negro History - Vol. I, No. 1, Jan. 1916
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/4/13642/13642-h/13642-h.htm

13643 / 5043 - International Weekly Miscellany, Vol. I, No. 6, August 5,
1850
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/4/13643/13643-h/13643-h.htm

13644 / 5044 - The Mirror of Literature, Amusement & Instruction -
      Issue 360, March 14, 1829
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/4/13644/13644-h/13644-h.htm

13645 / 5045 - The Tatler, Vol. I
http://www.gutenberg.net/1/3/6/4/13645/13645-h/13645-h.htm

13646 / 5046 - A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/4/13646/13646-h/13646-h.htm

13647 / 5047 - Nonsense songs, stories, botany, and alphabets by Edward
Lear
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/4/13647/13647-h/13647-h.htm

13648 / 5048 - More nonsense, pictures, rhymes, botany, etc by Edward Lear
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/4/13648/13648-h/13648-h.htm

13649 / 5049 - Laughable Lyrics by Edward Lear
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/4/13649/13649-h/13649-h.htm

13650 / 5050 - Nonsense Books by Edward Lear, DP Compilation
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/6/5/13650/13650-h/13650-h.htm






More information about the gmonthly mailing list