/u-backend

CMS for real-time captioning and transcriptions

Primary LanguageJavaScript

Upword.ly

"CMS for real-time captioning and transcriptions."

docker build -t upwordly .

Overview

Upword.ly allows real-time captioners to share their transcription feed to remote participants or to send their feed of live-produced text to any device with an Internet connection.

It is a web app so it requires no need to download or install anything and lends to its versatility to be used on a variety of platforms: computers, tablets, phones, and the like.

Values

Upword.ly strives to be a11y first in all respects. User-interactable must be W3C compliant with respect to all accessibility concerns including but not limited to persons with blindness or limited vision (e.g. screenreader accessibility), persons on slower Internet speeds, persons with ADHD or other attention-related issues, and, of course, the deaf and hard of hearing.

Domain Vocabulary

  • Captions or captioning

    • Refers to verbatim text that is produced in real time by a stenographer whose purpose is to be read instantly, preferably at the time, or shortly after the words are spoken.

  • Deaf or hard of hearing

    • both are acceptable terms and widely used by both respective communities. Deaf ("written with a capital 'D' refers to those who are culturally Deaf and typical use a sign language). The term "hearing impaired" is to be avoided at all costs.

  • Court reporter

    • This term specifically refers to stenographers who work in a legal setting (i.e. taking depositions or trials). This is often shortened by court reporters to "reporter." Some use the term to describe the act of transcribing ("I reported a trial yesterday."). At Upword.ly, this is term is considered arcane and the term "stenoing" or "writing" is always preferred.

  • Steno

    • Short for "stenography." Can be verbified to "to steno." Refers to the act of writing on the shorthand (steno machine). Appropriate for casual use, but the term "writing" is preferred for more formal description.

  • Stenographer

    • Though not the preferred term by most older practitioners, this is the preferred umbrella term at Upword.ly when referring to someone who uses a stenotype machine to transcribe speech verbatim, whether it be for a legal settings or for accessibility use like in captioning.

  • Typing

    • While considered okay by some, stenographers generally do not refer to the act of transcribing as "typing." Instead, the term "writing" is preferred as it is the act of "writing" shorthand. "Transcribing" is a suitable alternative term.

  • Transcription

    • Refers to the verbatim record of spoken text that is reviewed after the time the words were spoken.

Technical Terminology

  • Event

    • An event is any context in which a stenographer would write multiple jobs for the same person, venue, or event. The biggest example would be conferences where a number of jobs would be grouped together.

  • Job

    • A job is a transcription. When a user starts a "job" it means they are creating a page with a link to which participants can be sent to view the captions or live transcription.

  • Participant or Viewer

    • Participants and viewers are those who view the outputted captions or transcriptions provided by the stenographer.

  • User

    • User are the subscribed stenographers on the platform. Users log in and provide captioning.