Sunday, May 14, 2006

Dialog with Computer Generated Voices

Audio of Script Below

The feedburner site didn't create an enlosure with my prior attachment at Netfiles. Now I'm trying again, with a different file, this time on guava, the same server that hosts the blog.

This audio file was computer generated using a program called TextAloud. The script is below. I'll make no claims for the quality of the dialog, but the voice itself is pretty good.

* * * * *

This is an attempt at dialog

I'm Paul and we're starting this presentation with me. I'm patient but masculine and sometimes show a little bravado. I need to be tempered by a softer side. {{Pause=1.0}}

I'm the softer side. My name is Kate. Though I'm a girl, I can be tough. Don't you believe me? Just watch out. {{Pause=1.0}}

Now that you know my better half, let's think of what we can do with this sort of capability. We can script a presentation as dialog. That seems pretty cool. {{Pause=1.0}}

Sure. But good dialog is hard to write. If the writing isn't well done, this will sound tedious and less interesting than if there is only one voice. How many people know how to write good dialog? {{Pause=1.0}}

Paul, don't be such a Doubting Thomas. Of course most people don't write good dialog. That's a skill not usually called for. Let them practice a little and see how they do. Don't judge them on their first try at it. {{Pause=1.0}}

Kate, you're probably right. Let's see if people can learn to write dialog and yet convey the type of useful information that they would have done, had they been writing a blog post where they focused on the content only and not the form of presentation. Let them get used to this new approach before we give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. {{Pause=1.0}}

Patience is a virtue Paul. {{Pause=1.0}}

I suppose it is Kate. See you later. {{Pause=1.0}}

Bye.

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