Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Concepts
Recording and uploading
- How do I record and share an echo?
- How do I give recorder permanent permission to use microphone?
- What audio formats are supported in the upload?
- How do I encode audios to MP3?
Managing echoes
- How many echoes can I create?
- How do I place an echo on its exact location?
- How do I change an echo's license?
- How do I change an echo's location?
- How can I change the title of an echo?
- How can I delete an echo?
Using the site
Community
Legalese
Other
Concepts
topWhat is a walk?
Users with an account can group some of their echoes and create a walk. A walk is a collection of related echoes, usually geographically close so that they can be listened in sucession (during a 'walk'). Walks are dynamic since users can keep adding or removing echoes from their walks.
topWhat are tags?
They are keywords that describe an echo, you can attach as many as you like to your echo. For instance, an echo from someone who has visited San Franscisco and speaks about Alcatraz Island may have 'tags' as: sanfrancisco california prison alcatraz holidays.
topWhat is the Twilight Zone?
There are some echo locations that are unknown to our reverse geocoding engine (the middle of the Atlantic, for example). Therefore we cannot assign some echoes to a country, area and so on. These echoes have crossed the frontier of the unknown... and now belong to the Twilight Zone...
topWhy no photos or videos, just voice?
Because Woices was created to mimic the process of having someone by your side telling you something while you are looking around you. No time to watch videos or photos!
Recording and uploading
topHow do I record and share an echo?
Click the tab 'Create' in the upper menu. If you don't have an account, create one for free by following the link 'Join'. Once you have logged in, you can either create a new echo or a walk (a collection of related echoes).
There are two ways of creating an echo, which will be shown once you have marked the echo's position on the map and given it a title. First, you can record it. Just plug a micro in your PC and hit the red button of our recorder. Echoes created this way can be as long as 10 minutes. Second, you can upload an already recorded audio file in either MP3, WAV, AMR or AWB formats (10MB maximum size or 10 minutes maximum lenght).
Some comments about using our recorder:
- The recorder will ask you for permission to use your microphone. You must allow the access to woices.com to be able to use the recorder. Check FAQ section How do I give recorder permanent permission to use microphone? to avoid having to do this every time you record an echo.
- You can interrupt the recording with the PAUSE button and continue the recording with the REC button (new recording will be appended to current one).
- By clicking the STOP button, the recording will stop. If you click REC again, current recording will be overwritten (asking for confirmation first) and time will be reset.
- The PLAY button allows you to listen the recording. You can play it while it is paused or stopped.
- While a record is being played, you can click on any position of the progress bar to advance or to go back.
- We strongly recommend to speak loud and clear for the benefit of other users. Check the activity indicator of the recorder.
How do I give recorder permanent permission to use microphone?
Just right-click in the recorder and choose 'Configuration' in the menu. Choose the tab with an eye inside a monitor (this is Flash Player's Privacy configuration for the woices.com site) in the dialog. Then choose 'Allow', check 'Remember' and close the dialog.
Notice you may have to repeat this process in each different computer or browser you use to access woices.
topWhat audio formats are supported in the upload?
At present woices accepts the MP3, WAV, AMR and AWB audio formats. You must first encode your audio to one of these formats if it isn't already. See how to do it in the FAQ section How do I encode audios to mp3?
topHow do I encode audios to mp3?
There are many free tools that will help you to encode an audio file to the mp3 format:
- For Windows:
- For Mac:
- For GNU/Linux:
Please, for best results make sure to adjust your tool encoding settings to these values:
| Setting | Recommended | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Bitrate mode (1) | VBR | CBR, VBR, ABR |
| Bitrate (2) | 96 kbps | 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 144, 160, 192, 224, 256 and 320 kbps |
| Samplerate (3) | 44100 Hz | 8000, 11025, 12000, 16000, 22050, 24000, 32000, 44100, 48000 Hz |
(1): CBR, VBR or ABR: These are acronyms for Constant bitrate, Variable bitrate, and Average bitrate and represent different modes of encoding audio. All of them are supported at woices, although we recommend VBR for best results and smaller files.
(2): Bitrate: We recommend 96 kbps or 128 kbps for voice recordings, although any other standard bitrate values are accepted (upto 320 kbps). Higher bitrates result in better sound quality, but also in larger files.
(3): Samplerate: Sampling rate can be one of the allowed values shown in the table. In your encoding tool these values may also appear as: 11, 22 or 44.1 kHz.
Managing echoes
topHow many echoes can I create?
In short, as many as you want!
top
How do I place an echo on its exact location?
The more exactly you locate your echo the better. Think of its location as the place where other users should listen to it. To locate the place more easily we recommend using the integrated search box in google maps. Then zoom in as much as possible and click on the exact position of the echo.
topHow do I change an echo's license?
After logging in, go to the page of the echo whose license you want to change. Click on the 'Edit details' link that appears in the 'More actions' section. There you can choose another license for that particular echo.
If you want to change the license that will be applied to newly created echoes, go to your account license settings and set the default license there.
Finally, if you want to change the license for all of your already created echoes, you can do a batch license update.
topHow do I change an echo's location?
Only an echo's author can modify its current location. On the echo's page, you will find a link in its 'More actions' section for that.
topHow can I change the title of an echo?
After logging in, hover over the title and click on it when it turns yellow. Set the new title and click outside the yellow field to save it. You can also do it from the edit details link (in 'More actions' section).
topHow can I delete an echo?
Only an echo's author can delete it. To do so go to the echo page and click the 'delete' link in the 'More actions' section.
Using the site
topHow do I create an account?
There is a link at the top right corner of the screen. Just follow the instructions.
topHow do I find echoes from some place?
There are three ways of locating echoes:
- Using the Map. Select 'Map' in the 'Explore' tab. A full screen map will appear. Next to the map there will always be a list with the most popular echoes for the region viewed. Zoom in as much as you need to locate the echoes. Remeber that using the search box that comes inside the map is always a shortcut.
- Browsing the Directory. Select 'Directory' from the 'Explore' tab. The directory allows you to quickly select a location by going through its continent, country, area and finally location.
- Use the search box. On the top right corner of the page you will find a search box that can help you to quickly locate any echo.
How can I keep favorites?
To manage your favorites you must be have an account. Then you will see an 'add to favorites' link in all echoes. You will be able to organize them in folders from the favorites listing in your personal woices page.
Community
topHow do I contact another user?
We do no provide emails from any other users, but there are other ways to contact them:
- Using the Group feature. You can search and create new groups. In each group there is a public discussion area to keep in touch with other participants.
- By adding comments to their echoes or walks.
- In the forums.
top
What should I do if I find an offensive or illegal echo/walk?
Every echo and walk has a 'flag as inappropriate' link in its page. Use it if you think it is offensive for some reason and help the community. Woices administrators will be notified.
Legalese
topIs Woices free?
Yes! Just create an account to begin creating new echoes. There are no limits in the number of echoes you can create, listen or download.
topCan I modify or redistribute any echo?
It depends on the specific echo's license type:
- If it is licensed under the None (All rights reserved) license you can do it if you receive explicit permission from the author. As we do not provide emails from users, you can contact the author by leaving a comment on their echoes.
- If the echo is licensed under one of the Creative Commons (Some rights reserved) licenses you may redistribute it freely as long as you give credit of the original author (Attribution). For commercial usage and derivative works of the echo, you should check the concrete echo CC license.
To check the exact licensing terms of an echo, click on its license icon, which is one of these:
topWhich kind of license do my echoes have?
There are two main types of licenses to choose:
- None (All rights reserved): This represents the legal concept of Copyright and is the most restrictive license you can choose from (users that want to use your echoes will have to ask you explicit permission). Also this is the default license applied to newly created echoes unless you change it in your personal license settings page.
- Creative Commons (Some rights reserved): These are a set of more open licenses you can choose from.
To change an individual echo license, check the How do I change an echo's license? section.
Other
topCan I help translating woices.com to my own language?
Yes! We'd love to expand and reach everyone so we could all togheter create a rich multilingual echosphere. Soon we will create a space with instructions on how to do it.
topWill you go GPS?
Sure! That's actually the ultimate goal of woices. I fact, our iPhone mobile application is already GPS-enabled: it is able to detect near echoes, and play and upload echoes wherever they are.
topProblems playing echoes and walks?
There are some reasons that may prevent you from properly listening to an echo or a walk:
- Flash Player not installed: Our player for echoes and walks is based on Adobe Flash Player and you will need it installed in your browser (it's free) to fully enjoy woices. You can install Flash Player here.
- Outdated Flash Player: If you hear strange sound artifacts or some echoes play 'too fast', this can be caused by an outdated Flash Player. Try to update it to the latest version to obtain best results. Tip: to see your current Flash Player version visit this version checker.
- External service outage: Maybe our storage provider (the place where echoes are stored) is busy or not working. This is a force majeure, usually out of our control. Try to upload or listen to echoes and walks later.
How do I report bugs, or send suggestions and feedback about woices?
Use our contact form. Fill it with your contact data, your message and choose the type of report you are submitting (bug, suggestion, question, other).
