Echoes

What is an echo?

An echo is an audio record that is attached to a physical real-world location or object. Echoes are words, left by one person at some precise place, that can be listened to by anyone, as if their author was still there. Echoes can speak about any topic and respond to any user's purpose. They can speak about local history, art, curiosities, personal memories, and so on. Just something you think its worth to leave that may make the world a more interesting place.

What is the echosphere?

The echosphere is the new virtual space spanned by all echoes left by people. Surrounding earth (and you), the echosphere contains all echoes and can be accessed through your computer or mobile phone.

Exploring and finding echoes

From our main website woices.com it is possible to explore and find any echo by means of:

• The map. By dragging and zooming the map you can see echoes lying on it. Since we cannot show all echoes at the same time (too many!) we only show the most popular in the framed area. These echoes are also listed next to the map. Notice that as you zoom in or out, the list of popular echoes changes accordingly. Ultimately, if you zoom in enough you can manage to see any echo.
• The directory. In the directory you can browse all echos by drilling down the hierarchy: country > area > location.
• The search form at the header. Input your query and it will search through titles, descriptions, tags, etc. of all echoes, walks and groups.

Recording echoes

Currently we have two ways of creating a new echo:

• Record the new echo through this web. Three simple steps that include: locating the echo on the map, giving it a name and recording it with the help of our echo recorder. You just need to plug a micro and click the rec button. Once finished, the echo will be automatically uploaded to the echosphere.
• Upload an already recorded audio file. If you already have recorded your echo by other means (a third party recoding software, a mobile phone, etc.) you can upload it simply following the same steps as above. Currently, we accept MP3, WAV, AMR and AWB audio files for uploading. To convert an audio record to MP3 format or create fancy echoes with music background or whatever you want to spice it up, we recommend using a free open source software such as audacity (available for Microsoft Windows, MAC OS X and Linux).

Recording tips

Keep in mind that echoes should be listened in situ, that is, in the location they are attached to. Therefore, when recording an echo, imagine you are physically there (if you are not) and speak as if the potential listener were there next to you. The listener will appreciate references that might help them put your information in context: 'Next to the first church tower...', 'That small black spot you see below...', 'That little tree you see...' , and so on.

Downloading echoes

If you do not have an internet enabled phone and want to listen to the echoes at their location, you have the option to previously download them from the web as MP3 files and then upload them to you favorite MP3 player. Then you can play the echoes in situ.

Favorites

You can tag any echo as a favorite by clicking the 'Add to favorites' icon at any echo page. You can then organize your favorites in folders and subfolders. Favorites are a very handy feature if you make the effort to select those echos you want to play in situ before a trip. By tagging them as favorites you can quickly access them with the internet enabled mobile phone and save the effort to browse and search for them twice.

Walks

What is a walk?

A walk is a group of echoes that are bound together by some common thread and can be listened one after the other. You will be able to define an order or logical listening sequence for your echoes. If you have created a series of echos you feel people should listen as a whole, then you can create a walk from these echoes. Once an echo is added to a walk, it does not vanish, don't worry. It will still also be visible as a single echo. Currently, you can only create walks based upon your echoes.

Creating a walk

Creating a walk : give it a name and the a list of all your echoes will be shown. Drag and drop the echoes you want to include in your walk. Currently, you can only create a walk from your own echoes.

Editing and expanding walk

Once a walk has been created, it is still possible to edit and expand it. In the walk page, you will find a link to edit the echoes in that walk. The link will take you back to the list of all your echoes (as when you created the walk) so that you can drag and drop new echoes into the walk. Moreover, at the walk page you can also drag and drop the walk echoes to rearrange their order

Going mobile

Woices mobile

Woices has a mobile web portal (woices.mobi) optimized for mobile phones. In its front page you will find an e-code search form. Simply input the e-code and the referred echo will be played. There is also a general search form to look and find echoes as well as a shortcut to your favorites.

An iPhone application is also available for iPhone users. Just search for "woices" on the iPhone App Store!

e-codes

e-codes are shortcuts to quickly access and listen to an echo. They are a kind of barcode or reference number. In the mobile woices web site you will find a form where inputting the e-code will allow you to get the desired echo instantaneously. e-codes are very handy when the echoes author can place a tag or sticker with them at the exact place where they should be listened. For instance, in a museum exhibition. Please, feel free to use e-codes however you want. Surprise us!

Groups

What is a group?

A group is a community of people who share and collaborate. They may share a common interest on a specific topic or simply know each other and want to offer echoes and walks under a group page. Groups have a pool of shared echoes and walks contributed by their members. Every Group has a message board where their members can discuss about their things

Creating a new group

Creating a group is very easy. You can invite as many friends or colleagues as you wish to join your group. Input their emails and they will receive the invitation to join. The user who initially creates the group becomes its Administrator, and can promote other members to the category of Administradors or Moderators.

• Members: can add echoes and walks, and post and reply to topics in the group message board.
• Moderators: same as members but can also edit and delete posts in the group message board.
• Administrators: same as moderators but can also delete any member's echoes and walks, and remove and ban group members.

Groups have their own page where echoes and walks in their pool are aggregated and shown.

Adding content

At every echo or walk page, listed at 'more actions', you have the option to 'Add to group'. Click on this action and you will be shown a list of all groups of which you are a member, so that you can select the one to which you want to add the echo or walk.

Personal settings

Language filtering

By default, woices will show you all echoes in any language. You may (logically) want to see only those echoes in the languages you speak or understand. Do so by going to your personal language settings and select those languages you want to filter.

Echoes license

By default, woices applies the most restrictive license to the echoes you create. But you can set a more open (Creative Commons) default license by editing your personal license settings. In addition, you can change any individual echo license from its page.

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