The following are words or terms that may be used frequently as you work with the FirstVoices platform, and explanations of what they mean.

General terms

• Cloud storage: Cloud storage is digital file storage system where data is stored on remote servers and accessed by users from afar via the internet (or "cloud.”) The physical servers that host the files could be local – if your workplace owns a local server that is accessible by staff members, the server may be in your office. Alternatively, if you pay a company for cloud storage, the physical servers may be located in that company’s buildings in Toronto. However, no matter where the physical servers are, you will always be able to access your files via the internet instead of having to plug directly into the server itself.

• Checksums: A checksum is a string of data that is attached to a file to help detect the presence of errors introduced in storage or transfer between devices; different software programs can detect checksums to determine if there is corruption in the file (e.g. data integrity).
• Data corruption/degradation or Bit rot: The process of decay and general changes to files as a result of slowly accruing errors/issues that eventually make some materials unusable.

• Embed: To attach or add information or a tag to a file.

• Filename extension: A filename extension is the ending of a file’s name that identifies what type of file it is and/or what computer program can open it. Some common filename extensions are:

  • Images: .jpg, .png, .gif

  • Audio: .wav, .mp3

  • Compressed files: .zip

  • Video: .mp4, .m4v, .mov

  • Spreadsheets: .xls, .ods

  • Text documents: .doc, .odt, .pdf

• Form: A form is a page with multiple boxes, fields, to fill out.

• Field: A field are boxes to fill out on a form.
  
  

• Geo-redundancy: Geo-redundancy refers to having multiple storage spaces in which your data/files are stored, and having those storage spaces be physically located in different locations. An example of this would be having a physical hard drive which you back up your files onto, as well as cloud storage that you back up your files onto as well. Your hard drive could be kept in your office, whereas the cloud storage servers may be in an office in a different city. The reason for having multiple storage spaces in different locations is to protect against theft, natural disaster and viruses/technological failure.

• Copyright: Media that is legally owned, used and distributed exclusively by the creator of the original work.

• Public domain / copyright free: Media that was previously copyrighted, but the copyright has expired and thus the media is no longer copyrighted.

• Royalty free: Media that has a copyright but the owner has given permission for others to use the material without paying any royalties or fees.

• Creative commons: A license that allows creators to allow others to use, remix and/or distribute their work while still reserving ownership rights.

• Own source: Media that you yourself have created and own, therefore you do not require to provide credit or royalties to anyone else.

FirstVoices terms

• Published: When a language entry (a word, phrase, song or story) is published on FirstVoices, it becomes visible to public, which means anyone who visits the language site (with or without an account) can view the entry.

Audio-related terms

• Master file: The master file is the untouched, raw audio file that includes an entire unedited audio recording. You always export a copy of the master file before editing, in order to ensure you keep an unedited, complete version of your original recording.

• Audacity project file: The Audacity project file is the .aup file that is generated when you save your audio in the audio editing program Audacity. Note that this is not the same thing as exporting your files, as a .aup is saved to be able to continue working on your audio in Audacity, and .aup files can not be opened in any other application. Audacity project files include two things:

  • 1. The .aup project file (i.e. language-recordings.aup)

  • 2. The _data folder with the same project name and in the same folder as the .aup file (i.e. language-recordings_data) that includes data related to your project.

• Word file: A word file is a short, individual file that come from within master files after you export your words or phrases. Word files will have a .wav filename extension.

• Tracks: A single stream of recorded sound.

• Stereo: Stereo refers to two audio tracks, one in each headphone/speaker.

• Mono: Stereo refers to one audio track coming out of both headphones/speakers.

• Labels: When you want to have separate word files (.wav) for each word or phrase, you can add labels to sections of the audio in your Audacity project file and give each word a file name before you export them as individual word files.

• Lossless: A method of preserving the original data with no loss of information, relating to a uncompressed file.
• Uncompressed: The description of a file that has not gone through any reductions in size, which causes it to lose data (e.g. go from 'lossless' to 'lossy').

Language-related terms

• Paradigm: A linguistic paradigm is a set of related word forms. An example of this would be a conjugation of a verb, such as “to be”: I am, you are, he/she/it is, etc.