Latin Resources Online

[Laura Gibbs]

So what's up online? This discussion forum is a place where we can keep track of audio Latin online, with a focus on the "major players," the individuals and institutions that have a sustained commitment to Latin audio in the form of regular podcasts, or an online archive or website. Of course, there are lots of "occasional pieces" out there, too, such as individual poems that someone might post, etc. What resources are you all using online? And how can we keep track of what's new?

[Laura Gibbs]

Tracking audio Latin online with del.icio.us tags - this is something I've been trying to promote for the past several months. If people will tag the Latin audio they find online (either their own productions, or other people's audio that they find online) with the del.icio.us tags "latin" and "audio" we can have an evolving list of links.

http://del.icio.us/tag/latin+audio

Admittedly, it's a less than perfect system - especially because of the Latin music that creeps in there, too, as a result of people's spontaneous tagging efforts (the perils of the folksonomy).

Luckily, though, the tag eclassics is VERY little used - there are only two items in del.icio.us that happen to be tagged eclassics, and NO items currently tagged eclassics+latin+audio. So, in order to "refine" the list, I would suggest adding the additional tag of "eclassics" for materials that people here would like to flag for our special attention. The tag "eclassics" is not a natural language tag, which means it will act as a kind of filter for us to use.

For all the flaws in tagging systems like this, they are still so much better than trying to maintain static webpages with lists of links! What I like best of del.icio.us is that you can subscribe to something with an RSS feed, so that I can see in my blog reader when something new shows up as tagged "latin audio" or "eclassics latin audio."

An alternative to a list of links would be a wiki page that people could edit collaboratively - I think I remember Andrew saying something about setting up some kind of wiki somewhere; meanwhile, the del.icio.us tagging system is a way to keep an eye on Latin audio (or an "ear" ha ha) as, hopefully, more and more audio gets added and tagged.

[Laura Gibbs]

I just did a quick run through tagging MAJOR Latin audio resources with "audio latin eclassics" - I tried to focus on sites here that collect readings of many texts and/or podcast sites, rather than just individual pages of a specific recitation.

http://del.icio.us/tag/latin+audio+eclassics

[maximus]

I tried clicking this link (http://del.icio.us/tag/latin+audio+eclassics), but only found MFletcher's lists of vocabulary. I don't use delicious, so perhaps i am not using it correcly.

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Maximus, alas, you have discovered a sad truth about eClassics - very few people use this site, and most of the Latin teachers are instead on the LatinTeach listserve, and do most of their interacting there (unfortunately, because it is not public, and the archives are not even searchable... so it's kind of like an echo chamber, with the same conversations happening over and over again). Anyway, since people did not end up using the eclassics tag, you can still search for latin+audio, like this:
http://delicious.com/tag/latin+audio
(You'll get some "Latin music" there, like salsa, etc. - but you'll also find good Latin audio resources, too)

[maximus]

gratias, Laura, tibi ago!

I will enjoy perusing this list tonight.

Now for a (dumb) delicious question: how is the eclassics tag on delicious related to the eclasssics site? How should it be?
And a LatinTeach listserve question: How does one get to join the LatinTeach listserve if it is not a public site, by invitation?

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Maximus, it's not by invitation at all - it's open to all, but you have to join, and the posts are moderated by the list owner. You can find the enrollment info here:
http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/latinteach

Just scan on down the page to where it says Subscribing - I'm sure you will enjoy it! The list is quite lively, with posts every day.

[maximus]

OK Laura, I have done it and am awaiting their confirmation. While I have your ear, can you recommend me a good audio file of the Aeneid (book 1)? So far the recordings I hear are a bit "over the top" for my taste, i.e. exaggerated pitches, growling dramatics, etc. -- distracting by the style more than attracting to the language itself. I am looking for a basic, solid metrical rendition. Perhaps you have made such a recording yourself?

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Maximus, I can assure I have not done so - about a year ago I vowed not to do any more Latin poetry online - I just don't have time to deal with the "meter wars" - people have VERY strong views (not all of them in accord or even complementary) about how to read Latin poetry, and I've simply given it up because I'm not motivated to even participate in that venture any more.
With prose, people are more willing to allow for some variety. With the poetry, they are positively vitriolic about the one and only way (according to them) that poetry must be read - the vitriolic tenor of the whole thing no doubt a result of the fact that we have even less of an idea of how poetry was read than prose. Can you tell I am cynical about all of this? It's true, I am very cynical about it, alas. I love reading Latin poetry out loud, but I am no longer putting Latin poetry online - I have learned my lesson. :-)
Anyway, that's a perfect question to put to the list - someone might know of a good recording of Aeneid I that they could recommend!

[maximus]

In the blogging enviroment I have encoutered so much more vitriol than I ever have in person -- Maybe it's the fierce German shepherd thing? ;-)
To put it kindly, the otherwise mild and meek can surprise others with their passion when they can safely (and in this case anonymously) get away with it. In any case, I value scholarship in the truest sense of respecting all informed divergent opinion and have never bitten anyone online or in person. Perhaps we should take this off line and discuss, since I have much to gain by your experience in this matter.

[Andrew Reinhard]

Thanks for all the tagging Laura! More tags than I ever got in recess. I'll be more liberal with the "eclassics" tag in future updates, that's for sure.

[Iohannes Alatius]

Another tag which I have seen been proposed and promoted to solve the unfortunate ambiguity of "Latin" is "Latinitas". I see that it has been used some on del.icio.us already, as well as on YouTube, for example.

[Laura Gibbs]

AHA, that is a great idea - I had not even thought about using actual Latin words for tagging. that is a very elegant solution! :-)