Roger Ebert: Remaking my voice

TL;DR

Roger Ebert discusses how losing his ability to speak led him to rely on computer voices and technology to communicate, highlighting the importance of the act of speaking and its connection to one's identity.

Transcript

Roger Ebert: These are my words, but this is not my voice. This is Alex, the best computer voice I've been able to find, which comes as standard equipment on every Macintosh. For most of my life, I never gave a second thought to my ability to speak. It was like breathing. In those days, I was living in a fool's paradise. After surgeries for cancer ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤔 The loss of the ability to speak has a profound impact on one's identity and sense of self.
• 🌐 The internet and computer technology have given individuals with disabilities, like Roger Ebert, a way to communicate and connect with others.
• 💻 Computer voices, while helpful, can be monotonous and lack the natural flow of human speech.
• 👥 Communication through writing on the internet provides a lifeline for those who have lost the ability to speak.
• ⚕️ Medical advances have extended the lives and improved the quality of life for individuals with serious health conditions.
• 🔊 The development of personalized computer voices offers individuals the opportunity to have a voice that sounds like their own.
• 🕹️ The rapid advancements in computer technology have created a form of global consciousness through the internet.
• 😂 The ability to successfully deliver humor and timing is a powerful test of a computer voice's quality and effectiveness.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Roger Ebert's surgeries for cancer affect his ability to speak?

Roger Ebert's surgeries for cancer resulted in the loss of his ability to speak, as well as to eat and drink normally. The surgeries affected the functioning of his jaw, tongue, larynx, and vocal cords, rendering his vocal equipment powerless.

Q: How did Roger Ebert initially communicate after losing his ability to speak?

Initially, Roger Ebert wrote messages in notebooks and later started using a laptop with a built-in voice to communicate. However, he found that typing was often too slow and lacked the natural flow of conversation.

Q: Why did Roger Ebert decide to pursue a customized computer voice made from his own recordings?

Roger Ebert wanted a computer voice that sounded like him and allowed for a more natural conversation. He contacted a company in Scotland that specialized in creating personalized computer voices and provided them with several hours of his voice recordings, including audio commentary tracks made for movies.

Q: How has the internet and technology helped Roger Ebert communicate despite his speech difficulties?

The internet and technology, such as his blog, email, Twitter, and Facebook, have become crucial tools for Roger Ebert to communicate. He relies on these platforms to express himself and has found a substitute for everyday conversation through them. They have also connected him with other disabled people who communicate in similar ways.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Roger Ebert reflects on how surgery for cancer took away his ability to speak, leading him to rely on computer voices to communicate.

• He describes the limitations and challenges of using computer voices, as well as his experience with finding a customized voice using recordings of his own voice.

• Ebert discusses the evolution of technology, the impact of the internet on his ability to communicate, and the ways in which computer voices have become a lifeline for many disabled individuals.