FAQ
What is the purpose of the site?
The site aims to be resource for anyone who is interested in and has a need for accessing complete textual transcripts of political speeches.
Aren't there already several online sources that carry political speeches?
Yes. However, most of the existing sources that are well known tend to focus on presidential speeches, such as State of the Unions, or major speeches made by well-known politicians and candidates belonging to one of the major parties. In addition, there is no central resource for accessing and searching this type of content.
How can I submit a speech?
If you would like to submit a speech, please visit the speech submission page. From there, you will be prompted to login or register for an account. Once logged in, visiting the submission page will present you with a form you can fill out to submit a new speech. The submission will be sent to a moderator who will approve or deny the submission. If approved, the speech will appear on the site. If denied, you will receive an e-mail detailing why it was denied.
Why do I have to create an account to use the site?
You DO NOT have to create an account to view the speech archive. Account creation is only required if you would like to submit a speech for inclusion in the site.
What information do I need to give you to create an account and what is done with that information?
The only information required for registration is a valid e-mail address. This information will not be used for any purpose other than contacting you about your submissions (and you may opt out of that if you wish) and logging into the site. Your e-mail address will never appear on the site or be made public.
I have a speech I'd like to submit but it's from a local politician or a third party/independent candidate. Can I still submit it?
Absolutely. As long as it's a complete text transcript of the speech and it can be sourced, it will be approved. As it relates to political speeches, the philosophy behind the site is that the content of the speech is more important than who gave it. The speaker does not have to belong to one of the major parties or even be a national candidate/politician.
I've found an error or discovered a problem with a speech. How can I notify you?
When viewing a speech, there will be a link called "Report problems and errors with this speech" above the speech details. This will take you to a page that will allow you to notify a moderator of a problem or error with the speech. Emphasis will be placed on verifiable errors in the transcript or with supplementary details (e.g., type of speech, date of delivery, etc.) If you feel a speech does not belong on the site for reasons other than transcript or detail errors, please let us know why. But keep in mind that we are unlikely to remove a speech simply because you disagree with the content of the speech.
How do you decide what speeches are featured on the front page?
Front page content will focus on candidate and politician speeches with particular relevance to current events. For example, over the summer and fall of this year (2007), the front page of the site will start featuring speeches from candidates running in 2008 for President. However, even under this framework, preference will not be given to either of the two major parties. Third party and independent presidential candidates will also appear on the front page.
I'm interested in becoming a moderator or helping out in some other way. How can I contact you?
E-mail: admin [at] politicalplaintext [dot] org