Thanks for the reply. I'm a bit unsure about this anymore. After wedrifrid's comment, I gave a few open source text-to-speech programs a try, but didn't really like the output. I tried it on What do we mean by Rationality and noticed right away that it's hard to get, when listening, the "structure" of something like those first indented definitions.
I guess I'm now responding based on a completely different approach. Perhaps a human reader could add in slight prefaces to various sections, like, "We mean: Definition 1: Epistemic rationality... and also, Definition 2: Instrumental rationality..."
This might help. Still not sure if I think this project/suggestion would be feasible and if it'd actually be that helpful. For something more "intense" like going through the sequences, I wonder if audio format would allow for the same rate of comprehension as reading text. I'd love to use it when driving... but wonder how much I really retain when driving.
As someone that often listens to audiobooks while driving, I don't find problems with comprehension, unless there is something that is taking up a large portion of my attention. As long as I can basically drive on instinct and muscle memory, I remember it as well as if reading it. If there is something that I have to listen to, or read, then I generally either stop the book, or go back.
One strange effect for me though is that if within the next week or so, I hear a part of the book, I can tell you exactly where I was at that time, though I can't generally go the other way, and think of where I was in a book when I was last at a location. The brain is pretty weird/cool.
Like far too many people, I have a job that for decent chunks of my day doesn't require much concentration. I listen to various podcasts and ebooks to alleviate the boredom at these times, as well as to get me through my daily commute. I have several friends with plenty of audio-listening time, a fair bit of which is given to amateur podcasts (in the "not getting paid for it" sense), who have much less time available for straight reading. I have, on more than one occasion, thought "Wouldn't it be great if Methods of Rationality was available in audio format?"
Well, now it is.
At least, the first chapter is, in a "testing the waters" sort of way.
If you have 17 minutes free and any interest, here's the file - http://www.filedropper.com/hpmorpilot
I have one over-riding question to anyone/everyone: is this of any value? Would this be useful to anyone here, either personally, or to share with others? Would a spruced-up first chapter, and regular production of further chapters, be something you want more of?
A closely-related follow-up question: if so - am I the right person to do this? Even "acceptable", I'm not shooting for perfection. Or is something about my voice/manner so grating I should stick to non-radio work.
If the answer to these is "yes", then are there any comments/suggestions? I'm new to this recording thing. I got a decent mic and a pop-filter, and I've played around with the software a bit, but I'm still learning. I have noticed that I need to enunciate more, it turns out my "can't win" sounds just like my "can win". Further suggestions? I'm thinking of varying my pitch when different characters are talking to make it more apparent when dialog is switching back and forth, hopefully that won't be too cheesy.
If people want more of this I'll get an actual server to host the files and make it available through iTunes as a podcast.
Again: http://www.filedropper.com/hpmorpilot