I've just checked in transcription authorization, completing the security tasks a work owner may perform. I decided that owners should be able to mark work as unrestricted -- any logged-in user may transcribe that work. Otherwise, owners specify which users may transcribe or modify transcriptions.
These administrative features have been some of the quickest to implement, even if they're some of the least exciting. My next task will involve a lot of research into XML parsers for Ruby and how to use them. That — coupled with a restricted amount of time to devote to coding — means I probably won't have much progress to report for the next couple of months. I'll keep blogging, but my posts may take a more speculative turn.