diff --git a/Backend/Controllers/WordController.cs b/Backend/Controllers/WordController.cs
index b1f8f847ad..0c454c6fd7 100644
--- a/Backend/Controllers/WordController.cs
+++ b/Backend/Controllers/WordController.cs
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ public WordController(IWordRepository repo, IWordService wordService, IProjectRe
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(string))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> DeleteFrontierWord(string projectId, string wordId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word from Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word from Frontier");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -62,8 +61,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> DeleteFrontierWord(string projectId, string wor
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(List<Word>))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> GetProjectWords(string projectId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "getting all words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "getting all words");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -82,8 +80,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> GetProjectWords(string projectId)
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(Word))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> GetWord(string projectId, string wordId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "getting a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "getting a word");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -107,8 +104,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> GetWord(string projectId, string wordId)
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(bool))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> IsFrontierNonempty(string projectId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier is nonempty");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier is nonempty");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -127,9 +123,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> IsFrontierNonempty(string projectId)
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(List<Word>))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> GetProjectFrontierWords(string projectId)
         {
-
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "getting all Frontier words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "getting all Frontier words");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -148,8 +142,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> GetProjectFrontierWords(string projectId)
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(bool))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> IsInFrontier(string projectId, string wordId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier contains a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier contains a word");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -168,8 +161,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> IsInFrontier(string projectId, string wordId)
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(List<string>))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> AreInFrontier(string projectId, [FromBody, BindRequired] List<string> wordIds)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier contains given words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier contains given words");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -200,8 +192,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> AreInFrontier(string projectId, [FromBody, Bind
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(string))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> GetDuplicateId(string projectId, [FromBody, BindRequired] Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "checking for duplicates of a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "checking for duplicates of a word");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -224,8 +215,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> GetDuplicateId(string projectId, [FromBody, Bin
         public async Task<IActionResult> UpdateDuplicate(
             string projectId, string dupId, [FromBody, BindRequired] Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "combining duplicate words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "combining duplicate words");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -261,8 +251,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> UpdateDuplicate(
         [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK, Type = typeof(string))]
         public async Task<IActionResult> CreateWord(string projectId, [FromBody, BindRequired] Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "creating a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "creating a word");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -285,8 +274,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> CreateWord(string projectId, [FromBody, BindReq
         public async Task<IActionResult> UpdateWord(
             string projectId, string wordId, [FromBody, BindRequired] Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "updating words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "updating words");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
@@ -318,8 +306,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> RevertWords(
             string projectId, [FromBody, BindRequired] Dictionary<string, string> wordIds)
         {
             // note: review tag description
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "reverting words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "reverting words");
 
             if (!await _permissionService.HasProjectPermission(HttpContext, Permission.WordEntry, projectId))
             {
diff --git a/Backend/Otel/BackendActivitySource.cs b/Backend/Otel/BackendActivitySource.cs
index eb194191d9..8848024af2 100644
--- a/Backend/Otel/BackendActivitySource.cs
+++ b/Backend/Otel/BackendActivitySource.cs
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-using System.Diagnostics;
+// using System.Diagnostics;
 
-namespace BackendFramework.Otel;
+// namespace BackendFramework.Otel;
 
-public class BackendActivitySource
-{
-    public static ActivitySource Get()
-    {
-        // return new ActivitySource("service");
-        return new ActivitySource(OtelKernel.SourceName);
-    }
-}
+// public class BackendActivitySource
+// {
+//     public static ActivitySource Get()
+//     {
+//         // return new ActivitySource("service");
+//         return new ActivitySource(OtelKernel.SourceName);
+//     }
+// }
diff --git a/Backend/Otel/OtelService.cs b/Backend/Otel/OtelService.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..87a396af42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Backend/Otel/OtelService.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+using System.Diagnostics;
+
+namespace BackendFramework.Otel;
+
+public class OtelService
+{
+    public static void AddOtelTag(string key, object? value)
+    {
+        // return new ActivitySource("service");
+        // return new ActivitySource(OtelKernel.SourceName);
+
+        using var activity = new ActivitySource(OtelKernel.SourceName).StartActivity();
+        activity?.AddTag(key, value);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs b/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs
index a9771fa6f3..753585f20e 100644
--- a/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs
+++ b/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ private static FilterDefinition<Word> GetProjectWordsFilter(string projectId, Li
         /// <summary> Finds all <see cref="Word"/>s with specified projectId </summary>
         public async Task<List<Word>> GetAllWords(string projectId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "getting all words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "getting all words");
 
             return await _wordDatabase.Words.Find(GetAllProjectWordsFilter(projectId)).ToListAsync();
         }
@@ -64,8 +63,7 @@ public async Task<List<Word>> GetAllWords(string projectId)
         /// <summary> Finds <see cref="Word"/> with specified wordId and projectId </summary>
         public async Task<Word?> GetWord(string projectId, string wordId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "getting a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "getting a word");
 
             var wordList = await _wordDatabase.Words.FindAsync(GetProjectWordFilter(projectId, wordId));
             try
@@ -83,8 +81,7 @@ public async Task<List<Word>> GetAllWords(string projectId)
         /// <returns> A bool: success of operation </returns>
         public async Task<bool> DeleteAllWords(string projectId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "deleting all words from WordsCollection and Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "deleting all words from WordsCollection and Frontier");
 
             var filterDef = new FilterDefinitionBuilder<Word>();
             var filter = filterDef.Eq(x => x.ProjectId, projectId);
@@ -119,10 +116,7 @@ private static void PopulateBlankWordTimes(Word word)
         /// <returns> The word created </returns>
         public async Task<Word> Create(Word word)
         {
-
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "creating a word in WordsCollection and Frontier");
-
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "creating a word in WordsCollection and Frontier");
 
             PopulateBlankWordTimes(word);
             await _wordDatabase.Words.InsertOneAsync(word);
@@ -140,8 +134,7 @@ public async Task<Word> Create(Word word)
         /// <returns> The words created </returns>
         public async Task<List<Word>> Create(List<Word> words)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "creating words in WordsCollection and Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "creating words in WordsCollection and Frontier");
 
             if (words.Count == 0)
             {
@@ -164,8 +157,7 @@ public async Task<List<Word>> Create(List<Word> words)
         /// <returns> The word created </returns>
         public async Task<Word> Add(Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "adding a word to WordsCollection");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "adding a word to WordsCollection");
 
             PopulateBlankWordTimes(word);
             await _wordDatabase.Words.InsertOneAsync(word);
@@ -175,8 +167,7 @@ public async Task<Word> Add(Word word)
         /// <summary> Checks if Frontier is nonempty for specified <see cref="Project"/> </summary>
         public async Task<bool> IsFrontierNonempty(string projectId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier is nonempty");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier is nonempty");
 
             var word = await _wordDatabase.Frontier.Find(GetAllProjectWordsFilter(projectId)).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
             return word is not null;
@@ -185,8 +176,7 @@ public async Task<bool> IsFrontierNonempty(string projectId)
         /// <summary> Checks if specified word is in Frontier for specified <see cref="Project"/> </summary>
         public async Task<bool> IsInFrontier(string projectId, string wordId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier contains a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "checking if Frontier contains a word");
 
             return (await _wordDatabase.Frontier.CountDocumentsAsync(GetProjectWordFilter(projectId, wordId))) > 0;
         }
@@ -194,9 +184,7 @@ public async Task<bool> IsInFrontier(string projectId, string wordId)
         /// <summary> Finds all <see cref="Word"/>s in the Frontier for specified <see cref="Project"/> </summary>
         public async Task<List<Word>> GetFrontier(string projectId)
         {
-
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "getting all Frontier words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "getting all Frontier words");
 
             return await _wordDatabase.Frontier.Find(GetAllProjectWordsFilter(projectId)).ToListAsync();
         }
@@ -204,8 +192,7 @@ public async Task<List<Word>> GetFrontier(string projectId)
         /// <summary> Finds all <see cref="Word"/>s in Frontier of specified project with specified vern </summary>
         public async Task<List<Word>> GetFrontierWithVernacular(string projectId, string vernacular)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "getting all words from Frontier with vern");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "getting all words from Frontier with vern");
 
             return await _wordDatabase.Frontier.Find(GetAllProjectWordsFilter(projectId, vernacular)).ToListAsync();
         }
@@ -215,8 +202,7 @@ public async Task<List<Word>> GetFrontierWithVernacular(string projectId, string
         /// <returns> The word created </returns>
         public async Task<Word> AddFrontier(Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "adding a word to Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "adding a word to Frontier");
 
             await _wordDatabase.Frontier.InsertOneAsync(word);
             return word;
@@ -227,8 +213,7 @@ public async Task<Word> AddFrontier(Word word)
         /// <returns> The words created </returns>
         public async Task<List<Word>> AddFrontier(List<Word> words)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "adding words to Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "adding words to Frontier");
 
             await _wordDatabase.Frontier.InsertManyAsync(words);
             return words;
@@ -238,8 +223,7 @@ public async Task<List<Word>> AddFrontier(List<Word> words)
         /// <returns> A bool: success of operation </returns>
         public async Task<bool> DeleteFrontier(string projectId, string wordId)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word from Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word from Frontier");
 
             var deleted = await _wordDatabase.Frontier.DeleteOneAsync(GetProjectWordFilter(projectId, wordId));
             return deleted.DeletedCount > 0;
@@ -249,8 +233,7 @@ public async Task<bool> DeleteFrontier(string projectId, string wordId)
         /// <returns> Number of words deleted </returns>
         public async Task<long> DeleteFrontier(string projectId, List<string> wordIds)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "deleting words from Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "deleting words from Frontier");
 
             var deleted = await _wordDatabase.Frontier.DeleteManyAsync(GetProjectWordsFilter(projectId, wordIds));
             return deleted.DeletedCount;
diff --git a/Backend/Services/WordService.cs b/Backend/Services/WordService.cs
index 2449b80128..777cf197fd 100644
--- a/Backend/Services/WordService.cs
+++ b/Backend/Services/WordService.cs
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ private static Word PrepEditedData(string userId, Word word)
         /// <returns> The created word </returns>
         public async Task<Word> Create(string userId, Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "creating a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "creating a word");
 
             return await _wordRepo.Create(PrepEditedData(userId, word));
         }
@@ -48,8 +47,7 @@ public async Task<Word> Create(string userId, Word word)
         /// <returns> The created word </returns>
         public async Task<List<Word>> Create(string userId, List<Word> words)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "creating words");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "creating words");
 
             return await _wordRepo.Create(words.Select(w => PrepEditedData(userId, w)).ToList());
         }
@@ -66,8 +64,7 @@ private async Task<Word> Add(string userId, Word word)
         public async Task<bool> Delete(string projectId, string userId, string wordId)
         {
             // note: review tag description
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word");
 
             var wordIsInFrontier = await _wordRepo.DeleteFrontier(projectId, wordId);
 
@@ -101,8 +98,7 @@ public async Task<bool> Delete(string projectId, string userId, string wordId)
         /// <returns> New word </returns>
         public async Task<Word?> Delete(string projectId, string userId, string wordId, string fileName)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "deleting an audio");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "deleting an audio");
 
             var wordWithAudioToDelete = await _wordRepo.GetWord(projectId, wordId);
             if (wordWithAudioToDelete is null)
@@ -132,9 +128,7 @@ public async Task<bool> Delete(string projectId, string userId, string wordId)
         /// <returns> A string: id of new word </returns>
         public async Task<string?> DeleteFrontierWord(string projectId, string userId, string wordId)
         {
-            // note: review tag description
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word from Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "deleting a word from Frontier");
 
             var wordIsInFrontier = await _wordRepo.DeleteFrontier(projectId, wordId);
             if (!wordIsInFrontier)
@@ -159,8 +153,7 @@ public async Task<bool> Delete(string projectId, string userId, string wordId)
         /// <returns> A bool: true if successful, false if any don't exist or are already in the Frontier. </returns>
         public async Task<bool> RestoreFrontierWords(string projectId, List<string> wordIds)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "restoring words to Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "restoring words to Frontier");
 
             var words = new List<Word>();
             foreach (var id in wordIds)
@@ -180,8 +173,7 @@ public async Task<bool> RestoreFrontierWords(string projectId, List<string> word
         /// <returns> A bool: success of operation </returns>
         public async Task<bool> Update(string projectId, string userId, string wordId, Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "updating a word in Frontier");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "updating a word in Frontier");
 
             var wordIsInFrontier = await _wordRepo.DeleteFrontier(projectId, wordId);
 
@@ -203,8 +195,7 @@ public async Task<bool> Update(string projectId, string userId, string wordId, W
         /// <returns> The id string of the existing word, or null if none. </returns>
         public async Task<string?> FindContainingWord(Word word)
         {
-            using var activity = BackendActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
-            activity?.AddTag(otelTagName, "checking for duplicates of a word");
+            OtelService.AddOtelTag(otelTagName, "checking for duplicates of a word");
 
             var wordsWithVern = await _wordRepo.GetFrontierWithVernacular(word.ProjectId, word.Vernacular);
             var duplicatedWord = wordsWithVern.Find(w => w.Contains(word));