tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post2222653279900417145..comments2024-03-27T23:59:01.850-07:00Comments on Writing About Writing (And Occasionally Some Writing): The Mailbox: Speech to Text Software and Season 2Chris Brecheenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07819138776404280633noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-63328022095229429722017-07-11T16:41:13.143-07:002017-07-11T16:41:13.143-07:00Back in the Dark Ages, we Suits dictated. I am a ...Back in the Dark Ages, we Suits dictated. I am a little to young to have had the joy of significant dictating to an actual person -- instant feedback; I got to do it a few times and it is wonderful. We carted around these belts and law libraries had the machines so you could use them at the Courthouse! Hurray! Then we got cassette tapes! Machines as big as a Stephen King paperback, but our very own that went everywhere. Then! Mini cassettes! Micro cassettes! And then the PC which led to the elimination of the instant feedback and corrections and mind-reading provided by one's very own Legal Secretary. We had to learn to type! And spell! Who knew there was so much grammar? Dictation software sounded so cool! The Good Old Days, right? But it was and remains like dictating to a pool of word processors who don't know you, your clients, your cases and your quirks. So you had to dictate things like "Period. Paragraph. Should the party of the first part comma notwithstanding..." Since I finally had to learn to use a keyboard, even though I still need to correct a lot because I still can't spell, that is slow and boring. Quote hurry comma close quote Jason screamed period quote that's an AK 47 he's got exclamation point hit the dirt exclamation point close quote. No. I can type a full page in the time it takes to dictate that. I do not find it workable. Dictation software intelligent enough to act like a proper Legal Secretary and just go by my tone would mean we had invented a deity that would shortly take over the world. Until that happens, I will stick to my keyboard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-42511084298303581122017-07-10T23:53:54.761-07:002017-07-10T23:53:54.761-07:00Personally, I have to write with pen and paper; ty...Personally, I have to write with pen and paper; typing shuts down my imagination for some reason. I find Dragon excellent for transcribing my writing. Trying to keep my notebook in place and on page while typing was a hassle that left stacks of notebooks untranscribed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-5371916817320104392015-01-19T23:43:55.451-08:002015-01-19T23:43:55.451-08:00I desperately want the tech for this to get better...I desperately want the tech for this to get better before the arthritis in my fingers makes typing excruciating or impossible. That's years off, touch wood, but the idea bothers me (even though I'm not a professional writer and feel little call to be, and even though I rather suspect that I'm better spoken than I am written, when it comes to the things I care most about). C'mon future!Arihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07581409762374381692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-58706796296852136462014-04-12T18:59:40.450-07:002014-04-12T18:59:40.450-07:00I'm with Cindy. Bring on more of Season 2.... ...I'm with Cindy. Bring on more of Season 2.... :)Traceseanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-76574564567045490182014-04-12T12:11:13.642-07:002014-04-12T12:11:13.642-07:00Given what The Demylinator was going to dump into ...Given what The Demylinator was going to dump into the water supply, you made the right choice. I'm glad you have a way to at least do some writing though!Chris Brecheenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07819138776404280633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-50224536140503634242014-04-12T12:10:10.580-07:002014-04-12T12:10:10.580-07:00Yeah, I had a paragraph where I started to get int...Yeah, I had a paragraph where I started to get into the actual neurological differences between speaking and writing and how they would literally affect which "mode" you were in using speech to text, but the article was already getting a little wordy so I let it go. <br /><br />I assume better programs than Dragon will come along eventually, but I still don't think they'll do the writing for anyone.Chris Brecheenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07819138776404280633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-5493042135757694182014-04-11T20:01:27.975-07:002014-04-11T20:01:27.975-07:00I knew I never should have followed The Demylinato...I knew I never should have followed The Demylinator to the top of the Sydney Opera House. It was a dramatically appropriate trap and the rising beat of ominous soundtrack music should have warned me that something terrible was about to happen...<br /><br />Writing via dictation is more difficult and time consuming than writing via direct brain splatter transfer from brain to fingertips. When using a program like Dragon you have to imagine you're GMing a table top game for 12 year olds whose only language is NOT YOURS. Speaking slowly, stopping to repeat every fourth word. <br /><br />Before the Kamikaze Biostorm Trigger I could write, edit and publish an 8 page article a week. That's nothing compared to what Chris is capable of in sheer word power - but it was a huge amount of productivity for me. <br /><br />Now I'm excited when I can a full paragraph done a day. By the end of the week I may have a complete page...possibly even two! <br /><br />Dragon certainly hasn't done anything about my poor writing and grammar. Which is why Chris is Writing About Writing (and Occasionally Some Writing) and I'm writing about game design :PEponahttp://www.indiebits.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660089177097719300.post-70997710766146153022014-04-11T15:07:55.580-07:002014-04-11T15:07:55.580-07:00I have Dragon and I briefly used it when I was in ...I have Dragon and I briefly used it when I was in grad school so I could read and take voice diction notes about what I was reading. What I discovered was that it was far harder to remember all the voice commands to use the software than it was to just type down the notes I wanted to make. It profoundly affected my flow. I remember thinking that the software would have been enormously useful for one of my profs - partially paralyzed by polio and unable to use 95% of his hands - but for me, a person who types 80+ wpm, it just wasn't worth it.<br /><br />Also, I speak differently than I type. If I tried to speak my book into being, it would not be as grammatically correct and it wouldn't flow as well. Again, if I were paralyzed I would have incentive to learn to speak a different way and to memorize those codes you need for Dragon - but it's just not worth it for me as I am right now. I haven't used my Dragon software since early 2010.Terranoreply@blogger.com