Re: Summary: typing speed and voice recognition

["Meek, DavidX L" <davidx_l_meek -at- MAIL -dot- INTEL -dot- COM>]

Dave W.:

I've been a technical writer for nearly four years now, working mostly
with software development.  My typing speed has *never* been a work
issue; however, I happen to be a fairly good typist, so my skill does
help me work a bit faster.  Improving your speed certainly won't hurt
anything.

Still, most of what I do is exactly as Jane Bergen described:  "type a
few sentences, then read
on-screen to proof or reorganize or whatever."  Where I work, a voice
recognition system might be led astray by all the ambient noise and
conversations.

Please let us know how the system works out.  On the side, I do creative
writing, and such a tool could be a worthwhile purchase.

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Bergen, Jane [SMTP:janeb -at- ANSWERSOFT -dot- COM]
        Sent:   Friday, February 06, 1998 3:25 PM
        To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
        Subject:        Re: Summary: typing speed and voice recognition

        Dave,

        Is there a physical reason that you cannot learn to touch type?
If not,
        there are lots of software packages that promise to increase
your speed
        (such as "Mavis Beacon's Typing..." etc.). It would seem that it
would
        be faster and cheaper and more productive in the long run to go
this
        route than to invest in the equipment, training, and time for VR
setup.
        Another consideration: if you work in an office, it might be
extremely
        annoying to your coworkers for you to be constantly "voicing"
your
        writing.

        On the other hand, although I do touch type, many programmers I
know do
        the two-finger jig and seem to be pretty darned quick about it.
For
        myself, speed does not matter. I might type a few sentences,
then read
        on-screen to proof or reorganize or whatever. If my job depended
on
        typing, I'd have been out the door long, long ago.

        On Friday, February 06, 1998 5:08 PM, Dave Whelan
        [SMTP:dwhelan -at- PANGEA -dot- CA] wrote:
        > Earlier this week I asked the list:
        >
        > How important is it for a TW to be a fast typist? and
        > Has anyone had any success using technology such as voice
recognition
        > systems to overcome slow typing speed?
        >
        > The reason for the first question is that although I am a
successful
        > freelance technical writer, I m a very slow typist. I can get
by with
        > fairly rapid hunting and pecking, but, try as I might, I have
never
        been
        > able to teach myself to touch-type well. I constantly try to
improve
        my
        > professional skills as a matter of business survival and I am
rather
        > ashamed of this incapacity, so I was interested in knowing
what my
        peers
        > thought about the importance of fast typing.
        >
        > (snipped)

        > I have now ordered a low-cost trial system and expect delivery
next
        week.
        > If there is sufficient interest, I will report my findings to
the list
        in
        > due course.
        >
        > Thanks to all who responded to my questions.
        >
        > Regards,
        > Dave.
        >
        > ***************************************************



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