Teaching yourself Shorthand

[Melvil]

Not being in a huge need for it professionally, I was wondering if, however, it would be a generally good thing to learn?

I know there's a couple of different types - Pitman and Teeline being the most popular - but I can't decide which one to learn and does anyone recommend any good books on the subject?

Cheers,

Mel.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I learnt a bit of Teeline when SWMBO was doing it at College. Never used it since. Can't comment on the Pitman stuff.

Have I been of any help?

 

[Melvil]

I learnt a bit of Teeline when SWMBO was doing it at College. Never used it since. Can't comment on the Pitman stuff.

Have I been of any help?

Erm....a bit

 

[Night Train]

I've never considered shorthand myself but I do remember a gadget on Tomorrow's World decades ago that was a one hand keyboard, a hand sized box with 7 ergonomically placed keys. The combination of keys pressed allowed the full range of standard keyboard functions. I think Judith Han was one of the few people who go tthe chance to master it.
It allowed one hand touch typing. Anyone remember it?

I can't find any infomation on in but I would love one of those set up as a left hand mouse so I can write and draw with my right hand at the same time as word processing.
It would be a great PDA interface too.

 

[Melvil]

I've never considered shorthand myself but I do remember a gadget on Tomorrow's World decades ago that was a one hand keyboard, a hand sized box with 7 ergonomically placed keys. The combination of keys pressed allowed the full range of standard keyboard functions. I think Judith Han was one of the few people who go tthe chance to master it.
It allowed one hand touch typing. Anyone remember it?

I can't find any infomation on in but I would love one of those set up as a left hand mouse so I can write and draw with my right hand at the same time as word processing.
It would be a great PDA interface too.

I think they are in use amongst the blind or at least I knew a girl on my degree course who was blind and used one and flippin' quick she was as well!

 

[Night Train]

I think they are in use amongst the blind or at least I knew a girl on my degree course who was blind and used one and flippin' quick she was as well!

Thanks for that, I shall look in to it.

 

[Jaded]

The MicroWriter

 

[andy_wrx]

What were those awful adverts on the Tube (20 years ago I admit...) ?

f u cn rd ths u cn gt a gd jb

 

[Willow]

I did pitmans at school but haven't used it since - unlike touch typing which is singularly the most useful thing I learned. To be honest if you can take abbreviated notes it's just as easy as shorthand. If you have a use for it then ok but if not you will forget it as quickly as you learnt it. I thoroughly enjoyed learning shorthand and I think as an adult it would be very quick to pick up.

 

[surfgurl]

Mr Surf is a journalist and has been required to get up to industry standard of 100 wpm. He went on his first journalism course in 2001, (a 3 month residential course) by the end of this he was up to 70 wpm using Teeline. Since then he has done another set of evening courses and a few more courses and finally managed to reach the magic number.
He says he uses it most days in his job and regards it as pretty useful. He only tends to use it during phone calls and will just jot the odd note down during interviews or meetings, so doesn't have much need for it then.
I think the book he used is Teeline Gold which was about £7. You can also find dictations online that you can use for practice.

 

[Paulus]

Do people still use shorthand?? I remember the adverts on the tube from many years ago, but thought since computors and audio typing took over, I thought it had died out.

 

[Night Train]

I think they are in use amongst the blind or at least I knew a girl on my degree course who was blind and used one and flippin' quick she was as well!

Found the CyKey.

(sorry, getting ot here)

 

[buggi]

What were those awful adverts on the Tube (20 years ago I admit...) ?

f u cn rd ths u cn gt a gd jb

i believe that pitman is easiest "proper" shorthand to learn and you can easily get up to 100 wpm or over. It's not that hard to learn. I don't think a lot of people do teeline anymore. there are still a few jobs that require it, PAs, journalists etc. most colleges do it as evening classes and the best thing to do is do the evening class and then practice what you learn for 15 mins a day while watching something like the news (obviously don't expect to actually keep up with the newsreader but just write what you can!)

the example above is "speedwriting" which is the "new" form shorthand. it's a little bit more complicated than this example when you get into it but it's easier than pitman or teeline to learn. well, i say "new" but it was a few years ago i learnt it. (about 15!) and i haven't seen any courses for it recently as i was going to do a refresher course, to be honest i don't think they do it anymore because it is not as quick as the other shorthand disciplines (you can only get up to about 80 words per minute max).

i did Pitman at evening class a couple of years ago and have to say, it wasn't that hard to learn. sad tho, coz i let it go to waste coz my heart wasn't really in it. idiot.

you could learn pitman on your own if you wanted and you had the literature.

 

[buggi]

in fact Melvil, i still have my folder somewhere. if you want i can dig it out for you, photocopy it and you can try it. i might dig it out myself and have another practice. pm me your address if you want me to. not entirely sure what i've done with my folder tho, think it's in the loft.

 

[Joe24]

What were those awful adverts on the Tube (20 years ago I admit...) ?

f u cn rd ths u cn gt a gd jb

Can i have my job please