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Turn Your Computer into a Dictating Machine

gregy1415 ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

I'm a member of a local writing club and we have monthly guest speakers. One of which was from a local publishing company, Hallard Press.

John is a great resource for stuff like what fonts work best for print and online. We also share hacks or shortcuts in formating books.

They have a newsletter, and this article caught my eye because my hands are not working as well as they used to. I figured some of you might be facing something similar, so here's the link.

https://hallardpress.com/no-more-typing-this-hack-turns-your-computer-into-a-dictating-machine/

Try it out and let me know what you think.

G Younger

irvmull ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@gregy1415

Many thanks for this tip! I was able to use it to put all my plans for today on paper, without a single typo.

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

@gregy1415

That's for Windows.

If you're using a Mac, select 'Start Dictation' from the 'Edit' menu.

Pixy ๐Ÿšซ

@gregy1415

Alas, only available to use one day a year.

Replies:   irvmull
irvmull ๐Ÿšซ

@Pixy

Not a problem.
My list of things I plan to do today can be re-used indefinitely. After the heading, it's blank.

Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ

@gregy1415

If a guy cores out a large potato and uses it as a masturbation aide, that's a dick tater.

Attach it to a reciprocating saw in place of the blade and you have a dick tater machine.

KimLittle ๐Ÿšซ

@gregy1415

This is amazingly better than it was 5 years ago. I had a bad baaaaaaad bout of carpal tunnel (aggravated by being assaulted by a crackhead 15yo at work) and my IT head suggested using the windows dictation but it was woeful.

Fast forward to 2021 and now, and it's improved to the point where I 'dictate' assessment feedback to students as I read through their work, then do a quick reread for clarity.

I can't use it to write fiction though - I tend to write and tidy as I go, so It doesn't suit my flow. But I can see how it would help improve productivity if you had the need.

irvmull ๐Ÿšซ

@gregy1415

I can't believe this quit working so soon.
Now all I get when I talk is some gal named Alexa who tells me the time and temperature. Refuses to take dictation.

Replies:   Dinsdale
Dinsdale ๐Ÿšซ

@irvmull

Don't worry, Alexa is passing your words on to Amazon. They'll be published shortly, no idea under what name.

Replies:   Dominions Son
Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ

@Dinsdale

"Alexa, buy five hundred pounds of zucchini"

StarFleet Carl ๐Ÿšซ

@gregy1415

because my hands are not working as well as they used to.

Or just get Dragon software. When I had arm surgery, I used it. It works.

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

@StarFleet Carl

Dragon software isn't helping me. If it worked for you, how did you get the punctuation to work

Replies:   Dominions Son
Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

Try saying the punctuation comma, period, exclamation point.

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

@Dominions Son

I did.
The only one that worked was period.

Replies:   Dominions Son
Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

I did.
The only one that worked was period.

I've used Dragon. It might be a bit of work, but it can be trained to respond that way to all the punctuation marks.

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

@Dominions Son

I got part of it worked out. I have to verbalize it like this "Question mark, or quotation mark." The key was adding the "mark."
That's almost as slow as working the type pad, but it gets me moving. Thanks.

Replies:   Dominions Son
Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

I have to verbalize it like this "Question mark, or quotation mark."

IIRC (it's been a while since I used it last) that for quotes it will also work with "open quote" and "close quote"

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

@Dominions Son

IIRC (it's been a while since I used it last) that for quotes it will also work with "open quote" and "close quote"

That works as well. Thanks.

G Younger ๐Ÿšซ

@gregy1415

An alternative for Windows is the Windows button plus the H key. You can go to the settings and it will auto punctuate.

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