After Reading About Captioning
Posted By: Slinky on 2008-03-11
In Reply to:
I am wondering why MTs don't use those stenograph machines like court reporters. ?
Someone on here mentioned that she/he does use one. Does that plug into the computer like a regular keyboard, and is it difficult to learn the keys and such?
I would love to hear more about it.
Thanks! ![](https://forum.mtstars.com/smileys/smirlove2.gif)
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Where are you right on this? Captioning is
done live and is done onsite as well as at home. It's right in the job description to apply, along with all requirements. I'm thinking you're just trolling. Every post of yours down this board is just to get people riled. Yes, it's very easy to tell which are yours. Hopefully moderators catch on soon and banish the troll. PS, just becuase you say you're not the same poster doesn't mean anybody buys it.
Can point in a direction but takes reading, re-reading sm
Goggle.com and enter various phrases to get articles and companies. I use a free doanload of ExpressScribe, yep, it is free. They have a number of various software things on their site to read and perhaps one will fit. The express Scribe is a piece of sotware to download, it is very simple and I like simple. You can listen and transcribe various voice file formats. You can use a wav pedal one is called a serial pedall and I think it is 9 pin and plugs in the back of PC and also another pedal I think a 15 pin wav pedal and goes in the USB port in front. However, you can also use it without a pedal and it works fine. You use a couple of key to stop, pause, rewind, I forget the key. There are a lot of pedals so don't just jump in. On this site you may benefit from emailing the company after reading and rereading, even if you don't understand. .
_______________
http://nch.com.au/
Express scribe site above Copy and paste into address bar in your browser.
Need help can email darleneh1111@earthlink.net
Broadcast captioning info
Sorry you came across a not so good captioner. Maybe their skills were not adequate enough. However, realtime captioning is done by specially trained court reporters called stenocaptioners. The stenocaptioner utilizes a steno machine to provide captions of live television programs and other forms of media for the deaf and hard of hearing viewers through realtime technology that instantly produces readable English text. Broadcast captioners work for local stations and for national networks captioning news, emergency broadcasts, sporting events and other programs. Hope this was of some help to you.
I am considering CART or closed captioning..
But I wonder that after transcribing for so many years, will my fingers be able to learn the theory needed to use the equipment. I would like to do the real-time captioning, as from what I have read, pays the best. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge or know anyone in this field?
closed captioning and court reporting
You should still consider it. If you are young enough to invest 4 to 5 years of school and entry experience, it may well be worth it. It certainly pays well,double to triple what medical transcription pays. Look into it.
I looked into the closed-captioning thing, and - sm
unfortunately (and quite OBVIOUSLY, if you ever see them in places like the gym, etc.), they are pretty much going to voice-recognition.
It's pretty funny reading all the misunderstood words VR does on TV! At least it makes the nightly news somewhat entertaining!
I had a friend go into court-reporting at the same time I went into MT. She tried to convince me to join her, but I (stupidly) picked MT because I knew I could get a job in only about 6 months while still working, whereas she was a full-time student and said that although you can learn it in a couple years, it takes a few more to really get up to speed, and start breaking into the job market.
So, let's see. That was back in 1975. She's still a court reporter, works when she wants, has good security, makes good money, put her kids through college, etc. And I don't have squat. Now I'm kicking myself for being so short-sighted and impatient back when I had a chance to get into a good middle-class line of work, instead of this __________! (Fill in the blank).
An error reading or a negative reading? (nm)
nm
Awhile back there was a job posting for a typist to do closed-captioning TV show transcrips...sm
does anyone know the name of that company? Any information would be appreciated.
More reading
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287641/site/newsweek/
"I hope we realize that the people of New Orleans weren't just abandoned during the hurricane," Sen. Barack Obama said last week on the floor of the Senate. "They were abandoned long ago—to murder and mayhem in the streets, to substandard schools, to dilapidated housing, to inadequate health care, to a pervasive sense of hopelessness."
Well, from what I'm reading, it's best to have
a real contrast between color of skin and color of hair. It sounds like your daughter was maybe dark skinned? That's difficult because the hair will be dark, too.
I have very fair skin and very dark hair and have read that is good. I've also read that if the laser isn't set high enough it's not permanent.
Unfortunately, this isn't some hormonal thing that just came along. I'm almost 40 and have been waxing, plucking and bleaching since I was a teenager. Probably spent many times over what laser would cost.
I will. I would much rather be here and reading
some very entertaining and sometimes informative posts than deal with rudeness at another site:) Good to be here!
ME Too! Reading, PA.
nm.
I can't believe what I'm reading sm
here. One suggestion, since you must have had it so good before, is to go right back to the other place you were working before you took the 3 years off. They're not in business anymore? They've been sold? The MTSO got out of the business? Welcome to 2009. Do it or get out of the field.
Even 3 years ago we were doing 2, 4, up to 8 different accounts to get the required lines we needed. Three years ago I was still required to do at least 1200 lines per day. Three years ago, an MT with a well-rounded work history could do what you are saying.
If you have been there as long as you say, you are doing something wrong to make $6 an hour. At that rate, you are typing about 75 lines per hour at 8 cpl. You need to kick it up quite a bit if you intend to stay in the field, because the service will fire you if you don't get faster.
Am I reading this right?
It seems like you are trying to say that it's OKAY for people to trash newbies:
I quote here, without quotation marks, because I refuse to give up my beloved Firefox browser in order to regain punctuation marks, but you said:
Stop attacking one another and stop trying to bully individual posters or opinions. This means trying to police others' posts for grammar, spelling. It also means to stop trying to personally address others' posting styles or personalities by calling them out.
END QUOTE...
It seems like you're taking the side of people like MT30+ here, like you're saying that it's okay for her and others to put newbies down and tell them repeatedly how they're whiners, complainers, and slackers because they expect a reasonable work environment and reasonable expectations from their employers.
Am I missing something here?
Everything in the paragraph I quoted sounds good until you get to the last sentence:
QUOTE: It also means to stop trying to personally address others' posting styles or personalities by calling them out. END QUOTE.
The only people personally addressing other people's posting styles on this forum are the ones who keep calling the newbies whiners, slackers, etc. When we who are trying to keep this an encouraging forum protest this treatment of newbies and others, we're STILL not calling names - we're trying to create a POSITIVE environment. Sometimes creating a POSITIVE environment, much like childrearing, requires that we point out what is being done wrong, but with the end goal in mind of DOING IT RIGHT.
I'm sure that didn't come out the way I intended, but please please please, take a stand for the GOOD! Thank you!
Just reading it was USB - sm
As suggested below there has to be more than one, I have 4 on the back and 2 on the front. Maybe under a panel so they are hidden? Some Dells have panels on the front that open up to reveal 2 USB ports usually. Otherwise I suggest you get an external powered USB port. I have a powered external Dynex 7 USB port as well as I have lots of USB stuff plugged in...only have 3 spare ports out of all 13 I have. Just make sure it is powered, meaning it runs off of electricity (power cord), not your computer, less of a draw on your computer then. Mine has a power cord plugged into wall outlet, and then a cord from the Dynex is plugged into one of the USB ports on the computer, and I have 4 things plugged into the Dynex. Works great. Was not about to play multiple plugs with all my stuff, printer, memory card, external hard drive, picture transfer device, not sure what else, lots of stuff though.
OOOOPS sorry for not reading sm
carefully. With all those problems with SS, I'm afraid I'd be looking at SS in my rear view mirror. :)
Possible disaster. I can't believe what I'm reading.
Lots and lots of sites on the internet with good coverage. I've been following it all evening. They are saying it if doesn't weaken significantly it could be one of the greatest natural disasters in this country in this century. 60-80 percent of the homes could be washed away, 1000s killed, 30 foot high water in the city if the levees give way and there is a 70 percent chance that could happen. This is from the Associated Press and a meteorological website - I am not making it up.
The reason you are reading so many (sm)
bad things is because some of these services are bad! I have lost a lot of income at times because of these services. They promise the world and don't deliver. There are some MTs that by chance fall into a good job with good accounts working for another service, but I wasn't one of them. I always got the worst dictators and quit working for other services. If you do not need a full-time job and can get by on a few hundred a week, maybe working for a service would be a good job. Otherwise you might be very disappointed.
I think you should start looking for your own accounts now so you don't have to work for another service. Good luck. ![](https://forum.mtstars.com/smileys/smirlove2.gif)
reading reports
Yes, some of the dictating physicians may not read their own reports, but OTHER physicians may read them. I'm speaking particularly with regard to progress notes, X-rays, cardiac reports, and especially consults. One account I worked on very recently, the doctors ALWAYS read their own reports, and referring and consulting physicians all read each other's reports before seeing the patient. See how that karma quickly comes around? I proof and read. I agree with Albert: If you don't have time to proof/read, when will you have time to do it over? Places like Spheris don't tolerate lack of attention to detail.
After reading everything posted here, it
that did not endorse or encourage offshoring but finally accepted that it was here to stay, then taught the Indians how to have their own web page, then began to charge people subscriptions to the web page.
The only difference I see since the Embracing Offshore declaration is an upgraded web site with an increase in paid ads from MTSOs who offshore (i.e., more revenue to the web site), a post here and there defending those same MTSOs in various threads by asking us to understand their pay structures, a sporadic reference to webmaster (denoting the site is being monitored more and treated more like a business) and an far greater tolerance for newbies asking questions (perhaps to help those MTSOs grow some acceptable newbies to hire or fill in the gap those companies QA staff can't provide individual attention to?)
Think about the whole overtone of the board and the posts. It has become an MTSO board. I'm sure if I were an MTSO of US MTs only and I was supplementing my income with a website, at some point I would need my website to be my main source of income as opposed to that from transcription.
Deja vu all over again from the mid 90s.
Hi, neighbor....I'm in Reading, PA.
;)
after reading THAT post, certainly...sm
certainly happy you don't work for me and happy you're happy too about it....![](https://forum.mtstars.com/smileys/shake.gif)
Changing poor non-English (ESL) dictation to reflect gramatically correct reports, using the poor dictation sample provided by the original poster, isn't changing the doctors words, nor patient care. If you want to attach your name to that, and the OP stating she/he is refusing to correct what she/he knows is supposed to be, BE_MY_GUEST!!
Your comment about how long YOU *think* I've been dealing with MDs speaks tomes.......been in and around this business probably longer than you've been alive!!
If I'm Reading the Question Right...
EditScript is incorporated into Word and your AC should work in it. If you disabled the replace as you type when you were using ShortHand, you just need to enable it again. If I have the question totally wrong, I'm sorry; I may need it spelled out for me .
I've been having SH trouble recently and I didn't even think about using EditScript as being part of the problem.
Amanda ![](https://forum.mtstars.com/smileys/smile.gif)
Exactly my first thought after reading
the above post. WOW.
Reading the last 2 posts...
really warms my heart. It really makes no sense for these MTs to get into such a tizzy about some simple questions. It is nothing personal, after all. One good thing about this is we get to work from home and do not have to meet these people in the office each day. My goodness!!! Just think about what your life would be like then, a constant unheaval. What tickles me is when others (who don't know you) tell you you have a problem. I never assume, not a good thing. The only problem I have is around the end of my work day and my little cat walks in wanting some petting and I am trying to wind up my day. Merry Christmas to all. Hope this New Year brings you much happiness, love and security like the last 6 have been for me when I married the love of my life.
Proof reading
I have never heard of that either. I go over/listen to each report I type twice. QA is only there if I get stuck or have blanks.
After reading the above post..sm
I was going to say the same thing, basically. I use macro's all the time, too, but I would also like to know what exactly the macro feature is CAPABLE of doing. I know the place I work for just designed a macro to line count and change font on a whole folder of typed files at one time. It is things like this that I would like to know...how do you *program* macros to do this??? So, I know what you are saying.
Crap. Try actually reading what she said.
I agree with her. I was not a good, fast, MT but I am a killer at research and I can find stuff it seems like nobody else can. I share it with the MT's I proof and my QA peers in the company and everybody benefits.
It's not a question of being better than, worse than or whatever. People are reading stuff into posts that isn't there, IMO.
Tinks - you are reading
was gonna post that there HAD to be a catch somehow, the post is just written like that....
I think for me and what I am reading, these are mainly experienced MTs and ....
I have been doing this for 17 years and what causes the burnout is the stress, not from the job but all the changes in the last 5-6 years, with major companies having people just to figure out how they can make more profit and the constant changes with line counts, different platforms to the company's advantage, dictation maneuvering, on and on and on. I worked for one company that gave me a secondary I fell in love with, told them I wanted it for my primary, it reminded me of the hospital dictation I was used to, it wasn't a week later that I was doing almost 95% ESLs, that was bull - then to be making less than I was 5 years ago and working more hours to make less, VR that is not trained and takes longer to change than to type and make half per line, all these things contribute to burnout - sometimes I work sporadically all through the day to get my lines in because I am so discouraged of such a skilled profession making less than minimum wage with some companies. Yes, I agree it is great to be good with ESLs but it does slow you down and if you want to work 2 more hours a day or more because you are on an accout that is mainly ESLs, then you are doing it because you are lowering your standards, again, and again and again. That is the nature of this profession anymore.
In bowling good bowlers have a handicap for less experienced bowlers but that is a game, this is not a game. I do not like being handicapped in this profession bacause companies have to handicap the more experienced transcriptionists to be able to have less experienced transcriptionists do the work. Too many experienced transcriptionists are getting out of the profession because of that stress, not the stress of transcription, that is not the stress. The cherry pickers are the team leaders having to get their lines in and doing the easier dictation, they can do that, I don't think they have favorites they give it too, most are faces they don't see or know - they give the more experienced MTs the hard dictation, take the cream for themselves, and maneuver other dictation for the more inexperienced transcriptionists, and probably for not much different pay.
Reading your post...
I'm sure it is. I could have written that same thing exactly!!
What is up with that?
This was worth reading, thanks.nm
xxx
You don't know how to stop reading this
thread?
Re-reading your post.
"Shouldn't the line counts be exact since the company issued their own program? The program works with MS Word's count, and their reasoning is that Word counts differently on different computers" So, are you using a program that uses Word or are you just using the properties as listed in the actual Word document?
"Is MS Word that inaccurate on their counts on different computers?" If you had already checked with MS they why are you asking us to tell you something different?
Bottom line, ASK THE MTSO. Verify that your settings match. The posters on this board couldn't possibly answer that question for you.
My prob is reading it how it SHOULD be and not
x
I try to convice myself what I am reading is as
x
Yup - it's why I'm reading MT Stars right now
X
After reading your post, I'd have to say
it seems that your hospital wants to take advantage of you both as an employee and as an IC. I don't think those 2 should mix. I would start with the Labor Department for your state. They should have a website to answer some of the general questions and probably can direct you to the more specifics. You may need to file a complaint with them. Good luck. ![](https://forum.mtstars.com/smileys/smile.gif)
After reading most of the posts below..sm
I would just like to say that it probably just depends on the program the office/hospital uses and the doctor's choice of how they want it done. Where I work the doctors could still dictate and I could still transcribe it and then the reports could be scanned into the EMR if that is what they had chosen to do, but it wasn't, and my position is being phased out. Lots of different ways of doing this type of thing, and unfortunately saving money is more appealing than having a finished report that looks and reads decent, so bypassing the Transcriptionist seems to be the way our area doctors are going.
Do you have a reading comprehension
problem? The problem isn't promoting MTs.
Do a lot of reading on the company and
Medquist boards on this site. That might help you decide whether to come back to MT or not. Good luck.
A little light reading
Link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics information on our dwindling profession. According to them, employment prospects are good for MTs, with many opportunities for advancement. I think they must be a little out of the loop on what VR and offshoring are doing to us....
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm
From what I've been reading lately on MT - (sm)-
forums, I think we need either a a very strong thread, or even a separate board on MT Stars, for MTs to discuss, network, share information, and generally delve deeper than ever into job alternatives that would be a good fit for ex-MTs. There are currently more ex-MTs than ever before, and my guess is that in the next few years those numbers will continue to climb. We occasionally discuss amongst ourselves what might work as an alternativeto MT, but now I think it's time to really dig in and research the subject, and start giving each other as much as we can in the way of ideas for alternative employment.
![](https://forum.mtstars.com/smileys/mt.gif)
JMHO
Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaay? You are an odd one..you are reading WAAAY
You seem to have an issue with anyone giving you ANY feedback..negative or positive.
My eye doctor even said that if you only need magnification for reading, to buy them
c
I have been reading in the archives about expanders
I have gotten the names of Smart Type, Instant Text and Shorthand for Windows... I would like opinions on these if you have one, and I would also like to know if I can use one program for both my desktop and laptop, or if I have to buy the program twice and enter all my expansions twice?
TIA and TTFN
We use anisette around here when reading doesn't cut it. Ah...nm
s
Wow! Big debate, reading the replies to this. I believe most....
This was a very interesting query with very interesting responses. I believe most who replied with their numbers. They look in the ball park to me, and the ones who posted sarcastic remarks either don't know what their IQ's are or theirs are low?
Having a high IQ definitely DOES NOT mean that you are superior or well adjusted or happy. Probably the opposite. Personally, I view myself as a (somewhat) total misfit. I say somewhat because I fool a lot of people (including my loved ones) into thinking I am totally normal, when, in fact, I have lots of hang-ups. Then again, maybe other people have similar or worse hang-ups and are not aware of them or have such a high ego they don't care! In other words, people with high IQs can be oversensitive and look for perfection while others with more normal IQs really don't care what everyone else thinks.
Some asked where we came up with our IQ score. I am in my 50s and, back then, the schools tested IQ scores. They would keep the score secret, but my teacher leaked my score out to my parents, he was so excited. It was 137 then. And, with the internet, you can now take a standard IQ test online. My score was still 137 at age 46, but was lower a couple of years ago.
My firstborn, also, has a high IQ at 139, but my two other children with more normal IQs as well as my husband have higher self-esteem. Also, I am an ABSOLUTE TOTAL IDIOT MECHANICALLY. WE ARE TALKING TOTAL NO LOGIC HERE. CAN NOT TURN ON THE TV(digital with black box), OR OPEN ANYTHING WITHOUT THINKING *LEFTY, LOOSY, RIGHTY TIGHTY.* And I only learned that recently. What a blessing.
Seriously, even Einstein couldn't remember the way to get home and forget to..like..put on his socks or bring his lunch. Help! No, I am not comparing myself or other posters to Einstein! Just stating that a high IQ does not, in any fashion, spell success or personal happiness. But, yes, it figures to me that MTs, in general, might have higher IQs and want to hide out at home typing technical reports.
GO AHEAD, BLAST AWAY!!! THANK THE LORD FOR ANONYMOUS POSTINGS !!!!!!
I'm gaining weight just reading
x
In reading your threads, it appears like they sm
belong somewhere else as you don't have a grip on what the poster is saying. So, get a grip, eh?
I love reading stories like this!
It makes me realize that I CAN do it! I'm a new MT, so I'm going to get a couple of years experience first. Then I'm going to go out and get my own accounts. Thank you. Keep posting positive things--it's so helpful!
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