Dragon Professional

Professional

petersonralph — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:29:29 GMT

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It was a rainy Tuesday morning. I was about forty minutes into a two and a half hour drive to a meeting when I received a text message reminding me quarterly reports were due by 9:00am. It was 8:10am. I had a meeting at 10:30am. To get this done I needed to pull over at the next exit or hopefully a rest area (with a bathroom due to my incessant need for coffee and its consequences) turn on my laptop, type the report, email it to the Divisional VP for approval, haggle over interpretation, and finally submit it in under thirty minutes.

Fifteen minutes later with no sign of an exit or a rest area I pulled over as far as I could in the break down lane, turned on my computer and began typing. Then, without warning, blue lights. Apparently typing reports in the break down lane is frowned upon. “For emergencies only”, I was told.

I was going to protest. This was an emergency. Instead I drove off, laptop in the passenger seat, staring at me expectantly. It knew I needed to get this report done and it waited.

The next exit was five miles down the road with a “Food, Gas, and Lodging” sign pointing to the right but neither was visible from the exit so I just pulled over in the grass and, needing to get rid of the coffee, jumped out of the car and ran into the woods. When I came out the cop was there again.

“There is a gas station about a half mile on the left”, he said. “They had facilities.” I half smiled, nodded and then waved him off. The rain was harder now.

I got back into my car to a ringing phone. It was my wife. Can’t talk I said, and then I quickly explained my predicament. I promised to call when I got back on the road.

I quickly reviewed last quarters report, typed the new report, emailed it and called the DVP. He had an issue, it seemed, with everything and by the time I finished the report and sent it off it was 9:15am. I was still about an hour and forty-five minutes away from the facility and my meeting was in about an hour and fifteen. Speed, I thought, don’t cancel.

I was doing eighty-five when the second set of blue lights caught my attention. Before I even pulled over I began dialing the facility to let them know I was going to be late.

I got home around 7:00pm that night, exhausted. I had nearly missed a deadline, postponed a meeting with a very important client, got pulled over three times and received $144.00 speeding ticket and two points on my license.

My wife greeted me at the door with a green box and a kiss. “I bought this for you. It types as you talk so next time you don’t have to get pulled over”, she said. It was Dragons Naturally Speaking.

Dragon Medical 9.0 in Pathology

euam — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:14:54 GMT

Dear Dragon,

I am currently a Resident in Pathology, and my program brought Dragon Medical edition 9.0 on board during the past year. Even after several months, I am still simply amazed at the accuracy with which Dragon Medical 9.0 can recognize and use the complex vocabulary of the specialty of Pathology.

In the time I've used it, Dragon Medical has also greatly increased the efficiency of my workflow. In a specialty where verbal precision is key, Dragon Medical 9.0 adds speed and accuracy to dictated text. Unlike using a conventional dictation service, even complex medical reports can be quickly and precisely entered in their correct format each and every time.

Additionally the resulting dictation product is available for immediate review, without the delay inherent in using a transcription service. Dragon also removes the possibility of transcription error from the equation, saving the considerable extra time previously needed for exhaustive proofreading of “rough draft” reports and checking for spelling errors.

Freed from the laborious tasks of intensive multiple proofreadings I am free to spend much more time doing additional scholarly reading and research, activities which were not possible without Dragon Medical 9.0.

Simply put, thank you Dragon!

Dr. Evan Williamson.

Bethesda, M.D

Best Practices for Project Communications

petenathan — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:43:09 GMT

As a professional project and program manager, I spend a significant amount of time managing communications -- at least 50% of my time and as much as 80 % of my time. This starts with leading meetings, facilitating group discussions and reporting on progress and status to a wide variety of stakeholders. (Stakeholders are defined as any one or any group having an interest in the outcome or results of the project. So, stakeholders can come from any department in the organization -- from IT, finance, accounting, marketing sales or operations -- and at all levels of the organization from a clerk hired last week to the CEO.)

Managing all of these communications involves a tremendous amount of time in creating and preparing documents for a very broad audience. Anything that can help me to reduce the time and effort in creating project documents, meeting minutes, status reports, operational reports, etc. is a productivity tool that should be included in every project managers’ Best Practices for Communications.

To reduce the time in creating docks and reports, I've been using the DDNS since version 3. Over the years I spent a lot of time in training -- words, creating custom technical vocabularies and macros. I wrote a great deal of my book, Project Management Certification for Dummies using DDNS. Writing this book involved using a wide variety of style sheets, technical language, working with formal project management methodologies and standards and communicating this to a general audience in easy-to-understand terms.

I use a Sony digital micro recorder when I'm on the go in planes, subway trains, commuting in cars or even pushing in my toddler in his stroller. I use the data recorder to help dictate memos and e-mails. But the biggest payback that I've seen is with recording full meeting minutes. This also includes global telephone conferences with the device that hooks between the telephone and my laptop. Immediately after the meeting is over, I convert the meeting minutes to an MP3 format. This MP3 format is popular for producing podcasts for playback on a computer, PDA, smartphone or music player. Then, using Dragon Dictate Naturally Speaking, I create a summary document for distribution to all stakeholders. So now there is a complete record of the meeting in case anyone wants to refer to the details. Also there is a DDNS-created summary transcript document highlighting such things as: decisions, issues, risks, changes, assignments and action items.

This combination of tools and techniques enables me to spend less time creating project specific documents and in those documents involved in the general overhead administration involved in all business work. Dragon Dictate Naturally Speaking enables me to dive deeper into the project issues. So I can be more hands-on and driving the project to a successful conclusion, and it vastly improves Project Communications among all stakeholders.

Becoming the Dragon at Clarian Arnett Health

Traci Robison — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:06:17 GMT

Convincing a large group of multi-specialty physicians to adopt an electronic medical record was no easy task. To further complicate the issue, we asked them to adopt two different systems. Dragon has been an integral part of the successful implementation.

Clarian Arnett Health, based out of Lafayette, Indiana is an integrated health care system designed to treat patients across the continuum of care.

Established in 1922, Clarian Arnett brought many firsts to the Lafayette community. And in recent years, they also realized that the health care landscape had changed dramatically. With nothing left to cut, they needed to learn to work smarter. They knew that an electronic medical record would improve their ability to provide effective, safe and timely care, but maintaining patient volume and access was a concern.

Mastering changes in workflows and processes associated with working with multiple EMRs was a challenging task, especially when physicians really just wanted to take care of patients. The goal was to customize the training and the EMR tool to minimize providers’ fears, help them become fans and eventually embrace it as a better way of practicing medicine. There was a generational gap in the providers that required a bridging technology to ensure success. Enter Dragon.

In the words of Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Master, “We should not be just a fan of dragons; we should always be the dragon himself. Then we will not be afraid of any dragon.” This quote characterizes Clarian Arnett’s adoption of EMR technology.

Right now 70 of our providers are using Dragon technology to "be the dragon." The product's flexibility of functionality has allowed us to easily tailor it to meet the specific needs of the individual. Some use Dragon’s medical version to document patient care while others have found that using Dragon with Epic documentation tools works best for their needs. The product has helped less computer savvy physicians streamline chart documentation because they can dictate directly into the EMR instead of charting on their own or using costly transcription. In addition, their ability to see progress notes immediately supports their desire for better and safer patient care.

For many of our physicians who were afraid of the dragon, Dragon was the solution. Clarian Arnett Hospital was recently ranked in the top 1% of all hospitals in the nation for our level of EMR implementation. Dragon is an invaluable tool that furthers Clarian Arnett’s desire to provide the most advanced and highest quality care to patients.

Dragon Creates 'Law and Order'

David A Nahmod — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:00:04 GMT

In 2003, after years of struggle trying to break into the entertainment industry as a screenwriter, I was invited to pitch original story ideas to the head writer of Law and Order, an extremely talented and generous man named Michael S Chernuchin. I traveled to Universal Studios in Hollywood, sat across from Michael in his plush office on the studio lot, and proceeded to sell the first story we discussed, an episode that aired in prime time the following year, entitled "Vendetta".

What Michael could not have known was that five years before, when I was 27, I had been struck by severely crippling nerve damage in my arms that threatened both my career and my personal sanity. The pain left me unable to write, hold a book, or drive; at its worst, it even required my wife to hold a fork for me so I could eat. For months I spiraled deeper and deeper into depression; even now, I can easily recall the devastating physical and emotional toll I suffered as I had to deal with the horrifying fact that my arms, for all intents and purposes, were gone, and my dream of becoming a writer was almost certainly gone with them.

In the midst of my depression, I came across the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program. If memory serves, the first version I bought was 3.0, and I have proceeded to buy pretty much all subsequent versions Dragon has produced since that time.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking has proven to be the only reason I have been able to continue to pursue my career. Because of Dragon I have written romantic comedies, horror films, television pilots, cop shows. I have assumed dialects, fallen in love, been murdered and killed, changed the world. My wife still rushes into my office sometimes with alarm when she hears me shout "He's got a gun!" or "Because I love you!", unaware that I have simply gotten caught up in my work, and am excitedly dictating character's dialogue to my computer. And the only reason I am even able to get emotionally caught up in my work, the only reason I can get that excited, is because Dragon works as well as it does, freeing me up creatively to write exactly how I want to.

Perhaps one day you will come across my episode of Law and Order in reruns, with my name credited as the writer. But technically speaking that "Written By" credit wouldn't be correct. It should say "Spoken By", because that is exactly how that script, and every one I have done since then, has been created. Should that moment come, please know that Dragon NaturallySpeaking is responsible for far more than simply giving a writer a chance to earn a living. It has allowed me to pursue my dream, and for that I will always be profoundly grateful.

Can I speak Dragon? Yes I can!

amarkham — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:18:00 GMT

I have spoken Dragon for almost 4 years, but it's only been in the last year that I've started speaking Command Browser. Thanks to my growing fluency in Command Browser, I have become much more efficient and accurate in many routine tasks.

For example, I have created commands for many of the URLs that I use frequently in written communications and in my personal and professional use of the web. Now I just say "Insert homepage” in the text of messages to clients instead of having to enter an entire URL. Similarly, I have an extensive library of e-mail addresses that require only a simple "Insert [name]" to bring up the person's e-mail address. No more returned messages due to incorrectly typed e-mail addresses!

Being able to speak Command Browser is also handy with acronyms, names of people with hard-to-spell last names, and e-mail signatures. I now have multiple e-mail signatures stored in the Command Browser, all of which save me time and ensure accuracy.

If I want to end a message by thanking someone with whom I communicate regularly, all I have to say is "Insert thanks" to trigger:

Thanks!

Amy

This is much quicker than saying "thanks exclamation point [pause] new line [pause] Amy”

For a more formal signature, I say "Insert signature with title":

Sincerely,

Amy Xxxx

Director of Xxxxx

Learning to speak/use Command Browser has really enhanced my use of Dragon and has been empowering. As someone with very limited typing ability due to repetitive strain injury, anything empowering with regard to computer use is something to celebrate! I'm excited to learn even more ways to maximize my fluency in speaking Dragon!

Professional- Grant Writing

tripsy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:20:38 GMT

I am the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization, The Caring Place.

The Caring Place provides services and safe shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. When I took the position 10 years ago typing was more than a major ordeal. My organization is dependent on state and federal grants.My practical daughter bought me my first Dragon NaturallySpeaking ,version 8 ,about nine years ago for Christmas. I have since progressed to version 9.

Not only have I been more successful and productive with grant writing but also I am able to breeze through press releases, donor letters and keep up with numerous e-mail correspondences.. What I like most About Dragon NaturallySpeaking is that it allows me greater freedom and ease to combines technical writing and from the heart narratives which communicate my passion for victims. My staff understands that when my headphones are on that The Dragon Lady is not to be disturbed

NaturallySpeaking Science

Brad — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:16:24 GMT

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"Immunohistochemistry of spinal cord parenchyma with acute central hemorrhagic necrosis showed infiltration of neutrophils and erythrocytes” or “histological specimens were fixed with 6% paraformaldehyde, 0.5% glutaraldehyde in a phosphate buffer.” These are the kinds of phrases that I regularly use in grants and scientific publications as a research scientist. To my surprise, all those words were already included in the vocabulary of Dragon’s NaturallySpeaking Professional. Microsoft Word doesn't even have most of these words in their spellchecking dictionary! Although adding new words into Dragon is a snap, it’s nice to be so well accommodated.

In fact, accommodation is what Dragon does best. They have put a lot of thought in fulfilling the needs of their myriad users, even quadriplegic, assistant research professors. My days of typing large manuscripts with a pointer are over! Although, as a neurobiologist I study spinal cord injury, most of my time isn't in the lab using a microscope or mixing chemical solutions. An inordinate amount of my time is spent e-mailing colleagues, publishing our research findings, and writing grants to fund future experiments. What I didn’t spend a lot of time on, was setting up or learning how to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional. I was able to start dictating right after installing the software. Now I can spend less time typing and more time on writing – and with a hands-free array microphone, I have total freedom too. Thank you Dragon!

Lucky to use Dragon

Tom Koenig — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:00:15 GMT

I have been using Dragon NaturallySpeaking since 2002. As an attorney, it has been an invaluable tool for writing briefs, arguments and various correspondence. Recently I have been assigned to a task requiring hours of tedious data and text entry into a program that generates a legal document for filing. I have made extensive use of DNS to more efficiently complete this task, often without the use of the keyboard at all.

I have been going on an annual ski trip for the last 15 years, as a break from the pressures of my job. This last March, however, I was unlucky enough to have had my first skiing accident, which resulted in my left arm being broken near the wrist. This of course made typing a problem, but when I returned from my ski trip I was able to step right back into my assignment without much difficulty by doing most of the data entry using Dragon and my mouse. No matter how fast I may have been able to type before, I would not have been able to match my pre-injury speed and efficiency if it had not been for Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

I’ve been a fan of the product for years, but this certainly solidified my admiration. I am all healed now, but I have a new appreciation for DNS and its ability to aid disabled computer users in everyday tasks, from web-browsing to plain writing.

I use my dragon for everything!

princezuda — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:41:34 GMT

I love Dragon Naturally Speaking. I started developing symptoms of carpal tunnel because I was always on my keyboard typing away. I now use Dragon NaturallySpeaking basically for everything. I wish there was a way to give your dragon a treat when it understands long and complex words . I have used Dragon NaturallySpeaking in chat rooms , instant messengers,I even use it to write my book! I even use it to do some programming.

I hope someday everyone will use this great program.

Virtual electronic medical record

Michael Duben — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:41:56 GMT

I am a physician in private practice and have been using Dragon NaturallySpeaking software to dictate all of my notes for several years now. Being able to dictate my notes rather than handwrite them allowed me to become much more efficient in my practice. It takes me much less time to generate a patient encounter note, thus letting me spend more time with each patient to address their needs. Furthermore, it allows me to create very complete notes, and it actually increased reimbursements from health insurance because of that. My notes are obviously 100% legible (as opposed to my typical doctor handwriting) and other doctors love getting my consultations. When I was audited by one health-insurance company, they issued a thank-you letter based on the quality of my notes. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is my virtual EMR and the government will have to force me to give it up in favor of any electronic medical record software. Dragon cost me less than $1000 whereas any EMR worth their salt would be at least 20-50 times as much, not to mention monthly fees to maintain it. Thanks, but no thanks! I will keep my Dragon NaturallySpeaking software!

Michael Duben, M.D.

Bridgeport, CT

Dragon as College Accommodation for the Deaf

Karen Kane — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:45:16 GMT

A college disability service provider is responsible to provide accommodations to college students in their classes. In a remote area on an outer island it is difficult to access high technology. Dragon was used to accommodate Deaf students who had not yet learned sign language. Using a laptop and a sound muffled mask, along with Nuance Dragon software, the students were able to have all oral communications repeated by a person who we call `Dragon Master`, sitting next to them, therefore creating a text for the students to have a transcription of the lecture and conversations of the class. We have used this process with Nuance Dragon software in all types of classes for 2 years. These students have been able to maintain a 3+ GPA, and are able to continue their education while learning sign language.

Dragon and snowboarding

cclayton — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:17:19 GMT

A dragon and snowboarding are an unlikely pairing. But one fall too many on a snowboard left me with a ruptured disk and numbness in my left hand. So I turned to Dragon Naturally Speaking. And although the numbness passed in time, the Dragon stayed with me. Attorneys, like all professionals today, must work efficiently. Dragon not only saves time on word processing, it can be used in literally every program that requires typing. Which, let’s face it, is every single program.

My Success with Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Glennfc — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:44:22 GMT

In 1985, at the age of sixteen, I was struck by an automobile while riding my bicycle, leaving me paralyzed from the neck down -- a quadriplegic. Not being able to use my arms, I graduated high school using a computer by pushing keys on a keyboard with a mouth stick. Then, just in time for college, I was introduced to the world of voice recognition. It was called DragonDictate. Remarkably, this new software allowed me to speak to my computer and see the words appear on the screen. I thought that DragonDictate was irreplaceable. Well, I was wrong.

Towards the end of my college career, voice recognition took a greater leap. Dragon NaturallySpeaking became a cornerstone of my life. Armed with this tool I chose to go to law school. There were naysayers who would say that a quadriplegic would not be able to successfully complete law school. I proved them all wrong and Dragon NaturallySpeaking helped me. During my four years of law school, Dragon NaturallySpeaking enabled me to write legal briefs, write my thesis and take dozens of law school exams. Without it, I might have still succeeded but I would have dread law school.

As I begin my legal career, Dragon NaturallySpeaking followed me everywhere. It found itself loaded on a computer in a Congressman's office, on a laptop where I was writing decisions for judges in the New York State Supreme Court and in a law office which allowed me to prepare motions and other documents for court.

Friends and coworkers were amazed at the speed and accuracy in which I could complete a project. They would laugh when I would say an unusual word such as "Saskatchewan" and they would see it appear before their eyes. I always enjoy impressing them with all of the neat gadget commands.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking has meant much more to me than a just a tool, It has given me a pair of hands and a level of independence that only someone with a severe disability such as mine can appreciate. Without it, writing the story for you would not have been as easy!

The Fifteen Million Keystroke Trilogy

sonofjesse — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:02:32 GMT

In 2000, I’d a dream I thought I couldn’t fulfill. In 1961, I was told by an English Department that I’d a talent for writing fiction -- and should switch majors – from engineering. But, I was a sophomore near the top of my class, and told them, "Thanks, but no thanks.” Later, I took a Masters from Yale in industrial management, and began a career in engineering, shipbuilding, banking, insurance. Retiring at 60, I decided to write a novel -- inspired by Col. Sanders and Patrick O'Brian – whose careers took off after 60.

At that time, I began using DNS 4.0 to dictate entries into my personal journal – which I’d been typing since 1987. By that time, I was suffering with crippled fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders – couldn’t make a fist -- the consequence of a lifetime of typing. Six months later, I recorded that the pain was gone.

I decided to set the novel in the Levant in Chalcolithic times (6,000 years Before Present). Archaeology’s in my blood -- my eldest son and his wife are both archaeologists focused on the Middle East. I started full-time research (8 hours per day, 6 days per week), and began writing in July 2003. The first draft of a trilogy of novels was completed in 2006. I then embarked on self-education, reading on the art of writing fiction – and applying it to what I was revising. I completed two revisions by the fall of 2007. By then, I knew what I needed to do to finish the trilogy: a complete rewrite from multiple points-of-view – and a segue into a series of follow-on novels.

But, I had a show-stopping problem. The 2nd revision contained 115 chapters, 1,053 pages, 19,786 paragraphs, 47,912 lines, 583,274 words, and 3,297,488 characters with spaces. Counting the first draft and two revisions, this meant I’d typed 10 million keystrokes over four years – 2.5 million per year. Since I hadn’t used DNS on the novel, I’d crippled myself again – was in worse shape than in 2000. I realized I couldn’t do the 3rd revision, unless I changed the way I worked. So I committed to DNS 9 – redefining my job as an author to include improving its efficiency, by faithfully training it.

Today, I’ve completed the 3rd revision of 111 chapters -- with nine more to revise, and only one more to write. And it sounds like the captivating tale I’d dreamed about. I say “sounds like,” because there’s a benefit I hadn’t anticipated -- the text-to-speech engine in DNS 10. I now have a secretary named “L&H RealSpeak (Jennifer) American English (v1.20) Female #1.” I think my wife’s jealous, for she hears Jennifer reading back my work – over-and-over -- until I’m happy with the way it sounds. This’s a paradigm shift for writing fiction.

I’ll have completed the trilogy by Fall. And, by the way, during this same period, I’ve dictated at least as many pages in my journal using DNS – but only once! And pain free!

Relearning to Write

asintmah — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:11:33 GMT

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This problem is presented to challenge you. If Vehicle A, with a mass equaling 2200 lbs, enters an intersection going east at a speed of 35 mph, and Vehicle B, with mass equaling 3000 lbs traveling 25 mph turns directly into the path of Vehicle A, how much writing will the driver of Vehicle A be able to accomplish after the collision?

On November 6, 2003, I went out to the store for some unnecessary snacks. On my way back, just two blocks from home, bright headlights confronted me at the intersection of Montrose and Richmond, in Houston Texas. A mechanical snarling of brakes announced an impending collision. I remember flying up out of the seat and ending up draped over the steering wheel like a beach towel. All I could see were my hands. Once capable of typing 120 words per minute, they now resembled those of a fetus.

My new life calendar dates from the moment of that accident, which left me a quadriplegic. My immediate concerns had little to do with my profession as a playwright. Instead, achieving some sense of normalcy and independence occupied my days and nights. Four months into my therapy, my occupational therapist entered my hospital room and announced she was going to teach me to write, again. She carried a felt pen adapted to allow me to clumsily grasp it. Using a Big Chief tablet, I formed barely legible letters of the alphabet.

By April, 2007, I moved out of the hospital and into a handicap accessible apartment. My ambitions centered on gaining as much movement as possible through yoga, swimming, and weightlifting. The only writing I managed to do, at this time, consisted of brief journal entries and postcards.

In the fall of 2007, a call for submission of short plays caught my attention. I mentioned to a friend how much I would like to try and write another play for this contest. He purchased Dragon Naturally Speaking Standard 7 and presented this to me. Within a few hours I began writing fluidly again, completing my 11^th play in my career and the first since my accident.

My play, Nearing Velocity, was chosen, along with four others. All received a staged reading at the Alley Theatre in March 2008, in celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Nearing Velocity is now in rehearsal and will premier at the second annual Frenetic Fringe Festival in Houston August 7^th 2009.

Coming back into my own body is taking a long time. I look forward to the day when I stand up and walk on my own. In the meantime, the therapy continues and I continue writing, as before. My gratitude list on this healing journey is lengthy and includes doctors, therapists, family members, community and friends. The list would not be complete without mentioning Dragon Speak 7, for without this, I would not have returned so easily to my profession as a playwright.

My dragon story is

Liebermanja — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:55:47 GMT

In 2003, during my third year of medical school, I fell 3 stories while trying to help a neighbor. I suffered a cervical spinal cord injury making me a quadriplegic. When I was in rehab, one of the doctors I worked with in medical school bought me Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I began to use it during rehabilitation, but I realized its full potential when I went back to school. I was able to anything on the computer that I used to be able to do without the use of my hands.
I used Dragon NaturallySpeaking throughout school and my residency for both professional and personal use. I have done countless PowerPoint presentations using the software and have been able to stay in touch with so many friends through e-mail. I am currently finishing a Fellowship spinal cord injury medicine. I have used Dragon NaturallySpeaking throughout this year to do almost all of my documentation. I recommend it to all of my patients.

Storyteller's Salvation!

Mark Lewis — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:57:51 GMT

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As a Professional Storyteller, I am at the mercy of my muse.

My world is overflowing with a myriad of ideas - scribbled on scraps, nestled on napkins and jotted on just about anything.

Your Dragon Naturally Speaking was a gift from my long-suffering spouse and gave birth to the following recitation ...

When my desk, piled with notes, is a-saggin',

From my typing-skills, woefully laggin'.

Your "computer-recorder",

Brings my CHAOS to order.

Viola! I now speak with "The Dragon"!

Thank you from the top and bottom of my creative and not-so-organized heart!

-Mark Lewis

PS - I've always wanted to talk with Dragons!

How I aced my qualifying exams with Dragon Preferred

Gary — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:30:44 GMT

I am an older graduate student who left computer programming to get my doctorate in philosophy. I credit my having Dragon Naturally Speaking for allowing me to pass my qualification exams with what my school, the University of Texas at Dallas, calls “High Pass,” which is the highest rank available and rarely given. The reason I credit Dragon Preferred Naturally Speaking with making this possible is the short time frame I was allowed to gather my material. Instead of waiting until the next semester, as most doctoral candidates do, I chose to apply for my qualification exams as soon as I completed my course work. That gave me a mere two weeks to prepare for my written qualification exams.

Here are the rules. The candidate supplies two possible questions in each of three areas of his or her competence. The areas are historical, a specialty, and a topic of choice. This means that I had to prepare to write a ten to twenty page paper on each of six topics. The examiners would choose from these only three questions, but the candidate has to be ready in all six. These answers cannot be written in advance because the final form of the question is decided by the committee. The candidate will receive the questions one at a time and have 24 hours to answer it. The candidate rests for 24 hours and then receives the next question. All three must be finished in the same week.

Here is how Dragon Preferred Naturally Speaking came in. I had two weeks to prepare enough background information to write 10 to 20 pages on six topics. The way I managed to accomplish this task in the short time available was to prepare as many relevant quotations and analyses as possible on each of the six topics. I saved these in six separate subdirectories.

It is far less tiring, and certainly much faster, to dictate with Dragon Preferred Naturally Speaking than it is to type, so I was able to prepare my material more efficiently than I could have manually. The amazing thing to me is that I can dictate text directly from Heidegger, or Thomas Mann, or Dostoevsky, or Nietzsche into Dragon Preferred with a high degree of accuracy.

Because of the solid preparation that Dragon Preferred Naturally Speaking allowed me to accumulate, I was able to handle each question in the time allowed as well as get a good night’s sleep after each. I was almost as fresh on the last question as on the first one. Thanks to Dragon Preferred Naturally Speaking I had more than sufficient material already entered to choose from in my final essay. All I had to do was organize it, fill in the transitions, and finesse the introductions and conclusions.

I could not have done this at the highest level without help saving the text without Dragon Preferred Naturally Speaking.

How Dragon NaturallySpeaking allows me to reach the world

Jim McClarty — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:13:57 GMT

This may be a Professional story. It may be Educational. And it's definitely Personal. So I'll let you decide into which category it fits.

I'm a pastor. That's my profession. But, it also means I teach. And being a pastor means that I interact with folk in a very personal way. As a church, we make considerable use of the Internet. Our website reaches people from all corners of the globe and we encourage them to let us know they're listening, reading, and learning. For a relatively small church tucked away in a suburb of Nashville, we get a remarkable amount of web traffic -- chiefly because our site is "content rich." On a good month we receive half-a-million hits. But the constant requirement to create new content, new articles, new Q&A subjects, and even new books requires a tremendous amount of tapping away at the keyboard.

On top of that, I am dedicated to replying to every e-mail I receive. However, as our outreach has grown, so has the e-mail. And it became genuinely overwhelming. I couldn't really hire an assistant or secretary to handle the correspondence since so much of it is both personal and theological. And most of the questions I receive cannot be answered in one or two sentences. I was really beginning to feel the strain of so much typing.

One of our members suggested that I try Dragon NaturallySpeaking. At the time I was woefully behind in my e-mail correspondence and other writing obligations. But once I learned the basic commands and navigation, not only did I get caught up but I am using it in the writing of my latest book. I really appreciate the way the software "learns" new words. Most dictionaries include only scant theological jargon. So, teaching Dragon NaturallySpeaking words like "infralapsarianism" or the difference between an Armenian and an Arminian has been both fun and challenging. But the resulting ease of simply saying complex words and phrases has been well worth it.

But here's the real success story:

Everyday I hear from people who are struggling to make sense of their lives. They have questions. Sometimes they are in physical and/or emotional pain. People pour out their hearts and they trust me with their intimate secrets. But mostly, they want answers. In the modern mega-church environment it's nearly impossible to receive personal attention or answers to questions. So, they write to us. And I treat their communication as a sort of "sacred trust." I simply could not do that and respond to every person individually if I was still strapped to a keyboard. Dragon NaturallySpeaking has allowed me to continue preaching to the world while giving personal attention to everyone who writes.

And for that, I am truly grateful.

Jim McClarty

Pastor: Grace Christian Assembly