Oh, the fond memories of the days before dictation machines and emails...
Systems like the beloved Gregg, Pitman and others have been largely replaced by modern technology, but that doesn't mean this skill has gone completely obsolete.
Back in the day, pen stenography was the state-of-the-art standard for businesses and organizations across the globe. Andrew Owen from gregg.angelfishy.net writes:
Only twenty years ago, shorthand classes were seen in nearly every high school in the country. Now, the overwhelming majority of high school students today has never seen nor heard of Gregg Shorthand.Sad, but true. But not to worry!
I decided to investigate the web to see if I could find any evidence of modern-day perpetuation of the use particularly of my favorite system, Gregg.
First off, I found a couple sites about court reporting, which mainly use mechanical steographs or computers these days. However, a couple people mentioned the use of pen stenography, like this forum here.
I think that shorthand is being discussed in the court reporting world as an alternative or back-up system...at least it's something, though.
But just the other day, I was happy to stumble upon this article called Gregg Shorthand: Not a Dead Skill at hubpages.com here.
This article featured some of the recent interest to help transcribe old documents and use shorthand almost as an archaelogical tool! Kind of interesting. Be sure to check it out.
I've also come across a few sites and forums where people were looking for freelance stenographers for small reporting jobs in reporting or note-taking. Something to think about for anyone out there looking for a side project doing a hobby they love!
Another thing to think about is shorthand's practicality for personal use...in notes for students, or in composing for authors.
This was one of my goals when I first decided to learn Gregg. I think if you can learn shorthand with enough speed and accuracy in transcribing, it could be very useful for everyday purposes.
This article at buzzle.com talks about the key to speed with Gregg and mentions some ideas relating to this system of writing.
All in all, though, I like to think of shorthand appreciated in spirit, especially by the lovely community of people who were behind its popularity at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Even if it's not the first choice anymore for everyday needs, it's still a cool skill to take on. You never know when you might need to use it!
Your question of the day:
What do you use shorthand for? / What do you make of its future?Be sure to post your answer in the comments (link below)!
Also, be on the lookout for more posts coming soon, as well as a program I'm hoping to get going soon on How to Learn Shorthand in 21 Days.
Brian
