Unnaturally Speaking
October 10, 2004
In an effort to break a recent block on some of my professional writing, I decided to try a new technology that I have been considering for a long time—speech recognition. I have to say, I am really pleased. I bought a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking, Standard Edition. I got it up and running in an evening, and spent the next day writing a long-overdue white paper for a client. There are only a handful of must-know commands, and the accuracy is very impressive. I have had to learn to speak more clearly; interestingly, you don’t want to speak slowly.
When I was first learning it the other night, I came up with some funny results, though. I was doing the tutorial that comes with the product, where you learn how to dictate a memo. After a solid start, I lost it, and then got flustered. By the end, I am talking to myself.
The dictated text:
I heard that you are starting a new job in San Francisco. Congratulations! When this the new jumpstart? I would love to have lunch with you before you leave. At a congratulations. When this the new jumpstart the is it still listening to make all my call I! What should read as all my call! He says Griese, he says Griese want to find and one to find nothing yelled is my handsome son. It has no idea what to do that. It is to stop somehow add oyster.
Posted by Bill Trippe at October 10, 2004 7:51 PM
