Methods For Shorthand Notetaking?

sabrewulf asks: "I've searched the 'net for 20 hours straight today and found not a single site to learn some symbolic shorthand writing. I would prefer to learn Pitman's shorthand or Gregg but unfortunately all sites point to Amazon and those books are either out of print or on back order. Anyone have any URLs/Suggestions to where one could learn shorthand over the net, especially for a student headed off to college this fall? Phonetic shorthand (lk ths!) is not(!) an option."

Comments

What you really want is speedwriting.

[human bean]

Speedwriting is a combination of shorthand techniques with less of the symbolics used by Gregg or other true shorthand systems.

Two advantages: easier to learn, and comprehensible by others (well, partially).

A google search pulled up a bunch of online training links. I'm just waiting for someone to make a speedwriting recogniser for my Visor.

Is it just me?

[cmowire]

I'd say check out used book stores.

Slightly related, Is it just me or is shorthand falling out of fashion? Nobody writes it anymore. A good typist can type faster than a good shorthand writer. Voice recording is cheap.

I, personally, find that the best solution is to cary a laptop around with me for notetaking. I haven't had any real cases where I couldn't type fast enough to keep up.

Step away...

[CrayDrygu]

Step away from your computer for a while, and go to your local library. If they don't have any books on shorthand (and I'd be damn surprised if they don't, even my library has some, and it's tiny), then they can probably get one from another local library (or you could drive one town over). And hey, bonus, it's free!

--

Palm Pilot + GoType Keyboard

[scotpurl]

I use a palm pilot (one of the old Pilots, before there were 1000's and 5000's) combined with a GoType keyboard. Small, fits in my bag, runs off AAA size batteries. Sync it up to my computer, and I've got searchable notes.

'Course I can type pretty fast, so that helps. If you're a keyboard poke-er, then this might be slower.

Re:Palm Pilot + GoType Keyboard

[mckwant]

RAVE ON! Easily the best investment I've made recently. I've got a Targus keyboard hooked up to a handSpring Visor, which does the job tremendously. Two or three gotchas exist:

1) The memo pad only goes up to 4K characters. That's probably OK for most 1.5 hr classes, but it's WAY too small for longer ones. There are a number of different "notepad replacement/word processors for Palm" out there that will let you ramble on to your heart's content.

2) If you're carpal tunneled, these will aggravate that. The keyboard is not split (at least on the Targus), and the keys are at the desk level. I got a cheap, foam wrist rest, cut it down to size, and it works fine.

3) I don't know what you're studying, but if you've got lots of things in equations or diagrams, forget it. Use a notebook. Text only need apply here.

Other than that, it's beautiful.

They're under copyright.

[MemRaven]

Gregg shorthand is under copyright, and that's why you can't find it online. The Gregg copyright holders (I think he's dead, but his family ain't) gets money for every Gregg book and notepad (I'm not kidding on that....if you see something with "Gregg Rule" on it, they get money). They have no incentive to put it online for free right now.

Why?

[coyote-san]

Why do you need to learn shorthand?

If you want to use it for class notes, a verbatim record of what the professor (or more likely, grad student) says is pretty much worthless. You'll retain *far* more information is you make the effort to paraphrase the information and jot that down -- even if you record only one tenth the information and drop your notes in the trash can on the way out the door.

The reason is simple: paraphrasing what you are hearing engages the verbal part of your brain... and verbal memory. Writing that down engages the motor skills, visual and possibly spatial parts of your brain... and visual and spatial memory.

In contrast, if you simply act like a human tape recorder you aren't really engaging the verbal part of your brain - you're doing word recognition, but this is very shallow understanding that won't give you insight into how disconnected parts of the lecture relate to one another. Worse, if you use an unfamiliar writing technique (shorthand - a few months of practice vs. a decade of printing/cursive?) you're physical senses will be focused on producing good shorthand, not what you're actually writing.

Overall, I think using shorthand to take class notes is about the *worst* possible thing you can do. Even listening passively is probably better, since you aren't distracted by trying to get the exact wording or paying attention to your transcription pad.

In those cases where you *must* record the information accurately, the professor will either hand out pages or give you plenty of time to copy it down. But that's fairly rare, especially in your underclassman years.

My perspective: BS math, BS physics (both fields which require painstaking care with mathematical notation) and MS comp sci.

Evelyn Wood, actually...

[dmorin]

The speedreading books sometimes contain information on speed notetaking. No, it's not Gregg shorthand, but it's a way to get down the important thoughts on paper, which is usually more useful than a verbatim account (especially when studying said notes later).

Teeline

[mykdavies]

Have a search for books on Teeline - it's a simple shorthand system used mainly in the UK. This link shows a very quick run-through from the basic letter shapes to forming words and phrases.

Dutton Speedwords

[Pseudonymus Bosch]

This probably won't answer the question, but I find it interesting enough.

Dutton Speedwords is a shorthand system that is also an international language. It was developed in the 30's by Reginald Dutton.

Here is the first sentence of his translation of the Gettysburg address:
Garronum & sep an pas wi perz yzes fovi o c terle u nov dem, ygeni i libs, & diwe a l wee k al on e fony eg.

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