Friday, June 18, 2010

INTERNET: It Pays to Look Through Your Program Folder

I have been put on limited hours computing-wise by the guys in the white coats. Three hours on, three hours off. Hopefully, that gives the shoulder a chance to recover, even while I'm still trying to bounce a much-needed software update out for my biggest client.

But I was cleaning up some detritus from my installed applications list and happened on something I'd forgotten about. I still had Dragon Naturally Speaking installed on the system. And that means I can TALK my way through some text input. Wouldn't dream of doing it with the programming environment where a missing period is bad, bad, bad news (from experience).

No, I can use the program to throw a bunch of text up here in the box Blogger uses for posting. So, the next post represents that attempt. I'd forgotten most of what I had to do to use the dictation software. You have to say things like, "End Sentence. New Paragraph." And it seems better, somehow to intone it like you are a Bank President dictating to your secretary. But, eventually you get the hang of it. I was able to enter about 90 per cent of what I wanted. There was a not-inconsiderable amount of post facto editing. But in all, a whole lot less effort went into it than is normal for a blog of that length. Well, measured by physical effort.

I did a lot of talking. But anybody who knows me knows that's par for the course.

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