# Shorthand:  Is it still a thing?  Anybody here know it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorthand-is-it-still-a-thing-anybody-here-know-it/812834>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 21, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorthand-is-it-still-a-thing-anybody-here-know-it/812834 "2018-04-21T00:37:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorthand-is-it-still-a-thing-anybody-here-know-it/812834/21 "2018-04-22T23:55:39Z")

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There are [online shorthand courses](https://www.pitman-training.com/our-courses/office-secretarial/shorthand-courses/) and [Youtube classes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWpOh5tdX0s).

StG

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorthand-is-it-still-a-thing-anybody-here-know-it/812834/22 "2018-04-23T00:09:45Z")

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I’ve always thought it would be interesting to have some sort of belt-like thing that could fold down and you could type on. It would have to be flexible, but able to be made flat enough for typing, and to have some tactile feedback. That way typing could be done in the field.

That said, apparently some people can swipe really fast? I find it much slower than even just using two thumbs on a keyboard. I’m hoping the move to create tactile feedback takes off, which would allow me to learn to do it without looking.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorthand-is-it-still-a-thing-anybody-here-know-it/812834/23 "2018-04-23T03:18:36Z")

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In the 1990s, I was working with a state hospital system that was installing a system where people could call in remotely to dictate things, and the pool of secretaries would type them out and send to them. This replaced the previous system of having people take shorthand, and then type it up. Used mostly by doctors & other health care workers. Some of them were working in operating rooms (or morgues) with both hands busy – not possible to operate a Dictaphone or type on a keyboard.

Everybody seemed to like it better, including the stenographers. Apparently taking shorthand in a surgical gown & mask while wearing rubber gloves is not easy or pleasant. But up until that time, they were still hiring people who could do shorthand.

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**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorthand-is-it-still-a-thing-anybody-here-know-it/812834/24 "2018-04-23T13:07:36Z")

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After learning shorthand 40+ years ago at school and hardly using it since then, I have recently started re-learning it after finding out that my father annotated many of the old Super8 film spools in shorthand only ☹

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