# That court typewriter thingy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 22, 2000, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208 "2000-05-22T18:19:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jconklin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@jconklin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jconklin)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208/1 "2000-05-22T18:19:30Z")

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My question is two-part. First, what is the name of that thingy that court reporters use to type transcripts? Secondly, how does it work with only five or so keys? Anyone who could explain this strange appliance to me would be very helpful.

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**Author:** ![soulsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@soulsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulsling)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208/2 "2000-05-22T18:29:36Z")

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my understanding is that the person is a stenographer, the machine is a stenotype, and it’s a method of shorthand.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208/3 "2000-05-22T18:40:38Z")

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And you can learn stenography here.  
[http://www.courtreportingonline.com/training\_kit.html](http://www.courtreportingonline.com/training_kit.html)

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208/4 "2000-05-22T18:44:02Z")

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Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, **jconklin**. Here’s a member of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, **SDStaffVeg** , on [How does a court reporter machine work?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcourtre.html). Please remember to check the archives before asking a question.

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208/5 "2000-05-23T01:00:48Z")

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And court stenographers make GOOD money, too. If you ever get a chance to take the training, go for it, and stick with it. Then you can have your pick of jobs.

The really big money is in the transcribing.

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-court-typewriter-thingy/20208/6 "2000-05-23T01:12:28Z")

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So, how much _do_ court stenographers make?