Real time crude comparison between steno and typing (as seen at 0:14): czcams.com/video/wGTjr6liJx8/video.html Join the Plover Discord server: discord.gg/NAzMz7C3wq Pull down the description if you're interested in learning!
Pretty much what I said to myself. And exactly what happened next. Let's give the ecosteno a shot (once it's available again) and finally pick up a hobby, again.
This guide is glorious! The chord diagrams look amazing. Early on I started out adding direct code keywords or snippets. But after a while of that I've change my approach. Similar to your LaTeX approach of just adding the number key, I use number and star for programming terms like IF, WHILE, TEST, etc... Then I process these into the language I am currently writing with neovim snippets. I write in many programming languages so I have to implement a snippet for each one. As for using shortcuts I am all for that as well. I use Emily symbols and love it. I learn the shortcuts in every program that has them and use those first. Often times pressing just alt can help menu bar navigation. One last thing I can't live without is a tiling window manager. Workspacer for Windows, awesomewm for Linux. These remove the need for a mouse for managing applications locations and jumping between them. Thanks for the video!
just found your channel and im loving ur vids! i was interested in steno for creative writing (since sometimes my brain goes faster than i can type). thanks again :)
I LOVE LOVE THIS CONTENT - SINCE 2019 i have been looking for a steno machine yet cant find them in NZ. Glad i've found your channel, as im more inspired to continue my learning journey
I'm a court reporter, and the cost of our machines has ALWAYS incensed all of us. While these keyboards can't exactly replace my $6K machine, I did get one (the Polyglot) so I can edit faster. I love it. While it takes work to learn, trust me it's so much easier than typing. And one thing we do is try to write everything in just one stroke. So "approximately" is just P-L. "do you know whether or not" is just two keystrokes. If you should pursue this, a site that a lot of court reporters use is Briefpedia. You can type in a multisyllabic word or a phrase and it will give you a one-stroke brief for it. Like Wikipedia, if you have a good stroke for something, you can add it. It's a great thing to learn on so many levels. And if you really get into it, I don't think NZ uses stenographers, but Australia certainly does, and they're some of the best in the world. If you get a keyboard and have any questions about writing (that's what we call using our keyboard) just ask away. I love my profession, and I'm glad that people are interested in at least the art side of it. It is VERY cool.
I just ordered a keyboard a couple of days ago :) I've been learning German written stenography (short hand) for the past month and have been making some progress :) maybe I'll try to develop a keyed steno system for my favorite language: Esperanto :D
I‘m thinking about learning steno for a few months now. But exactly what you said, being bilingual and switching between English and German might be stressful or just twice the learning curve, wouldn’t it?
There is a German steno system for Plover that is somewhat well developed, so you're good in that regard. The layout is also very similar (if not completely identical), so it's a fair bit easier to learn the second system. Also, the second system you learn is usually a bit easier than the first just due to being familiar with how steno works, chording, etc. As a point of reference, I learned my Vietnamese system over the course of a month and got to 80 WPM with it. That being said, Vietnamese steno is a lot more simplistic than German, so your mileage may vary.
Have you ever used a lever action steno machine? Professional stenographers on reddit, when asked why they don't use hobbyist keyboards, say that trying one is enough to understand why hobbyist keyboards suck.
How much more physical effort do you need to apply with your fingers while typing using steno? I am thinking about picking up steno but I am worried about my finger joins - I have some issues. I can type using a mechanical keyboard with mx reds just fine, but having heavier switches might be detrimental, hence my initial question.
Steno machines and most DIY steno keyboards have relatively light switch weights because you need to apply pressure to multiple keys at the same time, hence the reason for light switches. Not to mention that with DIY steno keyboards you can mod them and use even lighter switch springs to fit your needs.
The mechanical keyboard I'm using at the start has Gateron clears (~35 gram bottom out force) and the steno keyboards I use have switches with 20 to 25 gram bottom out force. Steno feels a lot less physically demanding; I haven't really felt a difference in my fingers, but my wrists definitely become more tired when typing with the mechanical keyboard.
What the other two haven't emphasized is that although steno keyboards use switches that are much lighter than standard keyboards, you're pressing multiple switches at once (up to 13 keys on one hand in extreme scenarios). Despite this, personally I've only ever heard people say that steno is less exhausting and more ergonomic. But that's only once they get past the steep learning curve 😱
They're still available to watch in one the playlists I think. If not I'll update it. I just didn't like them and would like to redo them at some point.
Hi. Two questions: Can you use keyboard shortcuts well? (E.g., F11 to fullscreen, adjust volume, copy and pasting) How is it for gaming, where you need to press WASD, Shift to run, etc.? Would the Polyglot be best for this purpose? Thank you.
You can define chords to write any unicode character or keyboard key. The shortcuts system I use (4:06) covers F11 copying and pasting, etc. For gaming, you wouldn't want to use steno because it doesn't handle holding down keys very well. However, the Polyglot has a separate qwerty layer, which means it can act as both a regular keyboard and a steno keyboard (you just switch between the two with a key press). Unless you need access to a full keyboard, that can wok pretty well; I've used my Multisteno for playing Minecraft and Kerbal Space Program, for instance.
I don't have use my SOFT/HRUF anymore, but I'd guess maybe 20 to 25 grams? About the same as the spring swapped Ecosteno/Multisteno. I don't really have any tips for swapping the springs on the Ecosteno; it's been a while and I don't know if trying to write text based instructions will be helpful. You'd probably be best searching for tutorials online.
How does the keyboard itself actually work, like does it just send normal keycodes to the computer which the software then translates? If so, learning steno would give me an excuse to design a custom board that can be wireless
The computer program (Plover) can take regular key codes as input, but all hobbyist boards use serial protocols instead. The benefit of using a separate protocol is that you can have a regular keyboard and a steno board plugged in and Plover only captures the input from the steno board. The serial protocols are pretty clunky, though, and don't support wireless. Instead, you can look at plover-hid, it's a lot better for this purpose: github.com/dnaq/plover-machine-hid Also, there's an embedded steno engine called Javelin which allows plug and play steno (no Plover required). You just need a board with an RP2040 (or any suitable chip with enough memory) for it to work. Getting that to work is probably more involved; I wouldn't know myself.
I'm using the plover retro quotes plugin (or retro surround, I can't remember). It hasn't actually been working recently because of weird technical reasons that I haven't had time to investigate, though.
There are quite a few that ship internationally, I'm not entirely sure about India specifically: nollelectronics.com/collections/all stenokeyboards.com/products/polyglot-keyboard stenography.store/
I’ve build a Corne Split keyboard, which is astonishingly capable of n rollover and therefore steno. You might need to solder a bit, but then you have a cheaper keyboard which can double as a qwerty keyboard.
The Polyglot is an upgraded version of the Uni, and I think you can get it in India. You can try adding it to your cart and selecting the country at shipping (that should show your options).
i bought it ...its mostly like not for coders and fast typers . you will come to know the Real worth of your keyboard , please dont but ... if you Buy this then you will defenitely regret it then you will remenber this COMMENT
Depends on the person 😅 It certainly takes a lot of time and effort to learn and it's not for everyone (I even say that in this video and my other beginner's guide), but I don't regret learning steno one bit!
I don't regret my 3 hobbyist steno boards (or the 4th one on the way from a Kickstarter), nor my 2 antique Stenograph writers. I'm having much more fun with all of them than I've had with qwerty these past ~35 years. Lots of us in the Plover Discord love it. Everyone's different.
Real time crude comparison between steno and typing (as seen at 0:14): czcams.com/video/wGTjr6liJx8/video.html
Join the Plover Discord server: discord.gg/NAzMz7C3wq
Pull down the description if you're interested in learning!
I dont need it, I dont need it, I dont need it... *presses order*
Pretty much what I said to myself. And exactly what happened next. Let's give the ecosteno a shot (once it's available again) and finally pick up a hobby, again.
This guide is glorious!
The chord diagrams look amazing.
Early on I started out adding direct code keywords or snippets. But after a while of that I've change my approach. Similar to your LaTeX approach of just adding the number key, I use number and star for programming terms like IF, WHILE, TEST, etc...
Then I process these into the language I am currently writing with neovim snippets.
I write in many programming languages so I have to implement a snippet for each one.
As for using shortcuts I am all for that as well. I use Emily symbols and love it. I learn the shortcuts in every program that has them and use those first.
Often times pressing just alt can help menu bar navigation.
One last thing I can't live without is a tiling window manager. Workspacer for Windows, awesomewm for Linux. These remove the need for a mouse for managing applications locations and jumping between them.
Thanks for the video!
This is nothing short of insane!
That's some infectious passion you have for steno. I like it!
just found your channel and im loving ur vids! i was interested in steno for creative writing (since sometimes my brain goes faster than i can type). thanks again :)
I think my brain developed around 12 new pathways watching this video
I LOVE LOVE THIS CONTENT - SINCE 2019 i have been looking for a steno machine yet cant find them in NZ. Glad i've found your channel, as im more inspired to continue my learning journey
I'm a court reporter, and the cost of our machines has ALWAYS incensed all of us. While these keyboards can't exactly replace my $6K machine, I did get one (the Polyglot) so I can edit faster. I love it. While it takes work to learn, trust me it's so much easier than typing. And one thing we do is try to write everything in just one stroke. So "approximately" is just P-L. "do you know whether or not" is just two keystrokes. If you should pursue this, a site that a lot of court reporters use is Briefpedia. You can type in a multisyllabic word or a phrase and it will give you a one-stroke brief for it. Like Wikipedia, if you have a good stroke for something, you can add it.
It's a great thing to learn on so many levels. And if you really get into it, I don't think NZ uses stenographers, but Australia certainly does, and they're some of the best in the world. If you get a keyboard and have any questions about writing (that's what we call using our keyboard) just ask away. I love my profession, and I'm glad that people are interested in at least the art side of it. It is VERY cool.
the annoying thing about steno bring niche is how spread and hard is it to find guides for beginners.
really nice idea! you really make me want to start steno! Thanks.. i love you transcent just typing on a paper roll
I just ordered a keyboard a couple of days ago :) I've been learning German written stenography (short hand) for the past month and have been making some progress :) maybe I'll try to develop a keyed steno system for my favorite language: Esperanto :D
Great vid, thanks for sharing 👍
I‘m thinking about learning steno for a few months now. But exactly what you said, being bilingual and switching between English and German might be stressful or just twice the learning curve, wouldn’t it?
There is a German steno system for Plover that is somewhat well developed, so you're good in that regard. The layout is also very similar (if not completely identical), so it's a fair bit easier to learn the second system. Also, the second system you learn is usually a bit easier than the first just due to being familiar with how steno works, chording, etc.
As a point of reference, I learned my Vietnamese system over the course of a month and got to 80 WPM with it. That being said, Vietnamese steno is a lot more simplistic than German, so your mileage may vary.
0:16 was literally googling that as this came up lol
I have one of these it's so cool
Have you ever used a lever action steno machine? Professional stenographers on reddit, when asked why they don't use hobbyist keyboards, say that trying one is enough to understand why hobbyist keyboards suck.
I've never; they're too expensive, and I don't know any professionals stenographers in real life. I'd love to at some point.
How much more physical effort do you need to apply with your fingers while typing using steno? I am thinking about picking up steno but I am worried about my finger joins - I have some issues. I can type using a mechanical keyboard with mx reds just fine, but having heavier switches might be detrimental, hence my initial question.
Steno machines and most DIY steno keyboards have relatively light switch weights because you need to apply pressure to multiple keys at the same time, hence the reason for light switches. Not to mention that with DIY steno keyboards you can mod them and use even lighter switch springs to fit your needs.
The mechanical keyboard I'm using at the start has Gateron clears (~35 gram bottom out force) and the steno keyboards I use have switches with 20 to 25 gram bottom out force. Steno feels a lot less physically demanding; I haven't really felt a difference in my fingers, but my wrists definitely become more tired when typing with the mechanical keyboard.
What the other two haven't emphasized is that although steno keyboards use switches that are much lighter than standard keyboards, you're pressing multiple switches at once (up to 13 keys on one hand in extreme scenarios).
Despite this, personally I've only ever heard people say that steno is less exhausting and more ergonomic. But that's only once they get past the steep learning curve 😱
stoin
stoin
Why unlist so many videos? I loved watching them.
They're still available to watch in one the playlists I think. If not I'll update it. I just didn't like them and would like to redo them at some point.
Hi. Two questions:
Can you use keyboard shortcuts well? (E.g., F11 to fullscreen, adjust volume, copy and pasting)
How is it for gaming, where you need to press WASD, Shift to run, etc.? Would the Polyglot be best for this purpose?
Thank you.
You can define chords to write any unicode character or keyboard key. The shortcuts system I use (4:06) covers F11 copying and pasting, etc.
For gaming, you wouldn't want to use steno because it doesn't handle holding down keys very well. However, the Polyglot has a separate qwerty layer, which means it can act as both a regular keyboard and a steno keyboard (you just switch between the two with a key press). Unless you need access to a full keyboard, that can wok pretty well; I've used my Multisteno for playing Minecraft and Kerbal Space Program, for instance.
@@AerickSteno Thanks! Do you recommend the Polyglot or Multisteno, then?
@@henryhill0219 I'd recommend the Polyglot. It's easier to remap keys, and it also has embedded steno as a capability.
1. bottom out force of 15g soft/hruf?
2. how to spring swap ecosteno?
I don't have use my SOFT/HRUF anymore, but I'd guess maybe 20 to 25 grams? About the same as the spring swapped Ecosteno/Multisteno. I don't really have any tips for swapping the springs on the Ecosteno; it's been a while and I don't know if trying to write text based instructions will be helpful. You'd probably be best searching for tutorials online.
Where can we find one of these stenograph keyboards? I can only find the full machines.
There's a list here: plover.wiki/index.php/Supported_hardware
How does the keyboard itself actually work, like does it just send normal keycodes to the computer which the software then translates?
If so, learning steno would give me an excuse to design a custom board that can be wireless
The computer program (Plover) can take regular key codes as input, but all hobbyist boards use serial protocols instead. The benefit of using a separate protocol is that you can have a regular keyboard and a steno board plugged in and Plover only captures the input from the steno board. The serial protocols are pretty clunky, though, and don't support wireless. Instead, you can look at plover-hid, it's a lot better for this purpose: github.com/dnaq/plover-machine-hid
Also, there's an embedded steno engine called Javelin which allows plug and play steno (no Plover required). You just need a board with an RP2040 (or any suitable chip with enough memory) for it to work. Getting that to work is probably more involved; I wouldn't know myself.
could you please explain more on finguring
Like how to place your fingers or the chords themselves?
@@AerickSteno yes.
How did you get your KWO*ETS stroke to work?
I'm using the plover retro quotes plugin (or retro surround, I can't remember). It hasn't actually been working recently because of weird technical reasons that I haven't had time to investigate, though.
I am from India. Can I get steno keyboard (Uni Keyboard ). It appears to not available.
There are quite a few that ship internationally, I'm not entirely sure about India specifically:
nollelectronics.com/collections/all
stenokeyboards.com/products/polyglot-keyboard
stenography.store/
The Uni specifically is out of stock. The polyglot is in stock, and is a similar keyboard but more expensive.
@@Megan-ds8cc which is better Polly glot or uni and can I get it in India
I’ve build a Corne Split keyboard, which is astonishingly capable of n rollover and therefore steno. You might need to solder a bit, but then you have a cheaper keyboard which can double as a qwerty keyboard.
The Polyglot is an upgraded version of the Uni, and I think you can get it in India. You can try adding it to your cart and selecting the country at shipping (that should show your options).
Review charachorder one!
I'm not spending $300 on a device that I think will be harder to learn lol.
Yep, definitely not worth the time investment for me. This is the cold hard truth. I'm not even tempted. I said I'm NOT TEMPTED.
🤣
dude fuck this music lol I thought someone was messaging me on messenger
Very sorry about that, would you have preferred if I used this music instead? czcams.com/video/DLzxrzFCyOs/video.html
i bought it ...its mostly like not for coders and fast typers . you will come to know the Real worth of your keyboard , please dont but ... if you Buy this then you will defenitely regret it then you will remenber this COMMENT
Depends on the person 😅
It certainly takes a lot of time and effort to learn and it's not for everyone (I even say that in this video and my other beginner's guide), but I don't regret learning steno one bit!
I don't regret my 3 hobbyist steno boards (or the 4th one on the way from a Kickstarter), nor my 2 antique Stenograph writers. I'm having much more fun with all of them than I've had with qwerty these past ~35 years. Lots of us in the Plover Discord love it. Everyone's different.