Hobbyist's Guide to Stenography | How to Learn Steno

[@stenoknight]

Aerick, you are wonderful.

[@StenoKeyboards]

This can be a very fine addition or replacement to the open steno project website

[@craiger2k215]

Aerick is the cheap version of air rack

[@AbombinationYT]

@@StenoKeyboardsI need help with learning the words, can you help?

[@tolrex4246]

After watching for a minute, I started wondering if I can code with a stenokeyboard 10 seconds later you coded with a stenokeyboard. Thanks!! 😂

[@Combinehuntsmanunit]

I want to learn how to use one ever since I first tried years ago on my grandfather’s one, it was so intuitive because it felt like every word was being spoken and not typed when I entered it in. I can’t wait to start learning

[@carstenschmitt1563]

Aaaaand now I am a proud owner of an Ecosteno - and I am feeling like the first human to ever use a keyboard. Again. Time to learn the layout in _painful_ drills... Thanks, Aerick! Your videos made me take the first steps on this trip. I'm so happy! 😁

[@rc8s]

Great video. Tip for the captions on this video: I recommend using dashes instead of parentheses for parenthetical information, like at 0:20. This is because it can be hard to tell as a reader whether the text in parentheses is actually spoken or not (some misguided KZbinrs add postproduction corrections with parentheses in captions), and it's often used for sound effects as well. So it would be "Machine stenography-or steno for short-is a method of chorded text input ..." Again: Very good and helpful video. I just wanted to put this out here since I'm a supporter of captioned content.

[@Goober_tony]

im just getting into steno recently and i've been binging your videos and waiting for my keyboard parts to start learning lapwing. love your stuff!!!

[@myshrinkingviolet2]

I got interested in Steno when I first learned about traditional written shorthand. I am so glad resources like this are coming out. I have wanted to learn because I want to be able to transcribe things as a hobby but found myself struggling to get faster than 108 wpm with a regular keyboard (still awesome for an wpm, but still limiting as well.) I am so excited to start my journey into the world of steno!! Thanks for making this video!

[@davidbcg286]

Great stuff! Love your work. I learnt to touch type for the first time with Colemak DHm 3 years ago and it's lovely. Steno may be the next station... thanks to your inspiration!

[@kitsune.stitch]

Didn't realise that I would feel so called out by the implied Colemak to steno pipeline because I'm in the exact same situation after using Colemak for 2.5 years 😅

[@hstrinzel]

Thank you for explaining how long it takes. As an older citizen I think I will stick with my Dragon Naturally Speaking, 250 WPM or so.

[@dereklomax161]

Absolutely amazing! Thank you for all of your continued steno guides! I have greatly benefitted from your work. I'm going on my 3rd year of using steno, still as a hobby. However, I am using steno for every computer interaction including work as an engineer. So technically I am a professional hobbiest.

[@rubanov]

Great video! Going to read your manual

[@rainyfront]

thank you for making this video for 2024, i've been meaning to dip my toes in steno

[@glintcoretheprotogen]

ive been struggling with orthography and phonetics for such a long ttime and ive been searching everywhere fir help. but i always stop whenever aerick posts.

[@glintcoretheprotogen]

fyi, i own the uni v4 and i do not have discord.

[@glintcoretheprotogen]

and plover theory

[@glintcoretheprotogen]

should i switch to lapwing?

[@AerickSteno]

I don't think that will necessarily help in your case. Lapwing and Plover are both very similar; it'd be helpful to know what you're struggling with.

[@glintcoretheprotogen]

@@AerickSteno im mostly struggling with new words and trying to chrod unknown ones

[@Vic-Meow]

What's it like to switch back to a QWERTY keyboard? Does it cramp your brain? Do you fall right back into the flow? Does it thwart your spelling? I've always been good at spelling, but when I learned shorthand in high school (in the 80s), I found that my spelling suffered at the time, because shorthand uses phonetic symbols.

[@AerickSteno]

For me, the two are separate enough skills that I can switch between the two instantly. It's not like learning an alternative keyboard layout like Dvorak or Colemak where you can be confused for a moment. My spelling has remained the same too. However, your mileage may vary, and I know of one person who has had the complete opposite happen to them. One important factor is that they've been using QWERTY for decades; meanwhile I picked up steno when I was 15. That being said, most people I've talked to can learn steno without hindering any of their other skills.

[@Vic-Meow]

@@AerickSteno thank you so much for your quick reply. You are a hard worker and impressive intellect!

[@subrahmanianpallath9176]

First one should be able to follow the words speak at a speed of 200-250 speed let alone typing it through a keyboard

[@Misutoslope]

What is that monitor you're using? Great videos man

[@AerickSteno]

I'm using a touchscreen laptop (ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 3).

[@Misutoslope]

@@AerickSteno awesome, thank you aerick

[@lefend]

Could you point me to a video on modifying a hobbyist keyboard with new keycaps? I have a Uni and can't seem to figure out where to get keycaps similar to yours and how to install them.

[@AerickSteno]

They're called F10 keycaps; I mention them in my Uni v3 review (kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYCUZqV7n7WnhKM). I don't think the link in the description works anymore, though. For installation, you just gently pry the keycaps off and push the new ones on.

[@nd7am]

I want to use it at work but installing software is not allowed, is there any steno keyboard that doesn't require plover installed to type? thanks

[@AerickSteno]

Yeah, there are a few that support Javelin. There's some information on the wiki but it's still in progress: plover.wiki/index.php/Choosing_a_hobbyist_steno_writer#Javelin_support

[@GospodinJean]

How ro buy a budget stenography keyboard?

[@AerickSteno]

plover.wiki/index.php/Supported_hardware Go for whichever is in your budget and is currently in stock.

[@Punditty]

So don't just replace my qwerty keyboard at work and force myself to learn?

[@AerickSteno]

I would not recommend doing that.

[@zoofl8947]

bros graduating

[@aqwek]

How hard is it to switch from Plover to Lapwing? I've been stuck on affixes for a few months, and I can't understand how to learn them for Plover theory. I didn't like Lapwing when I first tried it, but I might reconsider soon.

[@aqwek]

I just read through the differences, and I'm not sure about switching, as I don't like these things about Lapwing: A single "correct" way to write words notion. I sometimes use different multistrokes for some words (when I know the affixes) and I'm happy with the many different ways to split up words in Plover. KWH for y. I'm too used to KWR. *PL for -mp. I use FRP exclusively for -mp, I hate using *PL. KWR as the suffix chord. I would rather use KWH, with my y problem. That syllabic splitting sounds super restricting for me. Yet, I still want to do Lapwing, and I will if I can solve these problems.

[@michaelavinyard5365]

Is stenography easier on things like arthritic?

[@AerickSteno]

I'm not sure. There are no studies on the topic. This is not the same, but for people suffering from RSI and carpal tunnel, some have reported steno is better than a regular keyboard, some have reported it's worse.

[@NelielSugiura]

Due to the starting signs of carpal tunnel a decade ago, I made a custom keyboard layout that has been working for me and eliminated symptoms (no more pain or cramping). Though it took a few months, I did catch up to my old qwerty speed. I still barely top 50wpm, however, so steno has become an interest as something that might help with my writing. However, I would want to know if there is a way to lessen pinkie use, as that is what caused my problems in the first place. For reference, currently, pinkie is only needed for words with z, j, q, or k in them, which are all extremely rare. If I needed to focus on just the first three fingers and thumbs of each hand, is this an inaccessible typing method? Would I need to do a lot of alterations to the word lists to make that possible, or otherwise rearrange the keys to make everything more comfortable for me? I know you mention here, and in a previous vid, about how long it has taken you to customise yours, so that seems like something that might inhibit someone doing this. Also, if we want to use spellings of words from other countries, like the UK/Ireland, is that a simple find replace in a word list, or just a different one?

[@AerickSteno]

I'm not aware of any systems without pinkie keys-it's certainly possible, but will be a long process to create. You will have to figure out how to cram more chords with fewer steno keys, or just use some of the extra keys on most hobbyist boards so that there are minimal changes you will have to make to your steno dictionaries. Without pinkies, you're missing out on six keys in Lapwing theory (five in conventional steno theories) so you'll need to find ways to work around this. I have an idea on a feasible system; it might be a bit hard to explain but in essence it goes like this: on hobbyist steno boards with a number bar (Multisteno and Polyglot, for example) one of the pinkie keys can be moved back to the number bar, and the asterisk cluster in between the two halves have four available keys that can be remapped to: asterisk, left S, right T and right S. My thinking is that you can write these keys separately instead of trying to write them in the same stroke if it's hard to press. The two other missing keys can be chorded as well. If you feel like discussing this in more detail, I'd love to have a chat on the Plover Discord server: discord.gg/NAzMz7C3wq people with more experience in custom steno layouts can chime in as well and provide their thoughts and ideas. As for UK spellings, there are dictionaries for Lapwing and Plover theory that replace or supplement the American spellings with British ones. They don't do much about the changes in pronunciation, though (since both theories are based off of North American English).

[@dinushadushmantha1032]

Thank you for the nice video Aerick. When I type Hello World. It becomes [Hell low world] what could be the reason for that.

[@AerickSteno]

The strokes I show in the video are only valid for Plover theory. Have you switched theories before trying those strokes?

[@lellel8419]

Where did you get the flat key caps you use for the Uni v4?

[@AerickSteno]

spkeyboards.com/products/sp-f10-flat-keys

[@lellel8419]

@@AerickSteno Thank You!

[@C0mmEntre]

when i try to type "hello", it keeps giving me "help" as output 💀💀 oh nevermind i was just pressing a wrong key 🙏

[@93420]

I'm French and I'd like to know if Steno can be used in any language.

[@AerickSteno]

Here is a list of languages that Plover supports: plover.wiki/index.php/Steno_Layouts_and_Supported_Languages Theoretically, steno can be used for any language, but because our community is very small, only a few languages have been tackled. From a practicality standpoint, you'd have to learn a new steno theory for each language. It takes quite a bit of time to learn a steno theory, so I would not recommend it if you have to constantly switch between more than 3 languages.

[@93420]

@@AerickSteno thank you for the reply 🙏🏾

[@marcelozamalloa488]

is posible to learn steno for spanish?

[@AerickSteno]

A Spanish system for Plover does exist, but I don't know of anyone who uses it. The plugin itself hasn't been working for some time now, but it's technically an easy fix to get it working. There aren't really any good learning resources other than the README either: github.com/roskoff/plover_spanish_system_eo_variant

[@roberthead2408]

hey Aerick, I have downloaded the steno app for my iPad. Unfortunately, it4 doesn’t use lapwing/plover but other dictionaries I have never heard of. Does this mean that the lapwing books is useless to me?

[@AerickSteno]

They would be useless in that case, yeah. I wouldn't really consider that app to be of great use anyway because all the output is contained entirely within itself; you can't use it with other practice apps (like Typey Type) or use it for computer usage. If you'd like to use steno with your iPad, I'd recommend getting a board that supports Javelin (Uni v4, Starboard, Polyglot). Javelin is an embedded steno engine which means all the translation occurs in the board itself, and you don't need any program on the host machine.

[@gfixler]

Excellent resource, Aerick! Thanks for another great video I can share with interested parties.

[@tokisuno]

10th grade... covid... im 2 years older than you??? wild

[@kurushimee]

I want to learn steno because I have a Piantor which can perfectly emulate a proper steno keyboard. It's low profile with keycaps that are impossibly close together, and I'm using choc v1 pink switches which are the lightest variant, so even without a steno keyboard it should be easy to press multiple keys with one finger. And also I'm a sucker for ergonomics (partly because of how much my spine and neck hurt) and efficiency

[@tumultoustortellini]

I already learned and use colemak, ironically enough also in 10th grade. Maybe it's time for new horizons, looks like fun.

[@mohmeegaik6686]

Aerick you are the expert.

[@buntistmeinelieblingsfarbe972]

Love your videos! My native language is german, and I couldn‘t find any resources on steno in german. Do you happen to know where to find these? 🤔

[@AerickSteno]

This page lists all of the languages that Plover supports, plus some more that are under development: plover.wiki/index.php/Steno_layouts_and_supported_languages For German, you currently have three choices each with their pros and cons. - German Palantype has a good sized dictionary. You'll be able to write most German text without having to make your own additions to the dictionary. However, you need a board with enough keys, and most of the hobbyist steno boards you can purchase are just not suitable. I believe you'd need to get something like an Ergodox. - Regenpfeifer has a very complete dictionary as it's completely autogenerated. You'll be able to write pretty much any German text out of the box. It uses the same layout shape as English and therefore is compatible with all hobbyist steno boards. That said, from my (limited) understanding, it's not a proven system. You may not be able to achieve fast speeds due to awkward chordings and insufficient attention given to abbreviating the language. - Syllatype is an orthographic system, meaning chords are assigned to spellings instead of sounds. The benefit of this is you'll be able to write any German text without having to edit your dictionary. Syllatype also uses the same layout shape as English steno, and is compatible with all hobbyist steno boards you can purchase. However, this German system is also, unfortunately, not proven. I don't know of anyone who has achieved high speeds with it.

[@DerRobert28]

Why is your QWERTY-row upside down?

[@AerickSteno]

Makes it easier to chord between the top and bottom rows.

[@AgencyPro-mc7we]

Thanks for the advice. I can't find the plover app in the Microsoft store app to download on my laptop. and it is also on defender mode so it is difficult to unlock this. do you have any advice or do you know if we can purchase plover software from some place? Thank you.

[@bryophyta9500]

I learned how to unicycle back in COVID, not steno yet!

[@EdouardTavinor]

i got a nolltronics about a week ago and am doing about an hour a day :) at the moment i'm progressing steadily. i've yet to learn some fairly simple stuff (how to enter a newline for example), but i'm sure i'll find it soon :)

[@Stenonaut]

Common Aerick W

[@darieeel458]

I was thinking and an interesting idea occurred to me about virtual keyboards on online pages. Will it be possible to play a virtual keyboard with a stenographer? If so, would it be better to do it with a QWERTY keyboard? For me it turns out to be an important issue, since I play the piano and due to different circumstances such as outings or vacations I cannot take the piano with me, so when I don't have it I try to play something with a virtual keyboard.

[@freedomfunnies770]

On qwerty each note correlates to a key on the keyboard if you played piano on a steno keyboard you wouldn’t be able to play all of the notes the whole point is each note corresponds to each key so you could play a note individually or in a chord

[@motionmix2523]

Why don't people use this instead of a normal keyboard? Are there any limitations other than the learning curve?

[@AerickSteno]

Mostly learning curve and the effort you need to put into finding a system/dictionaries that are compatible with your workflow. In some cases it's just easier to use a regular keyboard. Also, Plover is relatively new (less than 20 years old) and QWERTY keyboards have been around much longer than that. Steno has been around for a long time too, but no one thought of using stenography for general computer usage, not to mention that hardware was prohibitively expensive.

[@purplecadence7390]

bro is def a closet mc. i would NOT mess with him.

[@usernmae77]

This is the video i have been looking for thank you!

[@triple_lei]

What's your opinion on the use of flash cards for steno? Specifically Anki. Waste of time or what?

[@AerickSteno]

I don't use it myself but I know people who do quite effectively. This wiki page has a short overview on it: plover.wiki/index.php/Using_Anki_for_Learning_Stenography

[@freshfalcon3996]

Best vid on the topic. Thank you.

[@knittingfrenzy18]

Thanks for this vid!

[@thenumnums]

No mention of crorling? Controller is a great device to start learning stenography on!

[@AerickSteno]

no

[@health_doc]

... a little daunting.. 😂😂

[@wathah323]

Why not use a computer with AI?

[@AerickSteno]

Why not use a computer with AI to play piano? This video is for hobbyists who want to learn steno for fun. Besides, speech recognition (if that's what you're thinking about) is not as useful for some applications.

[@ryanjustinrazon1104]

I have 2 questions please. First, how do I open the plugins on Plover app again? I used it once when I downloaded the plugin for the layout display. And then after that, I couldn't see the plugin button anymore under the tools tab. It disappeared, even when I tried reinstalling plover, it is still missing. 2nd, I noticed here in your video that you are typing on the Uni keyboard that is connected to your phone? How do you do that, can we use our phone with steno keyboard? Hope you reply to this, thanks in advance.

[@AerickSteno]

Unfortunately the plugins manager stops working if you install the layout display plugin (I'll try and see if it can be removed from the list). I'd suggest going into Plover, pressing file → open config folder, and then delete everything in it. Then, uninstall Plover and try installing it again. Make sure you back up anything that's important, of course. I'm using Javelin on my Uni: lim.au/#/software/javelin-steno It's an embedded steno engine meaning it doesn't need anything like Plover on the host device.

[@ryanjustinrazon1104]

@@AerickSteno thank you, I'll try that. Another thing when I am typing and I reached the bottom of the paper tape, it will go back at the top when I type again so I have to scroll down from top to bottom again just to see what I have typed. Is this a bug? and do you have fix for this? thank you. I'm a beginner in machine steno btw, I am learning Platinum theory from their yt channel. Is it almost the same with lawping theory?

[@AerickSteno]

@@ryanjustinrazon1104 I think that is a bug. I've encountered it before, but normally I can fix it by just scrolling to the bottom, or reopening it, and it'll autoscroll once again. Platinum theory and Plover theory are both somewhat based off of StenEd. Lapwing is based off of Plover too, so it'll share some aspects with Platinum. Lapwing is kind of a weird theory, though. Pretty much all mainstream English steno theories are for court reporters or captioners, not hobbyists. They generally do not cover things like splitting up multisyllable words (even Plover does not dictate this), because students in stenography schools are told to split things up however they hear the words. Additionally, they are also supposed to build their dictionary themselves, whereas if you learn Platinum or Plover, you're given someone's personal dictionary. This can be problematic because the dictionary will contain jargon and briefs that aren't useful to you, as well as misstroke entries which may make it harder to learn as a hobbyist. But if you are happy with Platinum theory, then there's really no reason to switch.

[@yash1152]

metronom idea is nice

[@vladimirpolusyan]

I found out about steno only 5 minutes before watching this video, it's very well made and you explain everything very clearly while putting things into perspective. Great video, I'm now interested in steno! Also you remind me a lot of my friend from a couple of years ago)))

[@TheLimmies]

Who needs this when you have speech-to-text?

[@AerickSteno]

If you can use speech to text + qwerty for everything you do on your computer, then that's great! But some of us do not like to talk to our devices (could you imagine doing that in a lecture to write LaTeX? 😉)

[@andrewdabber215]

If you get good at the steno you can type faster than a human can speak ( 200 wpm against 300-400 wmp)

[@rvft]

This guy is man of the culture, after seeing the fork bomb at 1:41, I had to like the video. Cheers, my man!