Plover: Thought to Text at 240 WPM by Mirabai Knight

Stenographic technology has been locked down to expensive, proprietary hardware and software for decades, depriving the world of the most efficient text entry system devised to date. Plover, a free, cross-platform steno engine that works with $45 hardware, offers hackers and hobbyists the ability to type at up to 240 WPM in applications ranging from wearable computing to captioning to coding.

Transcript

1. Plover, the Open Source Steno Engine
   

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2.  Mirabai Knight
   Founder
    Joshua Lifton, PhD
   Cofounder
    Hesky Fisher
   Lead Programmer
   Plus input, testing, and code from the 199 members of the Plover Google Group
   

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3. Phonetic-Mnemonic
   240 WPM with
   99.9% accuracy
   

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5.  Speed
    Wearability
    Ergonomics
    Paying Work
    Accessibility
    Fluency and Efficiency of Text Entry
   

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7. 22 keys
   4,194,303 possible chords
   

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8.  No spacebar
    Two-dimensional syllabic chords
    Most words can be written phonetically
    Each stenographer’s dictionary is unique
   STRAPS straps
   

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9. Encode
   English to
   Steno
   Input
   Chords
   Find longest
   match in
   dictionary
   Output
   definition
   

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10. PAOEU pie
    THON python
    

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11. DPLORBL deplorable
    PRIFRL peripheral
    

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12. original = raw_input("Enter a word:")
    if original.isalpha():
    word = original.lower()
    first = word[0]
    print first
    else:
    print "Not a word."
    QWERTY STENO
    143 54
    Using Plover With Python
    

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13. b: go Back one
    word
    q: reQord
    maQro?!
    GLERCH: Launch browser
    and perform Google search
    on text in clipboard
    QUARN: Cut highlighted
    text and append to
    prespecified bug-tracking
    document
    QWERTY STENO
    

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14. • 35 million people with hearing loss in the US
    • <2% know Sign Language
    • <400 Certified Captioners
    • Average captioner age is 50
    • 3 to 8 million people with speech disabilities
    

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15. • Virtually all steno schools are for-profit
    • Startup costs include $1,000 student
    machine and $500 hobbled software,
    plus ~$12,000/year tuition
    • Nationwide dropout rate is 85%
    • Reaching 225 WPM can take 2 - 6 years
    

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16. Amateur Professional
    $50 Ukulele $50,000 diamond-encrusted guitar
    Free Music Lessons $60,000 degree from music school
    Lots of Practice No guarantee of employment
    

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17. HOVER PLOVER
    

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18. • Fly
    • Plover Aviary
    • Plover Blog
    • Plover Dojo
    • Steno 101
    • Steno Typer
    • Steno Hero Alpha
    Plover Wiki: http://ploversteno.org
    

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19. CRITERION WINNER
    Speed Steno
    Accuracy Steno
    Customizability Steno
    Portability Voice
    Learning Curve Voice (beginner)/Steno (advanced)
    Privacy Steno
    Determinism Steno
    http://stenoknight.com/speechrec
    

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