Which system is the best? I know some of you are fluent in several. I bet you think the best system is the one you learned first. Maybe it depends on how it is used. Technically, shouldn’t everyone learn and use whichever is the most current system offerend by McGraw-Hill, the copyright owner? I’m learning Simplified, which I like mostly because the book has a nice cover. Soon, I’ll start learning Diamond Jubilee by corresspondence course. Thoughts; suggestions?
(Originally posted by johnsapp)
On that note, the title graphic for the group is written in simplified Gregg, but I don't mean to play favorites. Post a graphic of how you write "Gregg Shorthand" in different systems; maybe I should change it.
Simplified is all that any pen stenographer would need to know. Diamond Jubilee is far too simple; it lessens speed drastically. The reason not to learn the current systems is the simple fact of efficiency. Simplified is simply the best system of Gregg shorthand because it doesn't have a heavy memory load or a speed deficiency due to the lack of brief forms. For instance, Diamond Jubilee writes the word please, "p-l-e-s/z", when Simplified writes it, "pl". Need more reason? Check John Robert Gregg's death date. Simplified was the last one of which he approved. 🙂
"Simplified is simply the best." Ha ha. How about centennial. I think the shorthand-shorthand-shorthand site said it was created to correct the slowness of its late predecessors.
Most of the people who know shorthand these days seem to have learned in the 70's, which means they know Diamond Jubilee. I would like to hear from a DJ user; what do you think about it?
Hello, John. You are probably right about the "best" system being the one you learn first. I can understand all of the versions of gregg very well. But, when I write under pressure, it is the DJS that dominates. The most current systems, Centennial Edition and Series 90, do not offer as much of a variety of shortcuts as the "Simplified" you have already learned. Remember, that each time a version of gregg shorthand was revised, more shortcuts were dropped away. Very few "new introductions" were added. The first 4 versions are the most learned by the public and there is also more written publications on these than the latter two. Gregg Shorthand is no longer an accredited college course and nor is it offered in high schools as an elective. The only shorthand being taught today is the EasyScript Shorthand and Gregg Notehand. These are academic shorthand courses…not vocational. Bye. Ms. Letha With the correspondence course, it is true, I will be teaching the Diamond Jubilee Series. However, the course is entitled "Diamond Jubilee Series Plus +" because though it teaches DJS, it offers a comparison chart on all 6 versions of the gregg shorthand (well-known) shortcuts…brief forms, short vocabularies, word beginnings/endings, abbreviations. This way, you will learn DJS and choose your own gregg shortcuts from the other versions. Learn one system REALLY WELL first, then learning other versions of gregg will be a joy. There are many differences…but more similarities. Don't be afraid to experiment with all of the gregg versions. They are all fun!
I think the "best" system is the one you decide in your own mind to use. The one system you strive to be your "best" when writing. One of my good shorthand friends from Florida sold me her Simplified Dictionary and left me a note on the inside of the book's front cover. It said, "I still have my 240 pin". Whichever system you succeed in will be your "best" system. Bye. Ms. Letha
I like DJS because it is easy. I tried learning one that I had found books at a second hand store from, but there was so much to memorize, I guess all those shortcuts… It was from the late 1920's early 1930's Gregg Shorthand. I have some of those books still and it's interesting to read and look at (when I can't read a symbol). Debbi
Not so, John.
It is true that I learned DJS back in the 70s. But many of my friends that
know shorthand today are Series 90 writers. I do not know of anyone who
learned Centennial except me. Many of the helpful brief forms were dropped
and replaced with the typical abbreviations that most shorthand folks
already know. Four good neighbor friends from New York write me about every
couple of months in the Anniversary version of gregg shorthand.
I'm not an expert on this, of course, but I tend to believe most of the
active shorthand writers of today are "Simplified" and "Diamond Jubilee".
How's that? Teehee.
Ms. Letha
🙂
One ubercool thing that was dropped from Pre-anniversary (and Anniversary?) is the long/short vowel sound marks, for proper names. I'm not saying I think Pre-anniversary is the best system for my purpose, but these marks I find indispensable (thanks Ms. Letha!). It may have been fine to use context clues in the 1950's when everyone was white and had the last name Jones or Smith but these days, non-European names occur more frequently. Not to mention the fact that I can now write words like nizzle and suckafoo.
I'm not sure why these were dropped in later versions. Perhaps because they were not used that often. They are extremely handy, especially when you need them, like you said. The last version in which you see distinctions of long and short vowel sounds is Anniversary. Try to write: Dean Tim and the team of the tame Tam came to calm the mad maid in Den Ten.
Hmmmm…which system is best? Hmmmm…well…I'm sorry to say…*bzzzzz* Wrong. Yes people. I'm sorry. Each and every one of you is wrong. Better luck next time though!! Hmmm? What's that? Oh, the proper answer?! Ah yes…the correct answer was: PITMAN!! *waits…smile fades…ducks boxes and cans and sharp steno fountain pens being thrown…runs* I'm SORRY!!!!! Don't hate!!! lol No…I'd have to cast a vote for Simplified, with Pre and Ann it's right hand men (or right and left hand men? or is SH feminine? "Oh! Look at that new Gregg system! She's a beaut!!" (heh…don't worry…I don't actually say that word…*cringes at the thought*) One thing I just have to comment on, that I see every once in a while, is the speed/memorization thing. People often see in newer versions things about "if you have to search your brain to pull up a memorized form while writing, it's faster to just write it out unabbreviated than stop and think about it." Then people get the idea that the less memorization, and the easier to learn, the faster it is…The fact is, once you get something memorized, the fewer strokes, the faster it is no matter how long it took to become second nature. So the older the system, the faster the system. (Unless Cent replaced some of the things lost in S90…I have no knowledge of Cent) Pre is faster than Ann is faster than Simplified is faster than DJ is faster than C90. But of course, someone writing Simplified will reach faster speeds quicker than someone learning Pre…but after TONS of practice and memorizing so that it comes naturally, the Pre will eventually beat out the Simplified after being neck and neck for a time. But that doesn't make it better or better suited to all purposes. (Because like I said…I'm a Simplified writer…and that's what makes it better!!) hehe Anyways, cheerio!! Hmmm…shouldn't we Americans actually say Weetabix? Since English use our cereal to bid themselves fairwell, my old teacher and I decided that we should use their cereal…so Weetabix!! ./[tyler] (who isn't nearly as opinionated as he makes himself out to be)
In reply to Chuck's esteemed favour on the 28th inst., I beg to say that such a sentence would never be said in dictation, and I am content therewith to not use the vowel-markings that were destroyed before Simplified. 😀
It couldn't hurt to know them, though.
OK, since everyone is speaking about favorites, let me join the fray. >>Which system is the best? To me, the best system depends on what your goal is. If your goal is casual usage, or business correspondence, then any of the modern systems (from DJS onward) should be fine. If your goal is heavy use, you want to take speeches, do literary dictation in general, and you are committed and have the time to study and practice, then Anniversary or Pre-Anniversary is the way to go. If you want something in the middle — not light, but not heavy in abbreviations — then Simplified suits perfectly fine. Like you said, the best system is the one you learn first. I learned Anniversary, so to me that's the best. But the other versions have their advantages, no question about it. >>Shouldn't everyone learn and use whichever is the most current system offered by McGraw-Hill, the copyright owner? Not really, because the later systems are designed for business correspondence. I, for one, don't take business letter dictation. I do take notes in meetings where the vocabulary is extremely varied, and people speak very fast — in those cases, S90 or Centennial won't cut it. I don't know how I would keep up if I wrote, for example, "realistically speaking", "in other words", "as a matter of fact", "whether or not", "your esteemed favor of the 29th inst at hand and noted" (just kidding), or other trite phrases of common speech, using a slow system. Centennial, believe it or not, is a step better than Series 90 since some of the abbreviations are back. I guess that McGraw-Hill realized that they went a little too far with the simplifications. Just my 2 cents.
One phrase that comes often in my work is "statistically significant". Writing "st ste sg" beats the heck out of "statist ci signif" in terms of efficiency, once the outlines are engrained in your brain.
Egads, Chuck. Which system are those abbreviations from? They seem quite specialized… Or perhaps are they inventions of your own?
This is what I meant:
—–
I had to laugh out loud when I read the OP say she chose the Diamond Jublilee method because she liked the cover of the book better. Wanna know why I laughed so hard? Because when I joined the Armed Services I chose the Air Force because I liked their uniforms better and that's the truth. LOL
LOL!
Silly question after reading through this post. I've come across this term several times before, but what exactly does "literary dictation" or "literary" as I've seen it abbreviated that way, too, really mean? Is it a specific way of writing shorthand?
It refers to the content of the material. "Literary" is a catch-all term that encompasses anything but legal (including testimony and jury charges), business, or medical-related material.
That kind of includes everything (at least what I can think of).
Paul, if you meant legal, business and medical are about all you can think of, have you considered sermons, speeches, debates, documentaries, various dialogues, lectures, news stories, story-telling, and song lyrics? Some of these are some of my main reasons for wanting to learn shorthand.