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Tuesday, July 24, 2001
Interpreting drawl won't slay this Dragon
By SANDRA BROWN KELLY
I am teaching the voice (or speech) recognition software to understand a Southside Virginia drawl by reading from humor columnist Dave Barry's essay on understanding a computer. (According to Barry, humans cannot understand computers because they don't understand electricity. He says it has something to do with how squirrels can run along electrical wires and not get electrocuted.) Barry's essay was among several provided by the manufacturer for training this software, one of many brands available, but one of the more popular. Voice recognition software has been around for years but continues to improve. The software opens opportunities for people physically unable to type and provides alternatives for others, especially for slow typists. Some versions allow you to have text read back so you can listen for mistakes and sentence rhythm. You also can feed recorded information into the software and have it typed. You can use the software to give the computer commands. Voice recognition software allows you to dictate into Word, WordPerfect, e-mail and about any computer program where you now type. All it takes to use the software successfully is the ability to speak so the software can capture what you say. Not so easy. When I came to the Roanoke newspapers in the early 1960s, one of my duties was to take dictation from the veteran reporters who were out of town covering the big stories. Most memorable were the many agonizing hours spent typing news reports relating to a railroad merger. I say agonizing because the reporter on that story always ate lunch while he dictated. Lucky for him, he had me and not Dragon on the other end of the receiver. Dragon did an excellent job of interpreting my drawl, but it would have collapsed under the chewing sounds created by a tuna fish sandwich and potato chips. If you decide to try any version or brand of speech recognition software, prepare to spend time training it and yourself or you will spend too much time correcting errors. Clear enunciation counts for everything in dictation. The instruction booklet includes 17 pages of how-tos for proper dictation, including the first caution to sit up straight or stand and keep vocal chords moist to avoid voice strain. Up to this point in the column, Dragon has misheard me about 26 times, but we are still getting acquainted. It took about 40 minutes to train Dragon thus far, and it is not my first time using voice recognition software. The programmers have made training easier by allowing you to feed the software your previous writings. This creates a base of words you use frequently and gives the software a feel for your sentence structure. Getting the software to understand you won't come quickly, but once you do, you have a personal assistant. You can learn more about Dragon at www.dragonsystems.com. To learn more about the various speech recognition systems, go to www.Epinions.com and search on the words "voice recognition software." Mac users might want to search on "iListen for Mac." For insight into the newest voice-Internet developments, read about Voice XML at www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5094411,00.html. Safe messaging Much has been in the news recently about how to protect young people using Instant Messaging. A good start would be for parents and their offspring to take the quiz at http://apps.disney.go.com/global/quiz/quiz.cgi?def=doug1. When you complete the answers, you are taken to a list of safety tips.
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