Okay, voice recognition technically works, but...

March 26, 2006 10:50 PM

Anyone have any practical tips for using voice recognition in an office environment?

I'm currently testing/evaluating Dragon Naturally Speaking. Now that I'm using a decent mic-to-USB adapter and a pair of comfortable headphones (and I've selected the right accent in the software) the rate of recognition is so impressive that I'd like to use this as a normal data entry method. Does anyone have any recommendations or stories relating to use of Dragon Naturally Speaking in an office environment?

One thing I've particularly noticed is I am so much slower to pick up the phone because I have to take my headphones off and stop the dictation system. In fact, most interruptions either via telephone or via doorway are now much more significant interruptions to the flow of work. I would be very interested in hearing how people deal with this.

Any other stories relating to integration of successful voice recognition in an office environment, or specific non-recognition related issues that resulted in you having to give up on the software would be useful.

Also, what am I supposed to do with my hands?

posted by krisjohn to Computers & Internet (1 answer total)

The main thing is that you need your own private space; if you were working in a cubicle farm, you might face some less-than-understanding co-workers. The fact that you mention a "doorway" is a very good sign, as it is suggestive of an actual private office.
posted by enrevanche at 2:56 AM on March 27, 2006