Why Bother with Stedman's Anymore? [Time Mgmt]

[Admin]

I'm hearing this a lot in MTland -- why pay to buy Stedman's resources when Google is so handy?

Issues of accuracy aside, since most MTs savvy enough to use the Net know that Google results must be verified or validated before they are relied upon, I have an answer that resonates with my personal situation: When I use my Stedman's electronic word resources I know that I'm not going to get distracted and tempted to embark on a 2-hour bout of surfing just by looking up a word.

Maybe I'm the only MT who has this problem: I want to google a questionable phrase from the report I'm working on. Even starting up my browser introduces the element of distraction temptation; I have mine set to start up in Google News since I have the Google toolbar installed and can search from any page. There's always something interesting to click on the news page.

I guess I could change that to the Google home page which is as minimalist as one could want. But that only defers the potential problem for another page: as soon as I see my search results the element of temptation enters.

Why stop at simply verifying that the phrase is commonly used the way the dictator is using it in the report? Why not find out what the phrase really means; after all, can I really call myself a medical language specialist** if I don't truly understand the medicine behind the words? Or say I've stumbled across a potentially phenomenally useful surgical resource: can I really resist the temptation to explore all the features of the site? And once I've convinced myself that the site is great, shouldn't I come here or go to MTDesk or smt or somewhere and tell other MTs about it?

Problem is, though, that simple Web search has now taken up 30 minutes of time as I've explored the site, bookmarked it, and written a link and a post or two about it. This is with using a cable modem.

Replies, anyone? Feedback? Am I the only MT who has to fight the temptation to look at all the nice, shiny information available? Could this be part of why so many MTs transitioning to the platform report that their line counts initially plummet? How do you manage your time effectively?

~~~~~~~~~
**See Jay Vance's new medical language specialist site: yes2mls.org

[Kiki]

Yes, I have a horrible tendency to get side tracked, Joi, which is also why I use my Stedman's books for lookups(haven't gotten the Stedman's electronic words because I couldn't use them on my old computer with DOS). Now that I occasionally use the work platform & have internet access, I have to be very careful to not let myself check things out very thoroughly. I totally agree with your post - a few seconds can end up wasting 1/2 hour of precious transcribing time.

[GrannyT]

Joi,
I am with you and Kiki. I like my books mainly because most of the time I have the basic word and just need to verify the spelling or if it is a possible combination. Also like you, I get distracted very easily: Well, while I am here I might as well check my email, check the message boards, etc.

Granny

[Admin]

And stick in a few adorable smilies to amuse us.

Is that the rapture or a UFO abduction at the end of your post?

Could you post some links to great smilies on the All Things Geek . . . board, if you know of some which don't bring with them unwanted little additions of spyware?

[Beth]

Gotta put in a BIG rah-rah for the electronic Stedman's--ever so much faster than flipping thru a book, and so many different search tools, too--PLUS you can add new terms to the "user dictionary" in each, so they don't grow outdated as quickly....
When I first saw them, I thought "So what?" but have since changed my mind!! I work for a hospital group that has them, and they are the cat's pajamas.

Check this link if you would like a little discussion and/or demonstration: www.aamt.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612

Beth

[Harrie]

I'm with you all, I adore Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictionary! I mostly have a lot of their books, which have been oh so wonderful and still are - and always will be, LOL, but I do love the electronic one! It's better, quicker than books! I really should get more of their CD resources! I think I'd like to have the Alternative & Complementary Medicine Words one!

[GinaMJ]

Joi said:

I'm hearing this a lot in MTland -- why pay to buy Stedman's resources when Google is so handy?

Issues of accuracy aside, since most MTs savvy enough to use the Net know that Google results must be verified or validated before they are relied upon, I have an answer that resonates with my personal situation: When I use my Stedman's electronic word resources I know that I'm not going to get distracted and tempted to embark on a 2-hour bout of surfing just by looking up a word.

Maybe I'm the only MT who has this problem: I want to google a questionable phrase from the report I'm working on. Even starting up my browser introduces the element of distraction temptation; I have mine set to start up in Google News since I have the Google toolbar installed and can search from any page. There's always something interesting to click on the news page.

I guess I could change that to the Google home page which is as minimalist as one could want. But that only defers the potential problem for another page: as soon as I see my search results the element of temptation enters.

Why stop at simply verifying that the phrase is commonly used the way the dictator is using it in the report? Why not find out what the phrase really means; after all, can I really call myself a medical language specialist** if I don't truly understand the medicine behind the words? Or say I've stumbled across a potentially phenomenally useful surgical resource: can I really resist the temptation to explore all the features of the site? And once I've convinced myself that the site is great, shouldn't I come here or go to MTDesk or smt or somewhere and tell other MTs about it?

Problem is, though, that simple Web search has now taken up 30 minutes of time as I've explored the site, bookmarked it, and written a link and a post or two about it. This is with using a cable modem.

Replies, anyone? Feedback? Am I the only MT who has to fight the temptation to look at all the nice, shiny information available? Could this be part of why so many MTs transitioning to the platform report that their line counts initially plummet? How do you manage your time effectively?

~~~~~~~~~
**See Jay Vance's new medical language specialist site: yes2mls.org

This is so true! I'm always tempted by Google News or interesting links that show up. If I'm transcribing, I prefer to use Stedman's.

Gina