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Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

(OP)
The other day I was without my PC, which basically contains most of my brain matter. Anyway, I was out on a field engineering job and had to write a brief report -long hand - no PC. For 1 hour I struggled until I finally was able to compose grammatically correct sentences. This same report would have taken me 5 minutes or less using my PC. All of my reports today are generated from "mind to PC screen"

It is scary to think that 20 years ago when I started out I would be able to crank out long hand written reports just as fast........ Any idea where the phrase long hand (long-hand) came from?

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

I have no idea of the origins of "long hand" except maybe it was used to seperate it from "short hand".

I know it is very difficult for myself to write anything with a pen or pencil, especially when it comes to putting thoughts to printed word.  And when I do write something by hand, it is always spelled out and printed in capital letters.  Just for kicks I tried writting something in long hand, and I couldn't remember how to form some letters, and had a hard time reading what I wrote.

Heck, I can write faster with Palm Grafiti.  Please save me...

Ray Reynolds
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

I remeber the switch from "long hand" to PC very well. At that time we engineers had a secretary to help us doing the typing and we wrote our "inputs" with pencil on a pad of paper, which was handed over to the secretary who typed it with correct spelling, punctuation and all that.

So, when PC arrived (it was an Apple, actually) we followed the same routine. Write the report on paper in the evening and type it on the 'puter in the next morning. It was hard to break that habit. Took me more than a year to do the writing directly on-screen. And now - as metengr says - it is hard to take a quick telephone note with pencil an paper. Humans are adaptable, but it takes some time.

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

When the first word processor arrived at our factory the secretaries had to be broken of the habit of printing out and then correcting the printed out version.

It was some time before they edited on screen (no truth that after a while they couldn't see the screen for typex).

JMW
www.viscoanalyser.com

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

skogsgurra : Yes, but I miss those secretaries, although of course some engineering departments still have them. As you say, they performed a useful function in correcting grammar and punctuation, and ensured uniformity and proper standards, especially for external communications. I've had many friendly arguments about grammar with secretaries. I think we have lost something.

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Yes Muffin. I miss them, too. But found a solution in marrying one of them. We still have friendly discussions over grammar - and some other issues...

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

You're a lucky man. (sigh !).

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

In the long hand days we had a shared secretary who would tell us peons that she did not have to do our typing, she worked for the boss and only was doing this for us as a favour.

As soon as we got a PC in the office I got a shareware typing tutor (DOS based of course) and learned to type.

The secretary soon found that she had nothing to do and started to get worried about her job (with good reason). She filed a grievance that stated that we were doing her work and that she insisted that we return to the old method.

I had kept one of her memo’s where she had complained about y asking for her to do me a favour by typing my report with a deadline. She lost the grievance and her job.




Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion
www.kitsonengineering.com

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Muffin: No need to sigh! It aint that bad, really.

RDK: I read and learn. You never know what will happen.

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

RDK : A vaguely similar thing happened in an office I worked in. I think it's happening or has happened in engineering offices all over the country. The times they are a changin'!

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand


My handwriting has turned to garbage since using a keyboard.

In (1960s) high school the typing instructor was very vocal about boys in her classes, for we were only there to “goof off”.  None of us could have imagined the pervasiveness of keyboards in later decades.
  

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Even after more than 15 years with a PC I still need to print and report it out to proof read it. I have successfully made the transition to writing and creating on a PC, but I just can't get used to reading off of a screen. Also if I want to read something that requires my full attention I have to print it out. Anyone else have the same "problem?"

My kids on the other hand can't seen to read the paper or a book but can read all day off the computer.


Regards Fred

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Fzob, you are not alone.
Somehow all those litle grey (gray)cells are too used to working with the pieces of paper, pens, pencils, cups of coffee and so on.

I can learn to do a lot of things with a computer but creativity is still dependent on the tactile feedback. It's like the taste of good food depends on a good sense of smell; creativity requires somethings a computer cannot give.

Actually, I am looking forward to experimenting with voice interactive software. When I started my career we used Grundig dictaphones and the best audio typists to produce reports. I am sure that these characteristics are conditioned into my creative processes.
Early learned behaviour.

JMW
www.viscoanalyser.com

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Fzob, I hear many people echo your view. I actually prefer to proof on a computer - I can change the view scale to see what I want and I can make notes right there (I love the Word comment and track-changes features).

About 5 years ago I decided to try writing in cursive. I literally couldn't. I've been practicing and am able to somewhat but am still faster and much more legible when printing.

Typing, though, may be the most useful class I took in high-school (save perhaps algebra). Not only did it let me earn money in college as a secretary, I remain one of the best typists I know which makes report writing much less daunting.

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

Hey Beggar,

I'm with you. Writing in cursive is next to impossible for me these days. I have tried recently and really embarrassed myself in front of my wife (happens to be Chinese and challenged me to a writing contest). I could not even remember how some of the letters were formed!

Which brings me to this question; how many engineers print instead of using cursive? I will bet a lot of us write this way. In my experience most engineers write in print and I wonder why? Is it because were a little anal at times?

RE: Engineering Reports - PC or Long Hand

I echo the sentiments of most here.  Everything is done much more effortlessly on the computer. If I have a tough problem to tackle, I sit down and start typing what comes into my mind in Word "outline".  Then it is almost effortless to shift the ideas into groups/subgroups etc.  I keep on adding, rearranging, and organizing until I have a full organized review of the issue from many angles.  It doesn't matter that it is a big document because the outline form allows effortless navigation of the outline structure (expand/collapse). I don't know how we did without computers.

Strangely enough, I share with Fzob the experience that final proof-reading is more effectively done with a printed-out version.  I can't quite put my finger on the reason.  I think I have become so accustomed to sitting at the computer and moving around ideas that I don't pay careful  attention to the small things like punctuation and a few missing letters and words here or there.  When I print it out, there is a subtle signal to my brain that this is the time for final careful review of the contents.  

I can't count on twenty fingers and toes the number of "important" e-mails (sent to managers etc) that I have proof-read on-screen without printing out, then later regretted my haste.

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