The Court Reporters - messages #68594

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#1 of 25 Posted Nov-6 11:24 AM

From Jim Carpenter Posts 7 Last Nov-8
To All [Msg # 68594.1 ]

Hi, everybody:

My name is Jim Carpenter, and I am just entering the scoping arena. I live and work in Jacksonville, Florida, and I come from a background in hospital education, media production, and broadcasting.

I use Eclipse 4.3, and I have Searchmaster installed, but haven't had the opportunity to use it yet.

So what sage advice can all of you offer that will help me get the ball rolling??

Best to All

Jim

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#2 of 25 Posted Nov-6 11:48 AM

From Timothy J. McGowan [Sysop] Posts 8493 Last Nov-20
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.2 68594.1 ]

Hi, Jim, and welcome to the forum!

The Court Reporters Forum is the oldest and largest forum on the Internet for court reporters. We have a great team of sysops (forum staff members) here, so if you need any forum help, any one of us sysops will be happy to help. Click here for our sysop roster. You can post a message to any of us in any appropriate section, or send one of us a private message by clicking on our name in blue over any of our posts.

Speaking of names, you are encouraged -- but not required -- to use your name rather than your free AOL screen name to identify yourself. Some of our members have mentioned that if they don't see a real name associated with a question, they don't bother replying. And of course, it's easier to network and get referrals and maintain credibility when participating as a real person.

If you wish to do so, go through My Stuff and scroll down until you see My Nickname. Enter a name for yourself and -- here's the unintuitive part -- then click the radio button labeled "Set for The Court Reporters Forum only." Finally, click the Update button at right in the same row. Now all your posts in this forum will show your name above them, or next to them in the Messages list, rather than the often awkward screen name you had to cobble together when signing up. Again, whether you do this is entirely up to you.

The administrator of The Court Reporters Forum, Jim Barker, has a welcome message here, and he has put together some answers to frequently asked questions with enormously helpful step-by-step instructions here. Another frequently asked question, but normally not right away, is how to change the e-mail address associated with the forum. You'll find an answer here. Please advise us if any of the instructions are outdated. They were correct at the time of writing, but we're not always advised of changes implemented by the service.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you here, Jim! The only sage advice I can offer is that this is a great place to network. Jump into a conversation, answer questions, and basically show off how great your English skills are and what a fun person you are.

You can advertise your services in the Classifieds section here. When composing a new message, choose the drop-down control under Folder to pick the Classifieds folder. Enter the subject of your message, compose your ad, and click Post.

Another way to advertise is with a signature block. Click New to create a new message, or click Reply to this or another message. Before typing your message, instead, compose your signature. (For reasons I don't want to get into right now, avoid changing font size in your posts and signature. What you see on your computer isn't always what others see on theirs. Also, do NOT use MS Word to craft your signature or messages.)

Back on track: Design your signature in the message-composition pane, and when you have it just right, click on the HTML tab that appears at the bottom of the pane. Select everything that appears in that view of the message and cut it out (Ctrl+X, or right-click and Cut).

Click on the Options button that appears below the message-composition pane, and in the Signature pane, paste the code you just copied.

Click back to the message-composition pane, click on the Design tab, compose your message, and finally click Post. Your signature will take effect immediately.

It's possible for your signature to line up with the last line of text in your messages. To avoid this, learn to press Enter once or twice at the bottom of your post, or insert as the first text of your signature block this four-character code:   That is code for "break," meaning create a new line. Use multiple breaks to create blank lines.

When you use a signature, then every message you compose here becomes an ad for your services. Dispense helpful advice, ask questions, or share a joke, all the while sharing your command of and respect for grammar, spelling, and punctuation and displaying your professionalism, and every message becomes a goodwill ambassador for you -- and for the business you're advertising in your signature.

-- Tim

McGowanReporting.com

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#3 of 25 Posted Nov-6 12:44 PM

From Ang Posts 1851 Last 12:56 PM
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.3 68594.1 ]

Hi, Jim. Glad you joined us.

Sage advice, hmmm. You should put ads on as many court reporter forums as you can find. Also put an ad on Advantage's site. There's a place you can go to advertise your scoping services. The best advice, though, is to be active on the forum. The more reporters get to know you, the more likely they will contact you for work. That is usually the best practice for getting the ball rolling.

When you do get contacted, make sure you're clear on what they expect from you and that you make it clear what your expectations are, too. Communication is the biggest key to making the reporter-scopist relationship work.

Can't think of anything else quickly, so let's hope others join in to help you along. :)

Ang

**********************
Angie Ryder
Elite Scoping Services
www.elitescoping.com

Also offering configuration of
automatic indexing, title pages,
certificate pages, etc.

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#4 of 25 Posted Nov-6 1:57 PM

From Jim Carpenter Posts 7 Last Nov-8
To Timothy J. McGowan [Sysop] [Msg # 68594.4 68594.2 ]

Jim Carpenter
jim@JCscoping.com
Eclipse Scopist

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#5 of 25 Posted Nov-6 2:27 PM

From Timothy J. McGowan [Sysop] Posts 8493 Last Nov-20
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.5 68594.4 ]

Jim:

Wanna make your e-mail address a link, like the one on your Web site?

Jim Carpenter
jim@JCscoping.com
Eclipse Scopist

Copy this code, click Reply, then click Options, and paste it over the text in the Signature pane.

Jim Carpenter 
<a href="mailto:jim@jcscoping.com">jim@JCscoping.com</a> 
Eclipse Scopist

-- Tim

McGowanReporting.com

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#6 of 25 Posted Nov-6 2:33 PM

From Jim Carpenter Posts 7 Last Nov-8
To Timothy J. McGowan [Sysop] [Msg # 68594.6 68594.2 ]

Hi, Tim.

Thank you for the welcome.

As you recommended, I've put my name up, as opposed to just a usename. (Is "username" a legitimate word? And should it be "an username?") I thought I had created a signature too, but I have apparently done something incorrectly. I will tackle that one again soon. Until fairly recently, I have been Mac-oriented, and sometimes things get tricky.

The CRF looks like a friendly and supportive group; and I noticed that there is even a provision for extracurricular exchanges.

I'm looking forward to participating.

Jim Carpenter
Eclipse Scopist
jim@JCscoping.com

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#7 of 25 Posted Nov-6 2:53 PM

From Timothy J. McGowan [Sysop] Posts 8493 Last Nov-20
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.7 68594.6 ]

Jim:

I see that American Heritage includes username, but it's the only dictionary name I recognize from the list that found it on OneLook.com.

The use of a or an before a word depends entirely on sound. If the following sound is a vowel sound, use an. If the following sound is a consonant sound, use a.

Words that begin with consonants but don't all sound like it:
a dog
a cat
an herb (E sound)
an honor (O sound)
an X (E sound)
an F (E sound)
a hotel (to some speakers; sounds like hoe-TEL)
an hotel (to some speakers; sounds like oh-TEL)

Words that begin with verbs but don't all sound like it:
an apple
an ubergeek
a user (Y sound)
a European (Y sound)
a one-minute dinner (W sound)

-- Tim

McGowanReporting.com

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#8 of 25 Posted Nov-6 3:18 PM

From Karen A. Jones [Sysop] Posts 10618 Last 6:44 AM
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.8 68594.6 ]

Jim,

Welcome to the CRF!

I don't have time right now to answer your questions specifically, but I'll be back over the weekend. What I would suggest you do for starters -- like I suggest to every new scopist who joins this forum -- is take the time to read the gazillion messages here in this Scopists' Issues section, especially the ones that feature "New Scopist" in the subject line. I'm sure many of your questions will be answered there. And if there's something that pops out at you and you'd like to comment on or have a question about, please reply to it as it will just bump it up in the message listings no matter how old it is.

Sit back and enjoy the reading, and I'm sure you'll find it extremely informative!

Karen A. Jones
Wallingford, CT
Working With Reporters Since 1982

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#9 of 25 Posted Nov-6 3:29 PM

From Jim Carpenter Posts 7 Last Nov-8
To Timothy J. McGowan [Sysop] [Msg # 68594.9 68594.7 ]

I knew that the a/an thing is a matter of how thing sound when spoken.I was just attempting to be humorous.

Is there a rule having to do with "historic", or is that just one of those quirky exceptions? People say "an historic" occasion, but never "an house" or "an harmonica."

Jim
Jim Carpenter jim@JCscoping.com Eclipse Scopist

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#10 of 25 Posted Nov-6 3:36 PM

From Timothy J. McGowan [Sysop] Posts 8493 Last Nov-20
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.10 68594.9 ]

Jim:

>> I was just attempting to be humorous. <<

I guess questions like that just bring out the pedant in me! I should have known better!

I suspect the use of "an historic" depends largely on the speaker's amount of exposure to British or perhaps French speakers.

According to The Gregg Reference Manual, Tenth Edition, Section 11, A-an:

In speech, both a historic occasion and an historic occasion are correct, depending on whether the h is sounded or left silent. In writing, a historic occasion is the form more commonly used.

But beyond hotel, historic, and herb, I can't dredge up any other silent-H words off the top of my head.

-- Tim

McGowanReporting.com

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#11 of 25 Posted Nov-6 5:03 PM

From Karen A. Jones [Sysop] Posts 10618 Last 6:44 AM
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.11 68594.9 ]

Jim,

HERE's a link to an article written by Angie Ryder, one of the veteran scopists on this forum. As a matter of fact, she's replied to you already.

Karen A. Jones
Wallingford, CT
Working With Reporters Since 1982

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#12 of 25 Posted Nov-6 5:18 PM

From Jim Carpenter Posts 7 Last Nov-8
To Karen A. Jones [Sysop] [Msg # 68594.12 68594.11 ]

Thanks, Karen and Angie, for you welcomes and replies. That was an interesting and informative article, as was the discussion that followed.

Jim Carpenter
jim@JCscoping.com
Eclipse Scopist
Jim Carpenter jim@JCscoping.com Eclipse Scopist

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#13 of 25 Posted Nov-6 6:11 PM

From Karen A. Jones [Sysop] Posts 10618 Last 6:44 AM
To Jim Carpenter [Msg # 68594.13 68594.12 ] (Unread)