I would preserve old habits and incorporate new ones - do both! sm
Since you are a new user who has some previously made habits, I would recommend keeping all of your old habits for a few weeks, and at the same time make room for some new habits for a few weeks. Over time, you will be likely to find that the new habits overtake the old ones. The thing you will be gaining by preserving old habits is a chance to adapt to Instant Text gradually while also keeping to your usual work deadlines or work production levels. Here is what I mean: Import your prior expansions from your prior working methods. You didn't specify what those were, but the Importer feature of Instant Text allows you to import many name brands like PRD, Smartype, Abbreviate, QuickScript, and others. It also allows you to import the Microsoft Word Autocorrect files and the Corel Word Perfect QuickCorrect files. (See Tools Menu/Importer to see the full list). So, whichever of these that you use, I would go through the steps to import those. I would put them into their own glossary and then name that something original. How about calling it "Oldies" for now. Meanwhile, I would also set up your free/provided Instant Text glossaries, and include that "Oldies" glossary in the string of glossaries that you can "include" in the list of glossaries to be called upon and used. Backing up a bit - you didn't say what the prior kind of expander was, but if it is one that expands with a space bar, you will now have two different options with Instant Text: to either set IT to continue to expand with the spacebar, or to set IT marker keys for expanding words and phrases. If you used to use the space bar, then perhaps for a few days, I would just use your only your "Oldies" glossary and the space bar, and work with IT to get used to its look. Then after a day or so, I would select marker keys and get used to your old favorites, but having them expand with the marker keys instead of the space bar. (See the IT-Pro-V manual, chapter 11, where Mike DeTuri details how he did this very logical progression). After retaining your old habits, but re-creating them into Instant Text, I would then assemble other glossaries, to use along with your "Oldies" included in the strand. Start with selecting a singles glossary (actually, you will choose to use a singles with the above Oldies, too, since this is by default). This time, though, personalize that chosen singles glossary some: I would choose medsingles.glo, which is provided with IT, for starters. Once you see what is in that, you can make a copy of it/rename it, make changes to it, and make it your own personalized singles glossary. After the personalized singles glossary is named (see the advisory settings, the tab/place where you name that), you could open your "Oldies" glossary, which will become the
Then, whenever you are ready for more, I would also make one more glossary, which starts as an empty or a new glossary, and name that your "My Own" glossary, and I would put things in that glossary that you come across that you would like to add as time goes on - thing you want available for all work types for YOU, the MT, rather than any one specific client. I would use this setup for a week or two, with your "Singles" then your "Oldies" which includes the list of: your "My Own", and then the MedWords4, MedPhrases5, Drugs, and Ages. I think most people can do a whole lot of medical transcription for at least a couple of weeks with this setup. During that couple of weeks, you can get used to some new habits of using IT, keep some of your old habits, and make good progress on your work deadlines. Meanwhile, you can be planning on further glossaries that are client-specific or work-specific, and when you do make those, they can be plugged right into the above list, in the position of relative importance wherever you most want them. The beauty of the Includes feature is the ability to string together many glossaries, so that as a whole, the set of them fits the work type very closely. I generally use the above setup, with only switching in one additional glossary to the setup, and that is one for the individual client. The nice thing is you can change your mind, change the order of the glossaries, add an additional one, subtract one - - change whatever you want to change, to suit the work. Also, since there is so much ability to change your mind on how you want things set up, it is not really necessary to know your ultimate plans at the onset of using Instant Text. You can assemble a few preliminary glossaries, get started, and see what changes you'd like to make as you go along. Patty A.
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