[duxuser] Re: Apostrophe Alert
- From: "Jean Menzies" <jemenzies@xxxxxxx>
- To: <duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2008 13:12:15 -0700
One solution is to set up a Word macro to automatically search for and
replace each of the annoying types of characters. For example, you can put
the smart quote in the search for box, and the standard quote mark in the
replace box. There is a quick way to convert smart quotes to normal quotes,
but I'd have to Google it to find it again. If you're a Jaws user, you can
go to a quote mark or apostrophe and press the numpad five key three times
quickly to hear the character code. If you do this, you'll get to know
quickly which quotes and apostrophes have been used, and then you'll know
if you need to do a search and replace.
Jean
-----Original Message-----
From: duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Catherine Thomas
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2008 8:45 AM
To: duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [duxuser] Re: Apostrophe Alert
Susan,
You're making this much more complex than we need it to be. The keyboard
symbol which we use to transcribe an apostrophe is the key to the right of
the semicolon. If we want to transcribe a person speaking we use the shift
of that same key. If we want to transcribe a quote within a quote we use the
accent/grave key.
In most cases, if the apostrophe is messed up it's not just in one place.
An alert could simply show if: 1. words such as don t are showing up with
any character besides that created by the key mentioned above. 2. If a
search for words ending in s produces any of the variety of characters that
can appear as a print apostrophe. Yes, it would be nice if the apostrophe
symbol which appears at the beginning of words instead of the single quote
could also be identified but 'tis a `far more difficult` thing to arrange.
What we need I suppose is something similar to the way spell-checking
features turn up acronyms. I didn't suggest that DBT be able to correct
this--only to alert us to the potential problem. You need to remember that
many people producing documents in braille these days have so little
knowledge of what they are doing that they don't even know there is a
problem.
In summary, those of us who transcribe professionally would like an alert
first to make our job easier and second to protect the end user (the braille
reader) from those who don't know any better. Since the print characters
look virtually identical in some cases, you can't assume that by examining a
document visually, even with the knowledge of this difficulty, that the
problem would always be observed. Some of the characters that are potential
apostrophes can result in as many as four cells between the end of a word
and the s. To those reading such a document it's a tactual assaultm much as
a room with walls damaged by flood waters would be a visual assault. Sorry,
I couldn't think of a print example. Hope this clears things up a bit.
Catherine
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
-Catherine Thomas
braille@xxxxxxxxx /
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
* * *
* This message is via list duxuser at freelists.org.
* To unsubscribe, send a blank message with
* unsubscribe
* as the subject to <duxuser-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>. You may also
* subscribe, unsubscribe, and set vacation mode and other subscription
* options by visiting //www.freelists.org. The list archive
* is also located there.
* Duxbury Systems' web site is http://www.duxburysystems.com
* * *
* * *
* This message is via list duxuser at freelists.org.
* To unsubscribe, send a blank message with
* unsubscribe
* as the subject to <duxuser-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>. You may also
* subscribe, unsubscribe, and set vacation mode and other subscription
* options by visiting //www.freelists.org. The list archive
* is also located there.
* Duxbury Systems' web site is http://www.duxburysystems.com
* * *
Other related posts:
