Dictionary Jumpstart's Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What exactly is Dictionary Jumpstart?
A. It is a software program that allows any reporter, realtime reporter, CART reporter or captioner to quickly build a well-rounded dictionary by only providing the steno entries.

Q. Can I import the dictionary I create with Jumpstart into my Eclipse or
Case Catalyst software?
A. Yes, you may import the dictionary into any CAT software except Xscribe.

Q. If I put in a word that's already in my dictionary, what happens?
A. If the steno and the English are identical, the entry stays the same. If there is a difference, it will be a conflict. When merging the words, you’ll decide which entry you'd like to keep.

Q. Is there an audio pronunciation with each entry?
A. We have been told that computerized voices or non-humanlike voices are not easy to understand. We are unaware of a software that has a human voice for dictionary building purposes.

Q. What are BEEDS?
A: Things you put on bracelets? We’re in the dictionary building business here!

Q. What type of reporter spends money on software and still has to do three times the work to build a dictionary?
A: The ones who didn’t hear Mark Kislingbury recommend Dictionary Jumpstart as the fastest and easiest way to build your dictionary.

Q. Do I still have to go back and define my entries after stroking the steno out?
A. We're happy to say, No! All the reporter does is stroke out each entry. You may stroke each entry as many different ways as you'd like. If you want to put hysterical in your dictionary written five different ways, go for it. You may even laugh as you do it!

Q. Is this program only for captioners?
A. This program is for any reporter who has untranslates and mistranslates and would like to reduce their editing time.

Q. How long will it take me to input all of the categories in Dictionary Jumpstart?
A. It's easy to stroke out approximately 1,000 to 1,200 words per hour. This is a pretty small fraction of time when you look at what a valuable tool you're creating that will last you your entire career.

Q. What if I can only work on it for a half hour? Can I pick up where I left off?
A. Yes, you may stop and start stroking the same list as many times as needed.

Q. What if I am not sure how to pronounce a word?
A. You may put the word in pronounced several ways. Have you noticed how news anchors pronounce even the simplest words differently? We’ve heard al-Qaeda pronounced three different ways!

If you do not think you'll remember how a word is written, do not put it into your dictionary. Just because a word is in Jumpstart, doesn't mean that you must put it in your dictionary. Everything you put in is ultimately up to you.

Q. Who thought of Dictionary Jumpstart and how did it come to be?
A. Anissa Nierenberger has captioned for more than five captioning companies in the last 16 years. When training a captioner in '97, helping her build a dictionary was painstaking! Anissa spent the next three years creating Dictionary Jumpstart. Many of Anissa’s customers are now her captioning coworkers.

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