Lynn Serafinn's Cosmic Journey

Computers are NOT Taking over the World Just Yet

I LOVE my new PC

Over the past 3 weeks, I’ve been having some problems with RSI (repetitive strain injury) in my wrists and shoulders. I don’t mean just a little bit of aches and pains… I was in a fairly crippling state for at least a week and couldn’t type anything without extreme pain. To make sure I didn’t damage my wrists, I refrained from typing for about a week, bought some foam wrist supports for my mouse and keyboard (which help a lot) and also a new keyboard that is much lighter to the touch. My wrists are feeling much better as a result, but I still have to take it REALLY easy so they don’t relapse.

Well, as it turns out, I also bought a new computer this past week (not planned to synchronise with my wrist problems, mind you!). It came a few days ago, and I am still installing all my programmes. I LOVE my new PC. It looks, sounds and behaves beautifully and I am totally thrilled with my purchase. AND I have to say, I really like Windows 7 so far. Very sleek.

While snooping around my new toy, to my surprise I found Windows 7 comes with voice recognition software (apparently it was in XP too, but I never noticed it)! I thought this might be a great answer to my wrist/typing problems, so I thought I’d try it out to see if I could dictate my upcoming classes from Spirit Authors (I have fallen horribly behind, owing to my inability to type).

Well, I have to tell you, my experience was pretty funny. I tried to get it to type the title of one of my upcoming classes, which is, “Module 4 Week 3: Creating a Twitter Campaign for Your Launch”. I repeated the title several times over. Here are the HILARIOUS interpretations it came up with:

• Nigel four week three creating a 20^th campaign by on march

• 1 to 4 with three freeing it will account paying for your knowledge

• Marshall four weeks three creating a clear campaign by and large

• Nigel four weeks three creating a toilet campaign for young launch

• Nigel four weeks 33 minutes whether campaign for real much.

• Model for a week’s 33 minute whether campaign relaunch

• Nigel and a model for four weeks three creating a clever campaign for the launch

• Marshall for week three clear yet whether campaign for you Walsh.

• Model for a week’s free Wheeling and 20 campaign by launch.

• Marshall four weeks 33 minute winner campaign for your launch

Gosh, I wonder who Nigel and Marshall are? And why do they hang out with models? And I REALLY don’t want to think what a “toilet campaign” might be!

Don’t even IMAGINE I made these up. No way. I’ve been laughing so hard since Windows 7 wrote them, tears are literally streaming down my face. I couldn’t possibly have typed them myself.

You’ve got to bear in mind, I was saying the EXACT same line over and over in exactly the same tone of voice. People ALWAYS tell me I speak very clearly! In fact, it’s one of the key things that people note about me. What’s up with this “voice recognition” software?

I went back and “trained” it to recognise my voice, and I also “taught” the word “Twitter”. Amazingly, it “learned” Twitter ok, but it still couldn’t get the hang of the word “Module”, repeatedly choosing the word “Model” or “Models” instead. Not once did it understand the word Module, even after I taught it to hear it and spelled it out for it.

Needless to say, I typed this blog post.

P.S.: If you’d actually like to find out how to create a Twitter campaign for your book launch, you’ll just have to check out Module 4 on my Spirit Authors course. Visit http://spiritauthors.com and find out how you can take a 14-day Test Drive for only $1.