Floppy v. CD

[Ruth Grant]

Can anyone shed some light on the ratio of floppies v. CDs being used to produce ASCIIs these days? And since I'm getting back in the field and don't really know (silly question???) how are you labeling your CDs, if you are using them?

Appreciate the input!

[April McMillan, CRR, RPR, CSR]

Ruth,
I haven't used a floppy disk in about a year -- all CDs now. Lots of CD label making programs out there. Many of the new computers already have the software installed.
Good Luck :)

[Ruth Grant]

Thanks for your response, April. Well, guess I'll stop my search for the antiquated external floppy drive! Only one left at Best Buy currently, and Radio Shack is out, will not be getting any more in. That says it all, I guess.

[Deborah M.]

Ruth, I email almost all my transcripts to the agencies. It's great -- no more having to buy floppies. That said, a couple old-time reporters can't figure out the email so I have to send them ASCIIs. I ended up buying an external floppy drive on ebay -- half the price of Fry's. I think I paid $20 including shipping.

If it's to your own clients, I'm SURE they would want CDs.

[Tori Pittman]

I'm doing everything via email - I PDF my transcripts and include an ASCII with it. The State requires me to burn a CD to submit with my paper transcript (only until June 30 - then we submit PDF via email).

No need for these anymore. Attorneys who aren't on email of some sort - haven't seen them in a while.


:)

[Ruth Grant]

Sure would be nice to handle everything via e-mail.

[Kyung]

I use floppies bec. I'm on a Stentura 8000 (no LX). But I don't give out floppies.

Everything is e-mailed into agency or attorney.

That being said, my laptop does not have a floppy drive, so I have an external.

I do not use floppies to archive. I burn things to CD.

[Ruth Grant]

You are all over this site, Kyung! Thanks for the response. Sounds like almost everyone is e-mailing their work, much faster. A lot has changed in the last five years, especially with the information highway! We were still using "tangible" dictionaries five years ago.

[Brenda Rogers]

Few computers can handle floppies anymore. I haven't sent them out for probably five years. All computers, except netbooks, have CD drives. Far safer to send a CD. However, I send electronic files by email and don't fuss around with either one now.

[Brenda Rogers]

Rarely, if ever, do I send only an ASCII file. Usually a hard copy or PDF accompanies, and those are pretty close to tamper-proof.

I know the fact that ASCII files are editable is a concern to us, but do we really think attorneys would tamper with a transcript? Someone else will have a copy. We'll have the original file showing what we certified. They won't match. It will be an issue brought up in court.

I think we're worrying about a possibility that is unlikely to happen. An attorney would really be putting his career on the line to try something like that.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Brenda commented about an attorney changing a transcript. I think a bigger worry is a secretary. After I got out of court reporting I worked as a legal assistant for twenty years. Legal secretaries are cocky and have big egos. And a secretary could do something without thinking about the legalities of it. That certification page doesn't mean anything to anyone except that the transcript was done.