easy to write
easy to learn
character and you combine some characters and there are other
methods taught with Teeline.
In my testing I found that these simply were not worth learning and were
unnecessary. The speed advantage was not that significant when
compared to the difficulty of reading what was written later. That is why
the Ford system has no similar rules. Teeline has some other issues, like
using one character or character-appearing-symbol to represent a
different character or using a symbol that is not related to the character.
For example, in Teeline the alternate __ for D is similar to T but depends
on placement relative to the baseline. The Teeline F looks like D or a
deflated balloon, O looked like U but so did U and Q, S looked like O(so
why have O looking like U and S looking like O?). In Teeline Q, O, U and
Y look basically the same with Q looking like a big U that had nothing
to do with the form of Q. These character choices meant that you could
never use the actual letter if you forgot when writing what the Teeline
character was because it would look like another letter. It also made it
much harder to learn the alphabet because some letters are replaced
with other letters without rhyme or reason. If you forgot the symbol for
O and just wrote "o" it would look like S when you read it back in Teeline.
Teeline also combines characters even when there is no speed
advantage to doing this so a simple set of characters suddenly becomes
complex and hard to understand. There were a lot of problems with
Teeline which is why I set out to make my own alphabet.
In the Ford method you do not omit vowels. The Ford method speeds
up writing and allows you to keep your writing relatively private(as long
as no one looking over your shoulder knows this method). It is not meant
to be as fast as Gregg. It is meant to be easier to understand and write.
There is no difference between upper and lower case in the Ford system.
Punctuation and numbers are the same as in regular writing. You can
combine characters, but it is not necessary to do so. For example, THE
would be three marks combined and LIKE would be those shorthand
marks combined into one symbol, with the IK into one. Common words
can be abbreviated. For common words like and, the, you, you can use
a simple line so write the first letter then draw a line which symbolizes
the word.
Write y-- for you. You can develop your own abbreviations and make a
list of them in your journal. This will make your writing even faster.
Speed Considerations
Let's not forget that we live in a modern world. Shorthand was
developed to take dictation. I guarantee you if they had dictaphones or
smartphones with recording apps or even voice recognition software
there would have been no need for shorthand and it would have never
been developed. If speed is really that important and you need to
capture every word use a pocket voice recorder. Modern shorthand is
not about taking down dictation, it is about making notes quickly and
keeping your writing private. You do not have to write as fast as
someone can speak anymore.
Learning Ford Improved Shorthand
You dont need to take a course to learn the Ford Improved Shorthand
system. Just start using it.
1. Write the alphabet a couple of times and you will have it firmly
established in your head. It is really very simple. Look at how the
characters in the Ford alphabet are similar to, representative of,
or strokes from the original lower or upper-case letters. That will
make it easy to remember. Spend five minutes doing this.
2. Pick a random magazine article or page from a book and write it
using the Ford method. It must be something you have not
memorized. At first it will be a slow process.
3. When you have written a couple of paragraphs up to a page read
it back. Start at random places in the text and begin reading too.
It will take some practice to get good at reading it back. At first
you will have to pronounce the characters in your head and that
will turn into words. Sound out the words slowly. You will quickly
develop confidence in your ability to read it back, though it will
take some time while you are learning. With practice you will be
able to read your writing back as fast as you can read regular
writing and write it as well. Spend 10 minutes practicing your
reading. That is all you need to learn to read and write this
system. Beyond that it is a matter of practice.
Congratulations! You have just learned the Ford Improved Shorthand
method in 15 minutes or less.
If you would like a course in the Ford Improved Shorthand Method, then
you just got it. Re-read 1, 2 and 3. That is it. It really is that simple. For
numbers, special characters or punctuation use the regular shapes. If you
would still like to take a seven day intensive course in this method,
repeat the above for seven days. Really, that is all there is to it. This is a
simple method and I am not selling courses on how to do it.
Tips:
Be classy and use a fountain pen. This is not really related to shorthand,
but it looks cool to write with a fountain pen and it is a great way to
differentiate your writing from other's writings. Do some web surfing on
fountain pens and you will find lots of people enjoy using them over
common ballpoint pens.
If you want to write languages other than English you can simply add
the pronunciation marks or use the actual character for non-standard
characters.
Tricks:
If you forget a letter, you can use the regular letter. You can figure out
what you wrote even if you dont remember every letter because your
mind will fill in the blanks when you recognize most letters.
Obfuscation:
You may want to make your writing even harder to read if you are writing
in a diary or journal. There is something personal about writing with your
own hand rather than using a computer. Journals are still very popular,
but no one wants just anyone to read a private diary or journal. Writing
in code is impractical and difficult. Plus, what if you forget the code? The
Ford method makes it easy.
The Ford method allows obfuscation, not encryption. It is not secure and
anyone who can read Ford Improved Shorthand can read what you write.
But, let's face it, how many people around you can read Ford Improved
Shorthand?
Legal
The Ford Improved Shorthand method is free for personal or business
use as long as it is not sold and no money is charged for the system or
materials. If you teach this system or make any materials from it available
as part of another product or course then you must obtain permission.
The image showing the Ford Improved Shorthand characters may be
used on other websites as long as it is not altered or cropped. It may be
resized as long as all text is readable.
Speed Reading
If you are interested in speed writing, then you will also be interested in
Speed Reading. Find out more.