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Carolyn Bodley - Legal Verbatim Transcriptionist of Audio, Video & Digital Files
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Services and BLOG
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blog
entries are strictly the opinion of Carolyn Bodley and may not reflect the opinion of others
(to see archived blog
entries, click on the links to the right of the top blog)
Some photos are compressed or removed in archived blog postings,
leaving only a description of the photo. The blog postings remain complete and unchanged.
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Monday, September 28, 2009
BLOG - The duty to protect privacy and confidentiality
 Privacy and confidentiality are pretty sore subjects with me -- actually the
boil comes to a head with the people that don't care anything about someone else's privacy and confidentiality.
In the business world (at least when it comes to the need for transcription services), some of the blame for the problem
needs to be directed to the "client" desiring to contact with vendors at the lowest possible cost.
How many "clients" are aware of the fact that once they hand audio/video files off to a vendor, that the
majority of the time, the files will be handed off to someone else -- possibly even a third or fourth "someone."
I'm referring to a medical transcriptionist vendor that passed medical reports to a transcriptionist in Florida that passed
the reports to a man in Texas that passed the reports to someone in Pakistan. The person in Pakistan that transcribed the
information never got paid from the man in Texas. The Pakistani transcriptionist threatened to post the personal and confidential
medical information/transcript to the Internet.
The original vendor claims "unbeknowest to her" that
the information was passed on twice after she gave it to the Florida transcriptionist. A supporter of this woman claims that
this happened as to "no fault of her own" (the vendor) and she went belly-up.
In my personal and business
opinion, the original vendor entrusted with personal, private and confidential information owed a duty to her client,
the medical center, and dropped the chain-of-command -- having absolutely no idea who had access to the medical center's personal,
private and confidential information.
This is just one instance of "who will have access to my work product
once it leaves my sight?" Even if the work is never passed on or passed on again and possibly again, will it remain on
the transcriptionist's hard drive? Will hard (printed) copies end up sitting at the curb "unshredded" waiting for
the trash truck to end up who knows where?
Once I am entrusted with your work, it is NEVER EVER given to a
subcontractor or a sub-subcontactor. Your work never leaves my sight because I work with it from start to end. No other eyes
or ears will ever have access to your work. The only thing that sits at the curb will be the remnants of "cross-shredded"
paper. Nothing is left on my computer hard drive.
How does the security of other vendors stand up to my own
security? Make sure you ask before you entrust them with your personal and confidential work.
[end of blog]
Saturday, September 26, 2009
BLOG - Disposable Society
 My biggest business expense is my equipment -- it exceeds that of most of my clients.
Not one of my computers cost less than $2,000 and my color laser printer was over $3,000. Many of my clients purchase
equipment on what I refer to as the "throw away" plan. Computers for somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 and printers
in the range of $250-$500 -- not made to withstand any high volume usage, when it breaks in a year or so, they just turn around
and buy another "cheapie" model.
My equipment is my business and I buy my equipment to last. My newest laser
printer is two years old. It replaced my last laser printer that lasted roughly 13 years. Each of the printers cost $3,000.
The old one was an HPIII -- my workhorse. I cried when it finally broke after hundreds of thousands of copies. My new laser
probably didn't have to be color, but that's what I wanted and I felt both I and my business worthy -- it takes
five separate toner cartridges that average $150/each, but print 10,000 pages each. Yesterday I sent a document to print and
was shocked to hear these crunchy sounds coming from it. I opened the printer up and found a rotating roller with
this film on it. The film was all scrunched up.
I called HP to be informed that even though the printer is only
two years old, they have discontinued the model. He went on to say that they no longer sell parts and I need to call
another number. I know that one or more of HPs call centers are now located in India -- one of the reasons I love my
Dell computers, but refuse to deal with them on the phone. I asked if this parts center was in India and he told me that it
was in Costa Rica -- well, yeah, that's so much better! NOT. He told me to tell them what I needed. I asked for the part number
and he said to just say it was such and such roller.
You have to understand that it is Friday afternoon and I'm
swamped with projects that need to get out the door. The woman looks it up and says, quite matter of factly, that the part
is back ordered and that she has no idea when the back order will be filled. This is when I found myself losing it. I spend
good money on quality name-brand products and the part is on back order through HP. I explained to her that this is my business
-- I mean it's not like I'm a dutiful little housewife that simply sits at the computer playing solitaire. She explained that
she didn't know what to tell me, and the best she could do is give me a reseller's phone number. Yeah, here's the rub I thought
-- now I'll get to deal with India.
I called the third number and found it to be a company in the UNITED STATES
that didn't have any problem with my English nor me with their speech -- even though they were in Texas. The company has a
branch in Denver and are growing into several other states. She looked up the part and told me that they didn't have one --
and my headache is really beginning to pound, but she told me to give her five minutes and she would find me one. Within three
minutes, she called me back and said she found one in Minnesota and it would be shipped next business day -- I would
get it on Monday and didn't even have to pay shipping !!! Besides that, HP wanted close to $300 for the roller and they wanted
a little over $100. The part is brand new HP and not reconditioned.
Good-bye HP. I will continue purchasing HP
products because I do think the quality is worthy of having your name on it -- however, you've lost getting any more
of my money ordering through you directly -- ImageOne, this brand new wonderful company, that bent over backwards to
find the part that God only knows how long will be on back order through you, will now be getting ALL of my money on parts
and supplies.
Thank you Pam. You became my angel on Friday.
[end of blog]
Thursday, September 24, 2009
BLOG - Court Reporters vs. Transcriptionists
 A court reporter's role is critical. They are responsible for ensuring a complete, accurate
and secure legal record.
Hmmmmm, sounds exactly like what I do as an audio/video transcriptionist.
Electronic
reporting uses audio equipment to record court or audio proceedings. The court reporter monitors the process, takes notes
to identify speakers and listens to the recording to ensure clarity and quality. The recording equipment may be analog tape
recorders or digital equipment.
My intention is not to take away from or diminish the importance of the court reporter.
However, I believe when I transcribe a verbatim transcript -- be it from a video or audio source, my importance in ensuring
an exact paper copy of every sound, utterance and spoken word, is no less critical than that of the court reporter.
So why is it then, that the "electronic reporting" court reporter keeps seventy five cents of every
dollar and pays the transcriptionist only a quarter? I understand all about profit and why the court reporter doesn't split
it 50/50. But what's wrong with 60/40?
A three-quarter to one-quarter split just doesn't seem right to me when
looking at the responsibilities of both the "electronic reporting" court reporter and the transcriptionist.
With that said, I don't anticipate court reporters filling my email "in" box with transcription requests -- more
than likely I will be inundated with hate mail, which is fine -- I will continue transcribing police interviews, recorded
witness statements and recorded phone conversations, earning substantially more than twenty-five cents on the dollar.
[end of blog]
Monday, September 14, 2009
BLOG - Cutler remains a cry baby
 Jay Cutler may no longer be a Bronco, but his temper tantrums, immaturity and childish
whining followed him to Chicago -- as well as his throwing interceptions.
I hate sports. The only thing I hate
worse is being around my husband when he watches baseball, football, hockey, NASCAR ... yesterday while watching the Broncos
season opener, he quit watching even before halftime. I actually enjoyed the second half of the game by myself. I didn't
scream and shout at the television -- I didn't channel surf--stopping five or 10 minutes and getting interested in a program
only to begin surfing once again. The 87 yard touchdown which won the game for the Broncos wasn't bad either.
Like
I said, I hate sports programs -- although, I watched wonder boy Cutler in his season opener with Chicago!
Sweet justice. This morning I heard on the radio that he is not accepting any fault of his own for Chicago losing -- hmmmm,
not even with his record FOUR interceptions during one game.
I personally lost all respect for him last year when
after two or three interceptions, he slapped the Broncos kicker in the face -- right on camera/television.
One
man does not make a football team. I was raised that I am just as good as anyone -- maybe even better than some. HOWEVER,
it was instilled in me to never get my head so over-inflated thinking I was better than someone, and if I did, be prepared
because someone would come around and knock me out of my ivory tower.
[end of blog]
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
BLOG - Labor Day is behind us
 June, July and August were great times.
Memorial Day was May 25 and Labor
Day was September 7 -- and why are these dates significant? For the simple fact that you don't wear white shoes before Memorial
Day or after Labor Day !!!!!
Until Memorial Day 2010 comes around, remove the white shoes from your feet, put them
under the bed, pack them away in the back of your closet -- put them anyplace but on your feet -- for that matter, take your
white purse(s) and hide them away until Memorial Day 2010.
[end of blog]
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