Isaac Newton made notes in shorthand. Charles Dickens wrote in shorthand as a court stenographer
where he first observed the drama and intrigue of Victorian political life. Shorthand has a long
pedigree and remains practiced today, in its various forms, as professional tool and personal
hobby. It is eminently worth learning, both for its practicality and for the joy of economical
writing. If you are just beginning to learn, I encourage you to stick with it. Competence
takes practice.
The purpose of this tool is to help you practice while sparing some of the tedium of recording your
own dictations. But don't be deceived that this is the only way to practice. It is still worth
practicing with recorded audio to experience the rhythm and tone of words as they are spoken
by a real person. Shorthand consists in no particular tool. People practiced shorthand before recording
technology was invented. Don't ever let the lack of a perfect tool become an excuse, and just
practice.