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That doesn't explain black and white lines.

Posted By: need clarification on 2009-05-28
In Reply to: PROBITY DOES PAY FOR SPACES! sm - MT6pack

If not employed there we can't as a supervisor, but if the recruiter says black and white lines wouldn't that be just the black characters on a white page?  No spaces.




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I would think that black and WHITE means they pay for both black characters and spaces.
There is no such thing as a white character. But I would definitely clarify this in your interview.
Black and white. nm

black and white?

I understand what you are saying about transcription being black and white, but I have to disagree.  While transcription itself is pretty straight forward, there are many different fields that require the same service. 


To say that someone with no medical transcription experience does not need additional training does not make sense to me.  I have dealt soley with psych. transcription and won't fool myself into thinking that once I've done one area, I've done it all. 


If you go to websites of top online companies, they specifically say that any other transcription experience outside of MT does not apply towards years of experience required for employment and my conversations with them have confirmed that. 


I appreciate all of you who have given me honest, useful and valid information.  It will definitely influence my decision! thanks again!


Black AND white (sm)
Doesn't that mean white (or spaces) are paid for?
Black and white characters

I worked for a company that used the DQS software and I never could get my line counts, even though I typed like a fiend! In an 8-hour shift, I could get maybe 800 to 900 lines with that program. The way my company said, is Black and White characters, which means no spaces.  I didn't get any credit for the ADT screens either.


Hope this helps.


I don't think so. What you see on paper or on the screen in black and white.
If it were me, I certainly would ask specifically the HR person or MTSO. Pick up the phone, dial their number, and ask. Never take a job, unless you know how and what you are getting paid for.

I do believe it means without spaces, but I could be wrong. Things change so fast in this industry, what it means one day, does not necessarily have the same definition tomorrow.
Definitely is spaces include, black and white.
Indeed it is.
mean black character on white paper
also called virtual black character or VBC. Spaces not paid for. Never do it. This is just horrible.
It means characters that are printed in black and white - no spaces included. nm
x
I emailed and asked. Said it was 65-character line with spaces or black and white.
clear as mud.
Doesn't explain why the work has been so low for 6 months.
It only makes sense in the context of this week. Hope WX is not about to MDI us.
DQS doesn't cheat on lines (sm)
which you can easily verify by cut/pasting your report into Word or that MedPen word counting program (freeware) or something. DQS just doesn't pay for demographics, dates of admission/discharge, referring physician names, courtesy copies, and all the other stuff you're used to, even if you have to enter the data by hand, but who does anymore?

I know of 2 other companies that use DQS, both somewhere in the south. Accuscribe originally tested the program for the software company that came up with it, but many people have told me they don't pay for spaces and are otherwise "difficult." Dunno, never worked for them. Dictation Services Group is a very nice company, now part of VoiceWorks. www.dsg-inc.net. I did 1500 lines my second day with that company, only left because I had too many private accounts to do to give them enough time.

Instant Text's newest revision automatically imports DQS AutoCorrect glossaries!
keystrokes vs. lines doesn't really matter
If they stick to a standard 65 character line and include each keystroke as part of a line it won't make a difference. I made a mere 7.5 per line at a previous job (counted headers and footers) and made much better money because I was put on good accounts and kept on them. I've read some companies do not pay for spaces. My thoughts on that is fine, Iwouldn'ttypethem.

If it's not a trick line then counting by lines is okay.
60 min doesn't equal 600 lines imnsho..sm

I've done a whooollleee lot of research on this on my own transcription and I have never had 60 minutes equal less than at least 750 lines. Every time. So whoever first said that their 130 minutes is around 1800 to 1900 lines is a lot closer than the 60 minutes equals 600 lines, in my not so humble opinion.


And I don't even do MT, which I know has faster dictators than what I do. Think about how fast those docs go through their dictation trying to hurry and get it done. They are not speaking in a normal speaking voice, so heck it's possible 140 minutes could equal 2000 lines easy given that consideration.


But the one who said it is going to differ day to day is correct too unless you're typing the same dictator every day, then it's pretty standard. If you're using a platform where you can't count your own lines, is there a way to copy and paste into Word to get an idea for your normal daily dictation? Even DoquScribe has a way to copy into Word, so maybe you could do that.


Someone on this thread talked about 10 second dictations. If you could get your line count from something like that, then just multiply it times 360, then you have your line count for an hour's worth.


 


Anyway, just my two cents' worth. You're going to get different answers from everyone because everyone has different dictators. But I would still say at least 1700 lines for 140 minutes.


Doesn't FirstChoice pay gross lines? If so, then
6 or 7 cpl gross would be equivalent to about 8-9. Not very good, but could be worse.
Enterprise doesn't show lines

Which is a different issue entirely, IMO.  Ever since they put the counter on Enterprise, there has been the 0 from midnight to 1 am glitch.  My lines during that time ARE counted on the timeclock summary page, but they will never show on the on-screen counter.  Why?  Who knows.  Never once can they uprgrade Enterprise without a bunch of glitches, and will usually only fix them if there is a huge outcry from the MTs.  The programmers are a bunch of airheads, which has always made me nervous and unconfident our IT department (along with the dubious help I may or may not get from the help desk).  I often wonder if they have any criteria at all for hiring IT personnel, or just take anybody off the street...


Beyond Text doesn't work long enough to allow you to get any lines. nm
nm
ETrans doesn't hit 9 cpl until you're at 1400 lines a day. nm
s
But it doesn't address the problem of shorting of lines?
x
Medware's IT dept. obviously doesn't work weekends.No lines count for 2 days. nm
not surprised
Wouldn't the white mean spaces? nm
x
Anyone with any info on Proscribe Transcription out of White, GA?
They have an ad on job seeker's board.
"making some young white hotshot"

Wow....and I thought I had issues!    


I worked for a guy who owned a landscape nursery who was just like that though...He was younger than most everyone there and couldn't have weighed 90 pounds soakin' wet AND he had to look up at all of us (barely made 5 feet!)...it was so hard to keep a straight face when he got all upset and pissy over something.  You'd never see him walking around his domain to keep an eye on things...uh oh.  He'd be tooling around in his Bobcat shouting orders from over a bullhorn.  Oh my god it was a riot! 


To be fair to the above poster, $11/hour gross is kinda low though, so I can see how someone would be tweeked at that. 


 


Probity also. "Black on white" means no spaces
.
TT - ext text. Why are some voice jobs gold/yellow instead of white? nm
 
Black Lists?

No, I don't believe there is such a thing. Then, do companies talk to each other about former employees? Yes, sometimes that happens. It's simply the course of doing business. It's called a network and often called checking your references.


As for recruiters not knowing each other, at any given AAMT meeting there will be 5 to 20 companies exhibiting, each with their recruiter there. Of course they get to know each other. It is, again, about networking.


I am curious, though. If MTs can create a blacklist for companies, what would be wrong with employers doing it??


black characters?
Sounds like no spaces counted to me.
Pot - Kettle - Black
Shelley,

Talk about bad business practices.

Your post is blatant example of the pot calling the kettle black. Just how marketable have you made yourself posting openly this gripe about your former employer you left months ago. Perhaps you may sway a few MTs from applying with D&L, but I bet your post instead turns many more prospective employers away from you.

Next time, think before you speak.

Anyhow, good luck to you.

Current D&L IC
- always paid in full and on time.


Pot-kettle-black
What's true is true, and I can't change that for you...however, it hasn't hurt my marketability in the least. Thank you so much for your concern.
Are you sure it's not 55 visible black
xx
Have you checked outside, there might be a black
Why care who reads what, if you're telling the truth it makes no difference.  Management might take the time to read this site (as if they have nothing better to do) for entertainment but give them more credit for intelligence than to base any management or company decision making issues on anything said on a board like this.  If you say nothing on here you wouldn't be afraid to say to management, then who cares what they see/read.  If management is particularly bad or corrupt, etc., they don't care if you know it because they've already figured out a way around what they're doing.  Now go close all your blinds and cower in the corner and wait for them to come busting through the door.   
Doesn't apply if your OSI account doesn't use Ichart.
It is the Ichart only for OSi where you are cheated.
I was black listed because I refused a job with TRS
Then, I was told they called the other company I as going back to and I would not be allowed to go back there either. Lucky for me, I had 2 jobs already.
black characters=without spaces.
nm
Looks like the pot calling the kettle black to me....sm
Obviously you have time to come here and check out the posts. Ever think other people might be the same way?
Visual black character perhaps
You might want to check to see if they have switched to no spaces and are paying the VBC method. That could account for such a drastic cut. It would not be surprising to me at all. I am always more than appalled when companies do this on their own without notification or at client request without feeling the need to inform the MTs. Do they think that we do not notice that we are working harder than previously for less?
Yoo hoo! Black Swan! I'm 60 yrs old. I just want to retire.
xx
Visible black characters help!?!?!?
So I'm trying and cannot figure out for the life of me how to compute what a proper rate would be once the switch goes over to visible black characters. I want to get this figured out, so that when the call or email comes about my adjusted line rate, I can either accept it or not.

Does anyone know, at a line rate of 8 cpl right now, what an equal VBC line rate would be? Is there any way to figure this out?

And does this mean we can stop the double spacing? I mean, if it won't affect the company's pay (because apparently they only bill on visible black characters), it's more in keeping with the new standard of only one space after periods and whatnot.
pot calling kettle black
Your whole post was a snipe! and who would want to work with you anyway?
Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me!
Like we don't know of a BUNCH of absolutely whacked-out nutty MTSOs? And then the MTs that move from company to company are the ones off the deep end. I think you need a stand-up comedian side job! I'm over here LMAO! hahahahahahahahaha
Anyone know first-hand about a black list shared by
nm
Paid for 55 char black line...
Can anyone tell me if they get paid this way instead of the 65 w/ spaces? If anyone else does, can you tell me roughly the difference it makes versus getting paid for spaces?

Thanks
Visible black character spaces
I work for a company that only pays VBC and let me tell you it takes forever to get that line count. In my opinion that space bar does not move by itself. Getting cheated but I need the job.
VBC= virtual black character link

a bit hard to understand but those out there are sure using the calculators.  This was on the internet and note this VBC listed on a job listing.on MTStars.  Not only have to provide expensive Lanier equip and provide free long distance to their clients but lower line pay.  See how they keep lowering their business client cost. and pass it on to the MT


 


Posted By: K&R Consulting, Inc on 2009-06-30

We currently have several fulltime positions available for acute care MTs with a minimum of 3 years exp and exp with ESL.

Equipment required - Dictaphone or compatible Cphone and unlimited long distance.

Start dates of 8/10 and 8/18 available.

Pay is 9 cents on a 65 VBC line.

Please send resume to resumes@knrconsult.com i


Ever heard of the pot calling the kettle black?
Or are you too dense to get that reference as well? Here's a clue: there is NOTHING mature about your sour posts - slamming another for supposed 'immature behavior.'

You think you can separate out one comment in a 'gotcha' moment - and that somehow justifies your lectures?

What part of knee-jerk, simplistic judgmental commentary being unhelpful and unfair don't you get?

On second thought, make those rhetorical questions...because its crystal clear you thrive on (harsh) judgement of others who may be different from you - despite how ignorant that action makes you look.




If there was a such thing, the black list for MT's would be miles longer than sm
that of MTSO's. I would love to see most of the MT's I have dealt with even begin to do what I do. Most don't have the social skills, personalities or work ethic to be good employees, much less MTSO's.

NOT ALL, BUT MOST. If you all can generalize, so can we. The difference is that we don't talk petty BS to each other as MT's do on the boards. I, for one, am sick to death of the bashing that goes on here. If you spent more time working and less yapping, you might make more money and be good employees.
visible black character (VBC) spaces not counted SM

I just ran across this as bit long article but it is worth saving to your PC and reading a bit at a time.  I recall posting that Probity used this, I posted this meant NO SPACES and somebody came back and said they do pay for them. Boy they are really really making extensive calculation, guess always have and we did not know it.


Last year, KLAS reported that the industry appeared to be moving towards a standard


pricing model based on visual black characters (VBC), especially given the joint announcement from AHIMA and MTIA endorsing the adoption of VBC. The vision was for the VBC to be used to develop service level agreements, benchmark internal


transcription performance, foster better business relationships with the MTSOs, and improve the tools for evaluating and selecting MTSO partners. However, based on this body of research, adoption of this standard has been slow and billing per line is still the predominant approach.


 http://www.californiahia.org/Content/ul/8694//Kivi_Dale_Transcriptions_New_Standards.pdf


 


agree. Skim the black dots, no biggie. nm
.
VBC - visible black character - no spaces, returns,
It reduces your pay by about 30%, because you still have to hit the spacebar and return even though you are not paid for it. 
Really offensive, what black people will only work for the bottom of the barrel?

should be ashamed



I agree. And black list or no, intelligent people take information
.