Re: Looking for speed-reading program

Michael M. Butler (butler@comp*lib.org)
Wed, 08 Oct 1997 05:44:19 -0700


You might try to do a Web search on "tachistoscope", "speed reading" or
"Renshaw" and see what turns up... OTOH, it ought to be a simple sort of
thing to program in Visual Basic with OLE. But I don't program in VB.

Caveats: my suspicions are that if it's on a monitor screen, you are going
to be refresh-rate limited; then again, if you synchronize to the screen
refresh so there's no strobing "flicker", that'd be on the order of 3600
WPM; that might be enough faster than your baseline reading rate to be
worth it to you. I also seem to recall that the original tachistoscope work
slid a visible/illuminated text "window" around the page, so there might be
less depletion of retinal chemicals, depending on how much of the reading
take place away from the fovea. I also am aware that conventional "speed
reading" techniques include taking in entire phrases at a glance, which
might mean parsing at the phrase, rather than word, level. Another variable
is the *size* of the font used--this could be a big win compared to typical
font sizes which are almost always too low-resolution (a nominal 72 dpi and
10 pitch is only about 7x13 pixels), which reduces recognition and reading
speed compared with 300 dpi on paper.

But have fun... YMMV.

MMB

>Instead of reading a text from left to right, you can read it
>much faster when the words are presented on an empty
>(white) screen in the center of the screen ! So every word
>will be presented to you; one at the time in the middle of the screen, you
>can focus on that point, and therefor you can read it faster then
>"normal"
>
>To check this: does anybody know of a program which I could feed
>with docs, emails (plain text) that would convert it to this reading-style.
>(pref. with keys to go back and forth, and adjustable speed).
>
>
>Thanks for the help !
>
>Greetings,
>
>Berrie
>
>====================================
>Berrie Staring Email : staring@worldonline.nl
>Member : Excedo Dutch >H
>Site: present in november 1997
>" if we agree; that what you do to someone....
>.....can be done to you....................................
>.you know love is an option and violence not"
>====================================
>
>
>
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