Shorthand
Shorthand is a script consisting of simple characters that can be written faster than conventional "longhand". It makes it possible to transcribe spoken language at a normal pace or to record your own thoughts more quickly.
A document written in shorthand is called a stenogram. A person who uses this writing as a scribe or minute-taker in negotiations and the like is a stenographer.
While the "normal" spelling method can write around 60-80 syllables per minute, the stenographer can write over 450 syllables in the same time.
In Germany, shorthand doesn't seem to be used as much as it used to be, but there are indeed still important places where it is a significant part of a conference/meeting.
A professional stenographer explains why stenography is still indispensable in the German Bundestag:
Alternative aids/techniques
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