ChatGPT and Blog Posts.

For several years I have followed a workflow to track miscellaneous receipts and paper documents. My process was difficult at first - finally becoming simple last year. 

The Bad - The Old Process

1. 
   Collect a stack of paper to scan.
2. Confirm the HP scanner is properly connected.
   
3. Place full size paper items into the sheet feeder and select scan.
4. Wait for the page to scan (300dpi limit on documents process in the sheet feeder).
5. Go to the scan and fax application and rename, then move documents to the proper folders.
6. Take small items and place them (one at a time) on the flatbed, select preview scan.
7. Crop the preview to match the size of the receipt, or ID card, to save file size, select scan. (Repeat. Repeat many times). 
8. Rename and move to the proper folders.

The Good - The New Process

Microsoft Lens made great strides over the last few years and has replaced my HP scanner completely. Place your item on a black surface, confirm the lighting, and click capture a document. Confirm the scan, then save to OneNote. 

Why save to OneNote?

OneNote has improved its OCR process which directly improves Search capability. As an example, I needed to match paper receipts to digital copies to collect Health Savings account items for reimbursement. 

While my Health Savings provider does not care about receipts, the government might. Paper trail equals audit success. You can take any unique word or number from a receipt and search OneNote to pull up the image. For archival purposes, I printed the entire section into a PDF file. 

Any word that you can read on the image included on this page can be searched in OneNote. If you remember "I had a Corona" at that business dinner..." searching OneNote will return the page. 

The Other Good - The ChatGPT Solution

Question: Provide instructions for using MS Lens to scan documents to OneNote

Response: 

• Open the Microsoft Lens app on your device.
• Hold your device steady and align the document you wish to scan with the camera viewfinder.
• Press the camera button to take a photo of the document.
• Once the photo is taken, the app will automatically detect the edges of the document and straighten the image. You can also adjust the crop manually if needed.
• Press the Save button and select OneNote as the destination for the scanned document.
• If prompted, select the notebook and section in OneNote where you want to save the scanned document.
• Give the scanned document a title and add any additional notes or tags if desired.
• Press the Save button to save the scanned document to OneNote.

Note:

• Make sure you have OneNote app installed on your device and your device is logged into your Microsoft account.
• Depending on your device, the steps may vary slightly.

Observation: Bingo - 5-stars. Correct sequence, good grammar, solid answer. 

Pro tip: I have a black 3-ring binder that I use for my background. A desk lamp is better than a flash (it avoids glare). 

Question #2: Describe 7 use cases for scanning with MS Lens

Response: 

1. Digitizing paper documents: MS Lens can be used to scan paper documents, such as receipts, invoices, business cards, and more, and save them as digital files in a variety of formats, including PDF, JPG, and OneNote.
2. Translating text: MS Lens can be used to scan text in other languages and translate it into the user's native language.
3. QR code scanning: MS Lens can be used to scan QR codes and quickly access the content or information they contain, such as a website link or contact information.
4. Business card scanning: MS Lens can be used to scan business cards and extract the contact information, such as name, phone number, and email address, and automatically save it to the user's contact list.
5. Whiteboard scanning: MS Lens can be used to scan whiteboards and save the image as a digital file, which can then be shared with others or used for reference later.
6. Barcode scanning: MS Lens can be used to scan barcodes on products and quickly access information about the product, such as price, reviews, and more.
7. Document scanning for accessibility: MS Lens can be used to scan documents and convert them into an accessible format, such as an audio file, for users with visual impairments.

Observation: Bingo - 5-stars. But I don't find the business card functionality in Lens is perfect. 

Question #3 What is the proper citation format if I use ChatGPT content?

If you use content generated by ChatGPT in your work, it is important to properly cite the source. One suggested citation format is:

[Author Name], (Date of generation). "Title of the content (if any)" Generated by OpenAI's ChatGPT [Source, if any].

Please note that this is just one example of how to cite content generated by ChatGPT and you should check the citation guidelines of your specific field or publication for more information.

For example, if you used content generated by ChatGPT on January 20th, 2023, in a research paper, the citation might look like this:

So --- Citation: OpenAI, (2023, January 20). "Instruction for using MS Lens to scan documents to OneNote" Generated by OpenAI's ChatGPT [Online]. Available: https://openai.com/chatgpt/

The Bottom Line

ChatGPT allowed me to ask a series of questions about a scanning workflow using Microsoft applications. The instructions were clear, and the process validated my own experience. This post is about 60% ChatGPT content and 40% personal content. 

I'll be keeping much less paper and my bog writing may be outsourced very soon. 

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