Author Topic: Do you touch-type or hunt-and-peck? (Read 52394 times)

alivingspirit · « **Reply #50 on:** September 23, 2009, 08:58 PM »

I just learned to touch type through the typingweb course. When coding though, I still revert back to the old hunt and peck system. It's just way faster to punch out code with one hand ready to peck at symbols and the other dedicated to the shift key.

MrCrispy · « **Reply #51 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:53 AM »

We were never taught to type where I grew up. So I'm a hunt and peck typist, but years of programming have made me pretty quick :-)

Midnight Rambler · « **Reply #52 on:** September 27, 2009, 02:37 PM »

Fortunately, the high school I attended way back in the early 1970's was good enough to offer a typing class. Have never looked back since.

Interesting how some skills never become outdated.

hhdawrs · « **Reply #53 on:** September 27, 2009, 04:09 PM »

Mavis Beacon changed my life back in 1987.

-40hz (September 14, 2009, 09:07 AM)

She tried with the original and newest releases to teach me. I keep getting bored.

My 12 and 13 year grandchildren amaze me with their computer and typing skills. But then I'm amazed that milk is no longer delivered in glass bottles with a cardboard cap in a horse-drawn wagon with the steel-rimmed wheels muffled to not wake me at 5 am.

I get by.

nmharleyrider · « **Reply #54 on:** September 27, 2009, 04:45 PM »

It is definitely worth learning to touch type especially if one expects to do some technical work as a living. Speed is money. i bought a typing book, the type which was used to teach typing in high school and taught myself to do it in less than two weeks. It was worth the effort especially when I am programming and don't want to be held back by my fingers when my mind is moving faster than they are.

OldElmerFudd · « **Reply #55 on:** September 27, 2009, 06:59 PM »

I refer to it as the Columbus Method - if you find, it land on it!

Never learned to type as a youngster, and by the time I found myself writing papers of any significant length, it was easier to hire a typist. I tried a couple of typing programs years ago, but never seemed to get past the beginnings.

siouxdax · « **Reply #56 on:** September 27, 2009, 07:40 PM »

Thanks to being forced to take typing class in middle school, using actual typewriters, not PCs. We had a panel that covered our hands as we typed, to discourage looking down at the keys. Today I type pretty quickly, and have little mistakes. I do have trouble with the number keys, as I'm used to using a ten-key on the right-hand side. And apparently I use the wrong hand with the Y key. Hmm.

wreckedcarzz · « **Reply #57 on:** September 27, 2009, 07:44 PM »

I went through typing classes in 4th-6th grade and hated it - because you couldn't look at the keyboard while you typed. If I looked at it, I could type at 100+ WPM (the fastest of anyone at the school, except maybe a couple of the tech teachers). Not looking drew me into the 40-60 range.

I've been using a QWERTY keyboard¹ since I've been on PCs (age 3 and beyond, almost 17 now

) and I always typed faster than anyone else I knew. I just had to look at the freaking keyboard to do it.

Eventually, in mid-7th grade I got my Compaq laptop (now deceased, mini-review on new computer to come soon) and the keyboard was smaller, and most of the non-alphanumeric keys were a different size. Strangely enough, I was able to touch type almost instantly on it. In late 8th grade, I typed up a whole 3 page report without looking at the keyboard OR screen, making only 2 spelling errors in the entire thing (no grammar, either); to top that, I was on the phone as well. It took me a whopping 10 minutes, 15 if you include printing and review

. </shameless bragging>

Last semester (Spring 09) I took 'Business Foundations', a class where typing is a hard-pushed skill. My record in that class was over 140WPM w/ 0 errors (once again, fastest - I actually had kids making remarks about "the keyboard is gonna catch on fire" and "holy <lots of variations>"), and I type on average about 120WPM. Not bad, considering my mom (an Office Manager, sole employee) types at about 70WPM, with my 10 year old sister coming in 3rd at around 30, and my dad falling last; I would have to guess 15-25 (and that 25 is pushing it).

So if you plan to do anything on a computer that requires more typing than say, FARR usage or typing URLs and other short phrases or sentences (that means everyone posting here!), touch typing will help immensely. It may come naturally, randomly, or with dedication and maybe a short class or two. But once you have it, you will amaze yourself with how slow you used to type, and how much time you save over writing, previous typing methods, or (sometimes) even voice recognition. And then you can use that time for better things. Like programming, and visiting DC, and slipping out a little early for your lunch hour... wait, what?

¹For the record: I tried DVORAK months ago: I'll stick with my 'typewriter' top line, TYVM

OhNoNotAgain · « **Reply #58 on:** September 27, 2009, 10:06 PM »

Never thought I'd find a thread about typing to be interesting. Hey, is this a great forum, or what?

While I've spent years producing proposals, doing 'tech' writing, and numerous other word intensive activities, I've never learned touch typing. Were I to start over again, I believe touch typing and speed reading would rate high on my 'to do lists'.

I fully agree with johnk (reply # 37) in that learning how to spell, punctuate, and the basic rules of grammar are of much greater importance. Reading comprehension should fit in there somewhere, as well.

Beyond that I feel that touch typing, along with 10 key, should prove to be well worthwhile to anyone wanting to advance in life.

sazzen · « **Reply #59 on:** September 28, 2009, 05:13 PM »

I didn't realize there were people in the world who didn't touch type.

How do you live with yourselves???

Repent!

redstarnyc · « **Reply #60 on:** September 28, 2009, 06:23 PM »

They tried to teach us touch typing in high school but it never really took until I got out of college and had a job. Now I am halfway decent.

jdd · « **Reply #61 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:11 PM »

I normally type pretty slowly using a hunt and peck hybrid. However, I can type pretty fast when I send text messages on my cell phone using the 'T9 Word' entry mode. Is there a keyboard design that incorporates that kind of layout?

TomD101 · « **Reply #62 on:** September 29, 2009, 02:20 AM »

Touch type is definitely a must today.

Learned it after school before beginning to study. Helped me immensely getting my papers done on time. Learned it on typewriters, continued using it with my first PC.

I still write as fast as I think, do not have to look at the keyboard, can use a ergonomic keyboard and I can follow anything on a screen, a meeting and everything else without looking down all the time.

My kids use PCs regularly and netbooks are a required tool at school now. My daughter almost types as fast as I do with only a minimal training at touch typing. She taught it herself and is proabably the fastest writer in her class.

I cannot recommend enough to have anyone learn touch typing. The world has changed and any form of keyboard will be a constant companion for anyone for the foreseeable future.

As for the Backspace-Question: The faster I tape the more I use the pinky. If I take my time I use the index finger.

paarkhi · « **Reply #63 on:** September 29, 2009, 05:11 AM »

Touch type, Alhtough I cannot type with more than 4 fingers but still I experienced the importance of it, my elder brother is a 10 Finger Blind typist (He doesn't need to look the keyboard)

grandpastan · « **Reply #64 on:** September 30, 2009, 08:18 PM »

Learned TT in grade 9 back in 64. Never thought I'd need it. Didn't till I got a comp a number of years ago. It all came back pretty quick. With computers everywhere now it is pretty much mandatory to learn it.

katykaty · « **Reply #65 on:** October 01, 2009, 06:06 PM »

My train ride to work every day is an hour there and an hour back. And there is nothing more irritating than listening to some fool two finger typing the whole journey.

Clicketyclicketyclickety CLACK! Clickety CLACK! Clicketyclickety CLACK!

Well, almost nothing

jdd · « **Reply #66 on:** October 02, 2009, 01:56 PM »

Agreed. The only thing worse than that is someone furiously pounding away on a keyboard with all 10 digits!

RedPillow · « **Reply #67 on:** October 03, 2009, 03:13 AM »

Teachers never teached me to type either.

I did speed-test few minutes ago and noticed that my wpm is 69

I don`t know if its any good but 69 it is.
Also, I had 4 misspellings in my test...although it was made in english and Im from Finland but I think I did quite good.

But I use my very own style-to-type; I just use 2 fingers and write very fast with them, it`s easy, ecause I actually know where every letter/number is.

P.S You can do the test here: Words per minute-test

dvally · « **Reply #68 on:** October 04, 2009, 10:15 AM »

I learned touch typing on my own and IMO it is a definite must have skill. I can type about 25 wpm (as long as there are no numbers) in the thoughts I am putting down. I still have to look when I want to use numbers in the top row.

Since I have never been taught formal typing, I can't speak to that - but I would think that it would be a benefit to any child in the current technological environment.

Thanks for asking!

sazzen · « **Reply #69 on:** October 30, 2009, 08:06 AM »

There was a time when people didn't think being able to read was necessary. Now they think it isn't necessary to touch type??? This is what the mouse has brought us to! A sad day for all and, sadder yet, you don't even know it.

f0dder · « **Reply #70 on:** October 30, 2009, 08:47 AM »

There was a time when people didn't think being able to read was necessary. Now they think it isn't necessary to touch type??? This is what the mouse has brought us to! A sad day for all and, sadder yet, you don't even know it.
-sazzen (October 30, 2009, 08:06 AM)

Whether touch-typing a valuable skill or not really depends on your needs - whereas being illiterate is a very big disadvantage in today's society.