Typing - Page 4

dragonbone · 03-20-2009, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebarnmom

When I was in school, typing was considered an elective and since I was in orchestra that took care of my elective. I think it should've been mandatory, but I guess they didn't see this computer age coming!

Nevertheless, I can hunt & peck pretty darn fast!
When I was working, I got really good at the using the number keypad without looking, but with my laptop, it's so frustrating having to type numbers without it!

When I was at school typing was considered 'for the not so clever' girls, who were going to be secretaries or something. Boys didn't even do typing.....

Donnageddon · 03-20-2009, 05:03 AM

I need to look at the keyboard or I will be extremely shocked at what is typed on the screen.

Let me demonstrate:

Quote:

I ansdnf rtyiweip wiaweihr kliij we ar rtgwe keyaw3!

Translation: I am typing while not looking at the keyboard!

Also, I use all 4 fingers, both thumbs and occasionally the heel of my right foot.

But the heel-of-the-foot-typing only occurs on political blogs.

Sweetpea · 03-20-2009, 05:21 AM

I type blind (as we call it).

Even when I'm typing dos commands (which are generally short), I put my fingers on the keyboard correctly

I've been in the States as an Exchange Student back in the stone age, and I learned how to type blind there.

I think, being a professional software developer, it really is handy if you can type without having to look at your keyboard, especially if you run a dual-monitor setup, with, on one monitor, the code you want to "adapt" and on the other monitor your development application

Oh, if you're going to a school, where the keyboards are almost falling apart, it also pays if you don't have to look at your keyboard. One day, somebody had mixed the keys of several keyboards together and put them back in a random order. I only noticed this about an hour of using the keyboard

GeoffC · 03-20-2009, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KindleDude

Me too! And I had an old (it was old even then) Royal back in the day--it must have weighed 30 pounds!

I could only do 40-50 WPM, though, about the same as now on a computer.

Edit: I found a picture of my old typewriter!!!

Wonderful picture - thanks for posting it ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

Great photo. It was incredibly frustrating when the red and black ink ribbons got tangled up -- or was that just me?

No, they were especially designed that way!

Good job someone designed tipex .....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moejoe

This is the one I have (in the attic) and apparently its worth $500???!!! They'd have to give me a million to part with it. It's a Remington Deluxe Model 5. My uncle gave it to me as a gift when I was really young and first showed an interest in writing. And just to clarify, I'm 34 years old, not 80 or anything. We learned on manual electric typewriters, the Remington was more fun though, and made me feel more like a Private Eye!

Another marvel - must admit the only typewriter we had at home was an electronic one, but there were plenty of these mechanicals at work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

I can touch type, but only when I am answering on the forum and I am so absorbed in a text I want to type that I forget that I am actually touch typing. Then I realize that I have been touch typing for the last few minutes and I have to look at the keyboard again ;-)

Let me try again.

I can touch type, but mostly only when I am not aware that I am actually touch typing.

I know. Doesn't make sense ...

Similar to me.
I think it is an effect from not being taught to type;
we went direct from pen/paper to having to learn because of the job (sit down and get on with it!) by oneself, and then the continual practice builds up a gradual expertise; but I still have to look at the keyboard every now and then - and I wouldn't even know what the arrangement of the keys were if I was given a test. The only line I know is QWERTY - everything else is a guess !...

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshrynk

And where's the option for Italy?

You need to see a doctor if you can't see that option in my carefully crafted list .... it's the one next to PORTUGAL.

mjh215 · 03-20-2009, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moejoe

This is the one I have (in the attic) and apparently its worth $500???!!! They'd have to give me a million to part with it. It's a Remington Deluxe Model 5. My uncle gave it to me as a gift when I was really young and first showed an interest in writing. And just to clarify, I'm 34 years old, not 80 or anything. We learned on manual electric typewriters, the Remington was more fun though, and made me feel more like a Private Eye!

That made me think of the steampunk keyboard. 'Course I wouldn't want to sacrifice that beauty just for the keys.

-MJ

Sweetpea · 03-20-2009, 06:09 AM

My hands are too small for a normal typewriter to type blind. I just can't reach the A with my pinky, let alone press it down!

Moejoe · 03-20-2009, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

My hands are too small for a normal typewriter to type blind. I just can't reach the A with my pinky, let alone press it down!

Reminds me of a line from an ee cummings poem:

Nothing, not even the rain, has such small hands

montsnmags · 03-20-2009, 06:43 AM

I type blind, three fingers and a SPACE-tapping thumb stage left, and three fingers stage right. I guess technically it's not school-taught touch-typing but it works, and it seems to work fast for me, no matter that my stubby fingers dance the keyboard like a troupe of pink-leotarded fat men doing Swan Lake.

Laine · 03-20-2009, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

My hands are too small for a normal typewriter to type blind. I just can't reach the A with my pinky, let alone press it down!

I have this problem too. I tried to learn on a manual typewriter but every time I used my little fingers I got a space before the letter. I gave up.
I also prefer the little keyboards many people whinge about.

Laine · 03-20-2009, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I type blind, three fingers and a SPACE-tapping thumb stage left, and three fingers stage right. I guess technically it's not school-taught touch-typing but it works, and it seems to work fast for me, no matter that my stubby fingers dance the keyboard like a troupe of pink-leotarded fat men doing Swan Lake.

Reminds me of a show I saw in Sydney some years ago with men in ballet dresses doing Swan Lake. It was hillarious. Thanks for the memory.

pshrynk · 03-20-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

How you DARE!

Monitor!
WHEELS!?!?!?

It is a *terminal*. A legendary VT420 from Digital Equipment Corporation, no less!
Digital Equipment Corporation was manufacturer of computers such as PDP or VAX, see Accomplishments.

And it is sitting on a MicroVAX 3300!
At 1988 this was THE computer to dream about. The fanciest machine you could ever dream about. This particular "little" machine has been singlehandedly controlling the operation in a steel factory for more than 10 years as a main control computer.

And please notice the logarithnic ruler (in English called properly the slide rule) cassualy sitting on the top. I can still use that analog computer.

While driving your Studebaker, wearing your spats and racoon coat, sipping a Jolt Cola, and yelling, "Hubba! Hubba!" at the pretty girls on the sidewalk?

Ea · 03-20-2009, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

Worryingly, I have the same trouble with a pencil and paper -- what would we do without spell check?

Spell chekc is agood ehpl when it looks liek tish. Actually, I have caught myself looking for a spell checker when writing on paper. On paper, I have the problem that I 'think' the sentecne too fast for my fingers, and I often start writing one word and end it with the ending of the next word

pshrynk · 03-20-2009, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea

Spell chekc is agood ehpl when it looks liek tish. Actually, I have caught myself looking for a spell checker when writing on paper. On paper, I have the problem that I 'think' the sentecne too fast for my fingers, and I often start writing one word and end it with the ending of the next word

Ea · 03-20-2009, 12:13 PM

Oops! I missed a word

That wasn't even intentional

Wetdogeared · 03-20-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonbone

When I was at school typing was considered 'for the not so clever' girls, who were going to be secretaries or something. Boys didn't even do typing.....

I was one of two "boys" in a class of 40!

WDE.

*note* that was a class of 40, not the class of 40.

View Poll Results: How do you type
One finger	2	2.53%
Two fingers	3	3.80%
More than 2 fingers/thumbs but fewer than 5	15	18.99%
More than 5 fingers/thumbs	19	24.05%
I need to look at the keyboard to see the keys	17	21.52%
I don't need to look at the keyboard / (Touch-typist)	51	64.56%
Mostly use speech typing	0	0%
Mostly someone else types for me !!!!	1	1.27%
Any method not on this list ... .. please explain ....	6	7.59%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 79. You may not vote on this poll

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03-20-2009, 05:21 AM	#48
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	I type blind (as we call it). Even when I'm typing dos commands (which are generally short), I put my fingers on the keyboard correctly I've been in the States as an Exchange Student back in the stone age, and I learned how to type blind there. I think, being a professional software developer, it really is handy if you can type without having to look at your keyboard, especially if you run a dual-monitor setup, with, on one monitor, the code you want to "adapt" and on the other monitor your development application Oh, if you're going to a school, where the keyboards are almost falling apart, it also pays if you don't have to look at your keyboard. One day, somebody had mixed the keys of several keyboards together and put them back in a random order. I only noticed this about an hour of using the keyboard

03-20-2009, 06:09 AM	#51
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	My hands are too small for a normal typewriter to type blind. I just can't reach the A with my pinky, let alone press it down!

03-20-2009, 06:43 AM	#53
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	I type blind, three fingers and a SPACE-tapping thumb stage left, and three fingers stage right. I guess technically it's not school-taught touch-typing but it works, and it seems to work fast for me, no matter that my stubby fingers dance the keyboard like a troupe of pink-leotarded fat men doing Swan Lake.

03-20-2009, 12:13 PM	#59
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	Oops! I missed a word That wasn't even intentional