Typing - Page 5

wayrad · 03-20-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

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

I know. Doesn't make sense ...

That's exactly my situation. Can't do it for the life of me if I'm thinking about it.

I taught myself to touch-type a bit one summer when I was a kid, using my mother's Depression-era textbook and an old upright Royal, but I've forgotten most of it. I think I type faster now, but I only use 7 or 8 fingers.

KindleDude · 03-20-2009, 01:46 PM

I learned in summer school. I think my Mom wanted me out of the house, and for some reason I didn't go to camp that year. Then I became a lawyer, and for a little while, at my first job, I dictated. Now I'm still a lawyer, but with staff cuts and everyone having computers, we all do our own typing. So it turns out unexpectedly to be one of the most useful things I learned.

DixieGal · 03-20-2009, 04:41 PM

@Kacir: Thanks for pointing out the analog computer. I completely missed it!

In high school, we could take typing in lieu of phys ed. I took bowling, archery, etc., just anything to let me look cute in shorts while talking to the boys without having to actually do any sort of fitness or sweating. Finally, senior year, I took typing. It was all girls and not nearly as much fun as co-ed slacker PE. It was after lunch, so I would sleepily speed through the assignment, then nap for the rest of the period.

Teacher HATED me! I didn't take it seriously enough, I suppose. When my sister came through her classroom four yrs later, she actually had to convince the teacher that she was a good girl and not a troublemaker like I had been.

Justy · 03-20-2009, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

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.

I remember my whole college was running on a VAX back in 1988/1989. It was definitely big a step up from the 8088s I'd been using in High School computer class!

Justy · 03-20-2009, 05:35 PM

I can touch type between 50-60 wpm with surprisingly few errors. I do however lean more and more on the FireFox spell checker addon!

I really wanted to take computer science back high school in 1986 but it was only a 1/2 yr class, so I took typing for the first 1/2. It turned out to be a good thing, for some reason knowing where the keys are came in handy when typing in the code for computer science.

I use to have to type in job logs for the techs. They would dictate to me and I would type in the words while looking right at them, usually somewhere to the left of my desk. It use to freak them out when my typed words actually matched what they had said.

Wetdogeared · 03-20-2009, 06:00 PM

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justy

I remember my whole college was running on a VAX back in 1988/1989. It was definitely big a step up from the 8088s I'd been using in High School computer class!

This is going to date me, but my first job was on a PDP-11, programming in BASIC Plus, if I recall correctly. A program couldn't be larger than 16K. This is where I acquired a minimalistic code technique that served me well in all future jobs.

WDE.

*note* I learned to program on punched cards too.

GeoffC · 03-21-2009, 10:42 AM

Punched cards were the only way to program when I was at college in early 70's, and that in Fortran.
The computer was locked away in a large room and the programs took a week to return, often for corrections (and then a further week). I'm surprised anyone got any sensible programming training, I know I didn't......

It's interesting looking at the results of the poll as to how many can touch type.

At work we went from pen/pencil/paper (we had trained telegraphists to send documents out via teleprinter) to wordprocessors literally overnight, without training in typing skills. We were scientists, it was deemed not necessary.

In 25 years, and many dozens of colleagues later, I can recall only one who could touchtype correctly, and that was in the last 5 years. Many remained one/two finger, and always looking at the keyboard.

Interestingly speed was not necessarily compromised by the use of "only" two fingers .....

Moejoe · 03-21-2009, 10:45 AM

I don't know if I could go back to Hunt-and-Peck typing. It's become so natural now not to have to look at the keyboard, that I couldn't imagine it not being that way.

GeoffC · 03-21-2009, 10:50 AM

"Hunt-and-Peck" ... I like that....

Interestingly the longer we spent at work typing by the Hunt and Peck method, the harder it was to learn touch-type, subsequently none of us did...

Tattncat · 03-21-2009, 11:30 AM

Hey, Geoff, I learned my touch typing in high school on a manual typewriter. The school had one electric typewriter (for the advanced secretarial students to try). My computer class in college was on a IBM 1620 that occupied an entire room, was programed with punch cards and lacked a Crt.
I still touch type (on the computer), but it's thumbs for my Touch.

desertgrandma · 03-21-2009, 11:32 AM

We were 'forced' to learn the home keys and touch typing in high school. Hated it at first, but now that I look back, it was like learning the multiplication tables......

Once you memorize everything, it becomes second nature.

Quick.........whats 7x6?

GeoffC · 03-21-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

We were 'forced' to learn the home keys and touch typing in high school. Hated it at first, but now that I look back, it was like learning the multiplication tables......

Once you memorize everything, it becomes second nature.

Quick.........whats 7x6?

Typing at school was never on the syllabus that I recall.

(can't answer don't have my slide rule handy.......

As a slight aside, and seeing you have brought up the subject. My lady tutors (mainly) schhol age kids in mathematics, and has got tired of the number who cannot work out what 100 divided by 10 is, without a calculator...and the number who don't know fractions !!!!!)

krisk · 03-21-2009, 12:15 PM

Typing was mandatory in my high school for both boys and girls, but it was only a quarter, not a semester class. We were to learn touch typing, and most of the typewriters had blank keys. I had started at my Dad's law office fairly young typing up documents so my bad habits were already well ingrained. I learned early on to memorize a few sentences at a time and then type them out. That kept my speeds up. Later when I went into the Army I pretended I knew absolutely nothing about typewriters, and when actually set in front of one I displayed a horrendous hunt and peck and "where was that key again?" method. It was quite common at the time to take any girls who could type and make them clerks no matter what their occupational specialty. I wasn't having any of that!

Chat and IM have finally turned me into a touch typist. I've never timed myself, but I can pretty much keep up with someone speaking at a just slower than normal rate of speech.

arit · 03-21-2009, 08:12 PM

I learned 10 finger touch typing in school, but nowadays I mostly use my own 6-9 finger touch typing style with looking at the keyboard on demand. It all depends on the situation, while I can simply touch type this text I have to look more often at the keyboard when I'm copying a text. I suppose it is due peripheral vision when I am looking at the monitor...
A no go for touch typing are numbers(except on numpads, which sometimes makes me take a few tries using telephones and atm machines

) and special characters, go to hell brackets!

Sweetpea · 03-23-2009, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laine

I also prefer the little keyboards many people whinge about.

I prefer the natural keyboards, which are, sadly, not available that much anymore...

And why is it called 10-finger typing? I learned you should only use one thumb for the space bar. So, technically, I type with 8 fingers and one thumb...

(my space bar looks funny, one side is all glossy, the other in original state...)

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, 01:46 PM	#62
KindleDude Connoisseur Posts: 80 Karma: 172 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Kindle	I learned in summer school. I think my Mom wanted me out of the house, and for some reason I didn't go to camp that year. Then I became a lawyer, and for a little while, at my first job, I dictated. Now I'm still a lawyer, but with staff cuts and everyone having computers, we all do our own typing. So it turns out unexpectedly to be one of the most useful things I learned.

03-20-2009, 04:41 PM	#63
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	@Kacir: Thanks for pointing out the analog computer. I completely missed it! In high school, we could take typing in lieu of phys ed. I took bowling, archery, etc., just anything to let me look cute in shorts while talking to the boys without having to actually do any sort of fitness or sweating. Finally, senior year, I took typing. It was all girls and not nearly as much fun as co-ed slacker PE. It was after lunch, so I would sleepily speed through the assignment, then nap for the rest of the period. Teacher HATED me! I didn't take it seriously enough, I suppose. When my sister came through her classroom four yrs later, she actually had to convince the teacher that she was a good girl and not a troublemaker like I had been.

03-20-2009, 05:35 PM	#65
Justy Fanatic Posts: 547 Karma: 27509 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Greater Vancouver Area, BC, Canada Device: Nexus 7, Sony Xperia z3 tablet, Kobo Glo, Boyue T63	I can touch type between 50-60 wpm with surprisingly few errors. I do however lean more and more on the FireFox spell checker addon! I really wanted to take computer science back high school in 1986 but it was only a 1/2 yr class, so I took typing for the first 1/2. It turned out to be a good thing, for some reason knowing where the keys are came in handy when typing in the code for computer science. I use to have to type in job logs for the techs. They would dictate to me and I would type in the words while looking right at them, usually somewhere to the left of my desk. It use to freak them out when my typed words actually matched what they had said.

03-21-2009, 10:42 AM	#67
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Punched cards were the only way to program when I was at college in early 70's, and that in Fortran. The computer was locked away in a large room and the programs took a week to return, often for corrections (and then a further week). I'm surprised anyone got any sensible programming training, I know I didn't...... It's interesting looking at the results of the poll as to how many can touch type. At work we went from pen/pencil/paper (we had trained telegraphists to send documents out via teleprinter) to wordprocessors literally overnight, without training in typing skills. We were scientists, it was deemed not necessary. In 25 years, and many dozens of colleagues later, I can recall only one who could touchtype correctly, and that was in the last 5 years. Many remained one/two finger, and always looking at the keyboard. Interestingly speed was not necessarily compromised by the use of "only" two fingers .....

03-21-2009, 10:45 AM	#68
Moejoe Banned Posts: 5,100 Karma: 72193 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South of the Border Device: Coffin	I don't know if I could go back to Hunt-and-Peck typing. It's become so natural now not to have to look at the keyboard, that I couldn't imagine it not being that way.

03-21-2009, 10:50 AM	#69
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	"Hunt-and-Peck" ... I like that.... Interestingly the longer we spent at work typing by the Hunt and Peck method, the harder it was to learn touch-type, subsequently none of us did...

03-21-2009, 11:30 AM	#70
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	Hey, Geoff, I learned my touch typing in high school on a manual typewriter. The school had one electric typewriter (for the advanced secretarial students to try). My computer class in college was on a IBM 1620 that occupied an entire room, was programed with punch cards and lacked a Crt. I still touch type (on the computer), but it's thumbs for my Touch.

03-21-2009, 11:32 AM	#71
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462841 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	We were 'forced' to learn the home keys and touch typing in high school. Hated it at first, but now that I look back, it was like learning the multiplication tables...... Once you memorize everything, it becomes second nature. Quick.........whats 7x6?

03-21-2009, 12:15 PM	#73
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	Typing was mandatory in my high school for both boys and girls, but it was only a quarter, not a semester class. We were to learn touch typing, and most of the typewriters had blank keys. I had started at my Dad's law office fairly young typing up documents so my bad habits were already well ingrained. I learned early on to memorize a few sentences at a time and then type them out. That kept my speeds up. Later when I went into the Army I pretended I knew absolutely nothing about typewriters, and when actually set in front of one I displayed a horrendous hunt and peck and "where was that key again?" method. It was quite common at the time to take any girls who could type and make them clerks no matter what their occupational specialty. I wasn't having any of that! Chat and IM have finally turned me into a touch typist. I've never timed myself, but I can pretty much keep up with someone speaking at a just slower than normal rate of speech.

03-21-2009, 08:12 PM	#74
arit Cybook Warrior Posts: 46 Karma: 446 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Wiesbaden, Germany Device: Nokia E65, HTC Universal, Cybook G3	I learned 10 finger touch typing in school, but nowadays I mostly use my own 6-9 finger touch typing style with looking at the keyboard on demand. It all depends on the situation, while I can simply touch type this text I have to look more often at the keyboard when I'm copying a text. I suppose it is due peripheral vision when I am looking at the monitor... A no go for touch typing are numbers(except on numpads, which sometimes makes me take a few tries using telephones and atm machines ) and special characters, go to hell brackets!

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