Being on DS has really helped me keep my speed up as much as possible, especially when I'm on the BB boards; when I was on a BB App Thread when I first joined, I typed so much (hence the high post count ) that it really kept my hand in. Now I do online tests to practice occasionally, just tested at 84wpm so I feel good about that
Jazziee, touch typing is how people were trained years ago, so us oldies will be able to, rather than be the exception. Secretaries copy-type, which is what Pull2Open us describing. Nowadays, youngsters learn to type from being on Facebook and fora all the time, or learning to code. I know my kids did. They're very fast at typing as well, but they can't touch-type.
Edit: Muggins, snap.
Edit again: I actually remember having seriously strong hands back in the days of manual typewriters! Getting your little fingers to bash down the A and semicolon keys with the same pressure as the other fingers was a challenge at first.
I'm 43, so not sure if I count as an "oldie" but I can still remember my first day as a trainee reporter and being given my own typewriter and a pencil rubber! No Tipex back then
I can touch type, I did a course years ago (pre computers:o ) on an old fashioned typewriter, we had to put a cover over our hands so that we didn't see the keys once we had learned where they were. It was a bore at the but worth it.
I learnt to touch type like that in the 1960's and can still do it and very fast too. The only think is that I have to look down to type in numbers, I don't know why I never got the hang of that.
I find it harder to look at the keyboard too. To be honest most keyboards have an indent on the F and J, to make it even easier.
I do find it awkward sometimes switching between my laptop, the work computer, and the iPad though.
That's how I was taught to do it, using the indents to bring back my fingers to, as a sort of base. I can't touch-type on my phone, the screen is too small (I'm using my laptop now).
I can touch type extremely fast - can both copy and audio type. It's a useful skill to have, after being out of work for nearly two years, I went self employed and now transcribe for the media industry.
I can use both but I know exactly what you mean muggins.
When on a PC, the first thing I will do is fold out the 'legs' at the top of the keyboard so it slopes and I never even learnt on a typewriter!
It's just more comfortable and I'm quite a bit faster on a PC keyboard too.
I learnt to touch type as a child on an old fashioned heavy manual typewriter. My mother had been trained as a secretary and could do shorthand and typing and so on, so I was familiar with watching her type. She got me a kit thing, with coloured stickers for the fingers and the keys, so the pink finger typed the pink letters and so on, and I've been able to touch type ever since. I do make errors sometimes, but I can correct them without looking. The only time I ever look at my fingers is if I'm typing something nonsensical like strings of codes or numbers and letters that don't mean anything, or if somehow my fingers have moved from the keyboard and I've lost the home keys. I once spent a week at work sitting at a different desk, and the keyboard had no bumps on the home keys, that was awful! I kept losing my place and having to look down again. I ended up sticking blue tak on my home keys!
I was a key punch operator for many years,when I was taught we had a box over the keys,bloody hard but that's how I got into the IT thing.,when I was key punching you had to have a minimum of 16.000 key depressions. I eventually reached the twenties.! Gawd those were the days.
I'm trying - and so far failing miserably - to touch type. It's harder than I thought it would be.
OK, it's time to show off - if you can do it!
The reply you make to this post, type while looking at the screen without looking at the keyboard and then hit the reply button.
I was looking at the keyboard when I posted this by the way, so I was cheating
Give it a go!
I can't keep my eyes on the screen as I type. Obviously this was typed by me mostly keeping my eyes on the keyboard. I'd feel stupid hitting the submit button and showing the mess I'd made with the amount of wrongly hit keys.
Comments
Yes... but what about the keyboard:p;)
(That was meant to say I can't touch type to save my life)
I've been touch typing since I was at school as I did RSA Typing at O Level. That and 20 plus years in journalism gives me plenty of practice
I'm 43, so not sure if I count as an "oldie" but I can still remember my first day as a trainee reporter and being given my own typewriter and a pencil rubber! No Tipex back then
I was at school in the mid 80s and in the top set but I still did RSA Typing
I can't imagine staring down at the keys, then looking up to make sure I've correctly typed out my word/sentence. That'd take far too much time up!
I guess after 10 or so years of using a computer, it just comes naturally.
Took me 6 months to learn. That was 9 years ago.
I do struggle when it comes to having to put digits in a sentence though. I never mastered that.
But generally, looking at the keyboard or typing with one finger is now far and away harder than looking at the screen and using all fingers.
It did when I was learning. We had a piece of paper taped over the typewriting, covering up the keys.
When on a PC, the first thing I will do is fold out the 'legs' at the top of the keyboard so it slopes and I never even learnt on a typewriter!
It's just more comfortable and I'm quite a bit faster on a PC keyboard too.
Same here. I was taught to touch type at school. Those manual typewriters! Clack-clack-clack-clack!
I do have to look down when using a U.S. keyboard, though.
I do find it awkward sometimes switching between my laptop, the work computer, and the iPad though.
I learnt to touch type like that in the 1960's and can still do it and very fast too. The only think is that I have to look down to type in numbers, I don't know why I never got the hang of that.
That's how I was taught to do it, using the indents to bring back my fingers to, as a sort of base. I can't touch-type on my phone, the screen is too small (I'm using my laptop now).
It makes typing anything much longer than a password on my tablet or ereader quite a frustrating experience.
What really comes in handy is knowing the code in here so that I can insert smileys
Yay!! I can still touch type perfectly!!
I can't keep my eyes on the screen as I type. Obviously this was typed by me mostly keeping my eyes on the keyboard. I'd feel stupid hitting the submit button and showing the mess I'd made with the amount of wrongly hit keys.