Touch Typists

[kontiki99]

We’ve been talking about training lately and I’ve begun wondering about the number of people doing ALL of their work on a PC, that are two finger typists.

As I got older and my vision started to drift I picked up a typing tutor and worked through it on my lunch breaks.

Ultimately it’s saved me time and I’m certain I make fewer mistakes because I can spent more time looking at the screen.

I’m just wondering how many folks out there would buy into this sort of idea.

If your company fielded a typing tutor app on your PC installation and rewarded the achievement some milestone typing speed with a trinket, (time off or free lunch or something) would you bother? Think it would be valuable?

 

[TenPenny]

Back in the late 70s, when I was in high school, before the era of PCs, I decided that taking a typing class would be an easy way to fill out my Grade 12 schedule without being too hard.

Boy, am I ever glad I did that.

 

[swertel]

Learn to type, very beneficial.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[DesignerGuy16]

I haven't hunt and pecked at the keyboard since I was a little kid. Typing 70-100 words per minute is a godsend when you need to get something done. I can't imagine how long that would take if I was going after a key at a time.

PS, the only way I really learned without cheating was to put a box over your hands & keyboard while going through the typing tutor. You'll thank me later.

James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP

 

[zdas04]

In the '60s typing was mandatory in Grade 10 in my school. A skill I've appreciated ever since. Funny, in Grade 10 I got up to the minimum passing speed of 32 words/min (all the words had to be spelled properly and I've never done that very well). Using the same skill set (with a built in spell checker) I'm up to around 80 WPM nearly 40 years later--talk about a life skill.

David

 

[PatCouture]

I too took a course during High school and I never thought it be so valuable. I'm pretty sure only lazy people would not want to take such course. But if you care about productivity then you really need it. Unless you go the voice recognition way!

Patrick

 

[drawoh]

TenPenny,

I took typing in high school back in the 70s too. I grossly underestimated how useful it would be.

I still have a manual, portable typewriter, and I have used it a couple of times, recently. I cannot type on it anymore. I am now used to computer keyboards with their limited travel. To smack the keys hard, I need to go to two fingers.

JHG

 

[HgTX]

You can always tell, just by sound, those of us who learned to type on manual typewriters. TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP!!!!!

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[FreddyNurk]

As someone who grew up more with computers and keyboards and as a result has been used to using them quite often, my biggest issue is that I've not formally gained the touch typing skills that others would.

I'm no 'two finger' typist, but I'm certainly not as capable as someone who has formally learnt to type using a touch typing method.

I'd support such an initiative, though admittedly I'd find it difficult to break my current habits. As a side note, I was in a meeting with the other engineers in my office, and the manager at the time had enquired as to everyone's typing speed. Most of the engineers there were directed to hand mark and use others to type, though my typing speed was considered adequate. Clearly some places are considering these sorts of things as being important to increase productivity.

 

[patprimmer]

Typing was never offered as a subject when & where I went to school. If one wanted to learn typing, one went to a business school. These classes consisted almost if not entirely of young ladies pursuing a career as secretaries. For a young man to attend he would have been considered gay. I know I know, but that is how it was there and then.

I still have never learned as the need gradually grew as initially I only did a few spread sheets then a few e-mail, then my own reports. I have had a computer since 1988, but I had a secretary until 1995. I know I should buy a tutor program and learn. I do have a problem with poor fine motor skills resulting in a mild form of dilesixa and this will probably severly limit my abilities as a typist and I expect I will still need to search foe keys.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm

for site rules

 

[ctopher]

I never had a typing class, never learned.
Since HS, I have been working on CAD...one hand on the keyboard, one on the mouse.
I can type good enough to get work completed on time, it has never been an issue for me.

Chris
SolidWorks 09, CATIA V5
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[jmw]

There are some free online typing programs and when I get time, I try them.
e.g.

http://www.goodtyping.com/

I should do more as I am self taught and while I type reasonably well and reasonably quickly, I tend to look at the keyboard much more than the screen and have to do far too many corrections, usually for out of sequence key strokes.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[mgtrp]

I type faster than I can think (more of a reflection on my thinking?), and subsequently prefer to write as much of what I can by hand. Sure it means having to type it up later into an e-mail or report, but I use this as my proof-read of the content and structure leaving just a quick check for any typo's later.

At the end of the day, typing is a task of repetition, and so there's no substitute for practice.

 

[TenPenny]

patprimmer wrote:
Typing was never offered as a subject when & where I went to school. If one wanted to learn typing, one went to a business school. These classes consisted almost if not entirely of young ladies pursuing a career as secretaries.

------------------------

The one I took was offered by the 'commercial' section of our high school, and the explanation given above was actually one of the other, usually unstated, reasons that I took the class...

 

[hokie66]

Me too, TenPenny. I took typing in about 1960, mostly to be around the girls. As long as you played sports or took shop classes, nobody thought you were different. That was before the word gay changed meanings.

 

[casseopeia]

Learned to touch type in high school on an IBM Selectric. Right now I'd be more interested in a class for texting with two thumbs instead of the old fashioned method of using one index finger.

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[jmw]

Cass,
my niece isn't that far away and is looking for some holiday employment.
Considering she had some privileges suspended for texting to the extent of $1000 in one month, I'd guess there isn't anything she doesn't know about fast texting - (or about how upset parents can get over such little things).

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[graybeach]

Having taken typing in HS, I can type about 100 WPM. Good thing too because in my office we are down to one secretary for about 70 engineers. A very far cry from the secretary ratio in "Mad Men".

There is no hope ever of getting any typing done by our secretary. We don't even get mail delivered any more. It gets dumped in a pile and we all have to go through it!

 

[dbooker630]

I took typing in 8th grade back in 1973 and it remains one of the most useful clasees ever taken. And there were no letters on the keys either!

 

[spciesla]

I took typing in high school during my senior year (92). I'm very glad that I did it, but I recall it being a pain at the time.