geekhack Community > Off Topic
Slow at typing?
Rajagra:
I'm not fast. I only learned to touch-type properly this year. I reached 60wpm on QWERTY, switched to Colemak and have got back to 50wpm. I don't think I'm destined (or need) to become a blisteringly fast typist, but it can be a bit disheartening to see values like 100-120wpm thrown into discussions as if they are typical.
So I did a quick search and found this:
From http://www.readi.info/documents/TypingSpeed.pdf
Those are real-world figures from people applying for jobs involving typing!
Now I'm sure there are ways to criticize that data, but it does put things in perspective a bit.
So fellow slow-pokes of the world rejoice, you are probably better than you thought!
Edit> The other graph I found, mentioned below:
AndrewZorn:
ive always considered 30ish to be proficient for a computer-based job and 60ish to be above average and 100+ to be elite. guess i was right on.
reminded me to go take typing test again. its been (and i check...) 3wks since i switched, after about 1wk i was back to almost 50, so id like to see how i do now.
the problem lately isnt not knowing where the keys are, though i STILL keep confusing D and G, but because of the back-and-forth action of colemak, doing letters in the wrong order because I get ahead of myself.
InSanCen:
wow...
I was all justified by being ecstatic at hitting over 100WPM sustained for the fist time ever this week. Having been buoyed by that, and trying to do it as often as possible... it hurts!
I find that for "stream of conciousness" stuff that I don't need to look at the screen for (I don't touch type... yet), arounbd 50-75WPM is comfortable.
itlnstln:
I'm with you. I don't know my exact typing speed, but I know I am in the 60-70 WPM range. I can touch-type, but I have never really pushed myself to type fast (I do type very smoothly, though). I am getting blank keys for my Filco, so I am hoping that'll rid my bad habit of looking at the keys from time to time (I don't really look at individual keys as I type, I just sort of stare blankly at the letters, in general). I am thinking that if I can solidify my touch-typing confidence, I will be able to type faster almost by default.
wellington1869:
--- Quote from: Rajagra;117776 ---I'm not fast. I only learned to touch-type properly this year. I reached 60wpm on QWERTY, switched to Colemak and have got back to 50wpm. I don't think I'm destined (or need) to become a blisteringly fast typist, but it can be a bit disheartening to see values like 100-120wpm thrown into discussions as if they are typical.
So I did a quick search and found this:
From http://www.readi.info/documents/TypingSpeed.pdf
Those are real-world figures from people applying for jobs involving typing!
Now I'm sure there are ways to criticize that data, but it does put things in perspective a bit.
So fellow slow-pokes of the world rejoice, you are probably better than you thought!
--- End quote ---
I found this graph when I was researching, and I believe it is bull****, by the way.
-Other sources show a far, far greater distribution of fast typers, just look up the typing entry on wikipedia. [i take that back, someone stuck this info into the wiki entry for typing, lol. Its contradicted somewhat by the paragraph after it though].
-This graph always shows up only on one kind of blog post - a slow typer justifying slow typing. (Nothing wrong with that; and nothing against you raj lol, but this post here is one such as well ;)
-its the only graph of its kind out there btw
A second point is that even if the distribution were accurate in the real world (their sample size is not representative in my view by the way, despite their claims), a few percent of the worlds typists is millions of people. And I would not want millions of people to be dissatisfied with their keyboard purchases, and neither should the vendors -- and neither should the average slow typer.
I also think, this argument here -- that fast typists are some kind of extreme "fringe" minority that no one should pay attention to (!!!!!) -- is similar to the false argument about burst or roll speeds being a fringe phenomenon during typing. Its not, even for moderately fast typists. Anyone who evolves past two finger typing and builds any speed at all is going to begin doing bursts and rolls, which are considerably faster than the overall average typing speed they register. Thats where the transpositions happen.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version