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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: rickwest on Thu, 09 May 2019, 18:03:42

Title: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: rickwest on Thu, 09 May 2019, 18:03:42: Evening all,

I'm currently learning to touch type after years of hunt and pecking and honestly, it's pretty slow going :'( ...however that doesn't stop me appreciating a great mechanical keyboard, and I love my HHKB (Although not sure it's layout is helping with the touch typing!).

Basically just wondered if anyone else here is a keyboard enthusiast but still a terrible typist?
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: BlindAssassin111 on Thu, 09 May 2019, 18:06:37: I get mid 50s wpm...but love keyboards. You are not alone.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: lightsout714 on Thu, 09 May 2019, 18:06:57: Here here! I use a few fingers, lots of typos. Still love mechanicals. Wanted to learn to type years ago when I got into this hobby but never stuck with it.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 09 May 2019, 18:27:15: It sounds dumb but swapping keycaps helped me type better because it helped me remember key locations.

The thing with the hhkb is, if you can learn to type on it you won't want to use another layout.

At the end of the day it's about practice.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 09 May 2019, 18:32:21: This is what you need. .

< https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=99958>
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: Kavik on Thu, 09 May 2019, 19:37:30: Do kids not learn to type in grade school these days? I had at least one year in elementary school (maybe two?) in which I had a computer class that was almost entirely based on learning and practicing touch typing. I think I'm only as proficient as I am now because I learnt as a child, and maybe because I grew up before texting on phones, so I used instant messenger on a computer a lot from age 10 on.

I'm not saying this to be condescending if that's how it comes across. I'm just genuinely curious if typing on a computer was only a school subject during the '80s and '90s since it's not seen as being as relevant now.

FWIW, I'm around an 85-95 WPM typist. I can sometimes get up to 105-110 WPM if I'm really trying and using a keyboard I like. I'm not really sure how to progress past that or if it's even worth it.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: BlindAssassin111 on Thu, 09 May 2019, 19:40:42: Quote from: Kavik on Thu, 09 May 2019, 19:37:30
Do kids not learn to type in grade school these days? I had at least one year in elementary school (maybe two?) in which I had a computer class that was almost entirely based on learning and practicing touch typing. I think I'm only as proficient as I am now because I learnt as a child, and maybe because I grew up before texting on phones, so I used instant messenger on a computer a lot from age 10 on.

I'm not saying this to be condescending if that's how it comes across. I'm just genuinely curious if typing on a computer was only a school subject during the '80s and '90s since it's not seen as being as relevant now.

FWIW, I'm around an 85-95 WPM typist. I can sometimes get up to 105-110 WPM if I'm really trying and using a keyboard I like. I'm not really sure how to progress past that or if it's even worth it.

I learned to type on middle school as that was the earliest it was offered but even then it wasn't as common because they seem to have started to phase that course out at least in my school district in the early 2000's not sure if they still offer it but it wasn't well supported when I took it. But that has nothing to do with my bad typing lol, mostly joints and just me hitting the wrong keys sometimes.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: nelamvr6 on Thu, 09 May 2019, 19:52:34: I couldn't touch type at all as recently as last September.

Then I discovered Typing Club (https://www.typingclub.com/).

I was struggling with a lot of other typing tutor programs and websites, but this really worked for me.

Now I type at 50 WPM, which I know a lot or people can type faster, but to go from nothing to 50 WPM in so short a time is amazing to me.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: mkkeyboardvigilante on Thu, 09 May 2019, 21:08:20: I feel like a terrible typist sometimes even though on my worst days I still hit it at 90 WPM at least. On my best days, I can hit it up to 101 WPM and even 110 WPM when everything's just right, sometimes with 100% accuracy too. Learned to touch type all the way in middle school. I'm just expressing my own perfectionism here.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: rajendra82 on Thu, 09 May 2019, 22:50:47: I would also heartily recommend typing club. (https://www.typingclub.com) I just got into mechanical keyboards a couple a months ago. Thirty years of hunting and pecking is very difficult to let go of, but I am trying and making slow progress for the first time in my life. I am still way slower using touch at around 20 wpm, but I will persist due to how enjoyable that website makes it.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: aleck on Thu, 09 May 2019, 23:16:40: Nope, you're not the only one (~45wpm and a lot of typos)
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: BlindAssassin111 on Fri, 10 May 2019, 00:25:19: Quote from: rajendra82 on Thu, 09 May 2019, 22:50:47
I would also heartily recommend typing club. (https://www.typingclub.com) I just got into mechanical keyboards a couple a months ago. Thirty years of hunting and pecking is very difficult to let go of, but I am trying and making slow progress for the first time in my life. I am still way slower using touch at around 20 wpm, but I will persist due to how enjoyable that website makes it.

Just finished the typing placement test...Wow do I feel worse about my typing skills, lol.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 May 2019, 00:34:07: Quote from: mkkeyboardvigilante on Thu, 09 May 2019, 21:08:20
I feel like a terrible typist sometimes even though on my worst days I still hit it at 90 WPM at least. On my best days, I can hit it up to 101 WPM and even 110 WPM when everything's just right, sometimes with 100% accuracy too. Learned to touch type all the way in middle school. I'm just expressing my own perfectionism here.

You suck.. hang your head in shame.. how dare you bring that amateur hour to GekHak, besmirching our White Walls of Typing Excellence with your muddy mediocrity.

(https://i.imgur.com/w8LOcaM.gif)
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: mkkeyboardvigilante on Fri, 10 May 2019, 11:09:38: Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 May 2019, 00:34:07
Quote from: mkkeyboardvigilante on Thu, 09 May 2019, 21:08:20
I feel like a terrible typist sometimes even though on my worst days I still hit it at 90 WPM at least. On my best days, I can hit it up to 101 WPM and even 110 WPM when everything's just right, sometimes with 100% accuracy too. Learned to touch type all the way in middle school. I'm just expressing my own perfectionism here.

You suck.. hang your head in shame.. how dare you bring that amateur hour to GekHak, besmirching our White Walls of Typing Excellence with your muddy mediocrity.

Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/w8LOcaM.gif)

I have much to learn from you, oh master.

BTW, what's a GekHak? :P
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: _PixelNinja on Fri, 10 May 2019, 11:30:35: I tend to recommend the following:
- Typing.com (https://www.typing.com/) for learning proper technique and developing muscle memory
- Key Hero (https://www.keyhero.com/) for putting into practice the above (many languages available)
- Touch Typing Guru (http://touchtyping.guru/) for tongue twisters for your fingers
- TYPE GUN (https://typegun.com/) for the LOLZ
- ZType (https://zty.pe/) for playing around

The most important thing is consistency — 10-15mins a day on the first two and you'll be getting rid of bad habits and back to your usual typing speed rather quickly.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: CilantroToothpaste on Fri, 10 May 2019, 12:02:02: I somehow hit 110WPM with awful typing habits. If I lose concentration even for a second in a typing test, it's over, but I can generally hit 100 pretty consistently.

How about a recurring topic, keyboard enthusiast but poor as dirt?
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: deacon on Fri, 10 May 2019, 12:15:48: I use http://play.typeracer.com (http://play.typeracer.com) alot now. I used http://keybr.com (http://keybr.com) when initially learning but I just hate typing random letters so as soon as I was typing with the correct fingers I switched to something more fun.

I can type 50 wpm comfortably so I'm not fast. Having a custom layout adapted to me was a big part of that.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: HPE1000 on Fri, 10 May 2019, 12:30:57: I hunt and pecked when I first got in to the hobby about 6 years ago. Learned how to touch type after getting a set of blank caps to put on my quickfire rapid.

I had that required typing class back in middle school where we did mavis beacon and everything but I never took it serious. I type around 90wpm these days, up from the 40ish when I first started. I still don't type great at all but it doesn't really bother me. I'll partially blame my large hands from preventing me from ever comfortably or accurately typing tho :P
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: Sup on Fri, 10 May 2019, 13:43:23: It's mostly practice and muscle memory remembering where all the keys are. I haven't done typeracer for a long time and now i am around 100WPM instead of 120.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: funderburker on Fri, 10 May 2019, 15:40:51: I have been touch typing since I dunno when but it's been mostly with two fingers I think. When I built my first mechanical, I did some training and learned to touch type the "correct" way using 9/10 fingers (I don't use both thumbs if it's not a split spacebar board).
Regarding speed, I've been enjoying Typing Club as well but I check-in there time to time for about 30min to 2h each other week or so. My speed was around 45-ish wpm when I started and now it's up to a stable 60-67wpm with 99/100% accuracy. But if I don't train that often then i go back just around 60wpm as English isn't my first language so I need to process it a bit before inputting it back into the computer.

Blank keysets really makes you learn touch typing as looking at the board is just useless pretty much.

P.S. Touch typing classes in elementary/middle school is something you've done over the pond probably cause I haven't a single soul in Latvia that had a class (not talking about 80's university classes or smth).
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: no, the other guy on Fri, 10 May 2019, 16:35:54: It depends. I suck at typing random words from a list that appears in front of me, but I'm rather fast at writing down my thoughts.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: Sintpinty on Fri, 10 May 2019, 20:16:05: Keyboard enthusiast...

Quote
And Great typist :D
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: ArchDill on Fri, 10 May 2019, 21:14:15: I get 68wpm on a good day. Usually, I hover around 58-65. When I first got into the hobby (4 Years ago) I was at about 43wpm.
Title: Re: Keyboard enthusiast, terrible typist?
Post by: Sintpinty on Sat, 11 May 2019, 07:59:18: On a great day, i can get upwards of 123 wpm.

If you're in my school chances are you know that i'm a very. fast. typist.