Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with touchtyping

How do kids learn to touch-type?

tomargue — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:44:53 -0800

How do kids learn to touch-type these days? Do they learn predominately through school? Or do they learn it themselves, eg through instant chat, etc? I learned to touch type by doing 2 semester-long courses in Grade 9. Do they still bother with these courses? Or do kids learn by themselves at an early age?

Touch typing, minus one finger

Jeanne — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:15:59 -0800

I'm losing the use of one of my fingers. But what I'll miss most is the touch typing. How to relearn it? In February I'll be having surgery for a benign bone tumor in my right pinky finger. Unfortunately, the tumor is close enough to the joint that my doctor says I'll lose the joint.

I'm a librarian in my day job and a novelist in my night job. I type a lot. Do you know of any resources for relearning how to touch type with one unusable finger? I know of one-handed keyboards, but it seems that, if I've still got nine fingers, it would be better to use them all.

(Super extra bonus question: if you have any experience with this kind of hand surgery, I would really appreciate hearing about pain levels and recovery time and when you were able to go back to work and anything else you think might be helpful. I'm mildly freaked out about this.)

Where are the bumps on _your_ keyboard?

woodblock100 — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:26:40 -0800

What's with the little bumps on the F and J keys on my computer keyboard? Yes yes ... I know they are guides for touch-typing, but I'm sure that when I was learning to type back in high school on electric typewriters (pre-computer days) the bumps were on D and K. Am I mis-remembering this? Did they change, and if so, when? And did every typist go crazy when it happened?

typeyfilter

pullayup — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 09:22:43 -0800

I'm almost 30 and I can't type properly--that is, I can't touch-type. My problem: I am fairly good (~35 wpm) at the three-finger-and-thumb-vision-assisted-hunt-and-peck. Unfortunately, this goes to heck when I transcribe or read while typing and can no longer glance at the keyboard. Has anyone out there successfully broken bad keyboard habits? How? Once, I worked at a newspaper, and one of my co-workers could type at, sheesh, like eighty or ninety wpm. The sound she made with her keyboard was incredible, like some kind of pattering machinery. I want to be that good. Even though she got all the long, crappy transcriptions while I sat around drinking coffee and fiddling in Photoshop.
When I try to do it right, I never get over the initial hump, and always return to my faster, less-correct method. I don't type recreationally; it's usually work/school, and slooooow (10 wpm) learning-to-type speed really hurts my ability to accomplish anything. What's the best way to break my habits and learn to type?

Learning to touch type.

horseblind — Mon, 09 May 2005 11:51:24 -0800

I do not currently touch type but would like learn this skill. In addition to being able to practice at home I will likely have time to practice at work too. My boss is fine with me learning this skill on the clock as long as it's not too apparent to just anyone what I am doing. That being said, I might be able to install some sort of typing tutor on my work PC. Obviously, this cuts out any apps that appear too much like games. With or without programs what are your suggestions? How did you learn to touch type? Any other tips for someone a bit fed up with hunt-and-peck?

How Can I Improve My Typing Skills?

phyrewerx — Sat, 17 Jul 2004 14:58:07 -0800

I'm trying to improve my touch typing skills (both speed and accruacy), what would you recommend as the best way to do that? Are there any free interactive trainers out there? Sould I try typing up magazines to refine my speed?