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Sites or Software for a Budding Typist?
less touch, more typing asks: "Over the years I have worked with a number of IT professionals and software developers. Many of them have had excellent typing skills. Others, like me, have not. While I type passably with my own roguish style of finding the right keys, I would like to teach myself to type correctly. Too many syntax errors over the years are do to my lack of this basic skill. What software or web site would you recommend to learn to type? Is there something free or inexpensive that can turn someone with a lot of bad typing habits into a typing guru?"
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
Quod scripsi, scripsi.
Get The Typing of The Dead. It's like The House of The Dead. But instead of a lightgun, you have to write words to kill zombies...
In my experience, the best way to improve your typing skills is to just practice everday typing. Whether it's posting on a messageboard, IMing (except using abbreviations and shortcuts defeats the purpose), or keeping a diary/journal on your computer just for the sake of practicing typing, the act of typing becomes more and more natural as time goes on.
Programs like Mavis Beacon can be helpful, but once you've spent enough time in front of a keyboard, it becomes second nature to know where the keys are, regardless of whether you use proper style or not. It's a cliche, but in this case, practice makes perfect.
LOL - I must have a touch of dyslexia, because I thought at first you were a typing Buddhist... :-)
Actually, the typing tutors that are available are hit and miss. One that I find works for the non-typist is Popcap Games's Typing Shark You'll keep at it because it's actually fun to practice.
Im convinced that kids can type now due almost entirely to AIM and MSN. If you ever need someone to type "LOL!1" at 3000wpm, get a 13 year old.
Brain(s): 0.0% user, 1.3% system, 0.1% nice, 98.6% idle
I've been typing away at a keyboard since I was 7 years old and, as I discovered in Highschool, I type extremely fast. In grade 9, we had to take "typing class," and I finished the entire semester's work in two periods. People would literally crowd around me to watch me type.
:D
Thing is, I don't type "correctly" and I'm sure many fast typists would agree that typing correctly isn't necessarily the best way to type.
I don't make many typo's (unless I've spent 12 hours straight coding and start doubting the correct spelling of words) and found that I can out-type any "correct" typist.
Here's what I suggest to improve your typing speed and accuracy: Find out what your problem is.
Do your fingers not align properly?
That means you have to rework your typing style. "Correct" typing is a good solution for this, as it presents which fingers "should" be hitting which keys. But you should eventually work out your own style to suit the shape of your hands and fingers.
Do you find yourself looking for specific keys?
That means you need to get more familiar with the keyboard, which means more practice. My hands are so comfortable with the keyboard, that I can recite the keys with my eyes closed just by imagining where my fingers would go for a particular letter.
Are you just slow?
This could mean lack of confidence, which implies practice. Or it could mean that you have poor coordination or reflex. Musical instruments are great for improving your finger coordination and strength (piano did it for me, but most instruments that involve your fingers would be fine).
Good luck!
- shazow
"Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor" worked well for me for learning Dvorak (they do Querty too). Honesty, give Dvorak a chance if you do a lot of typing. It's a lot easier on your hands, and reduces the risk of RSI. Also, learning Dvorak on a Querty keyboard really encourages touch (no peeking) typing. The Mac makes Dvorak easier with a Querty-when-the -Command-is-pressed keyboard, so all of the copy, paste shortcuts are in their original one-handed spots. I have to use a lot of other keyboards at work (sys/net admin) that are Querty, but it's an easy enough trade off to have to watch my fingers for fast Querty typing when I need to. (15% of my typing time).
Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.
When I was 23, I had taught myself to type at around 400 cpm (I think that's 80 wpm), indeed, just by practicing. (OK, I confess, at some point I played with a DOS-based typing tutor to practice the independent movement of the fingers). Then I made the step to Slackware Linux with kernel 1.2 and discovered that I could edit my undergrad thesis in LaTeX, do calculations, and create plots, thanks to multitasking.
Three weeks later the thesis was finished and I was suffering from an unpleasant RSI because I had taught myself a few bad habits regarding hand posture. I basically had pain in my hands during any keyboard activity during the next 6 months. (I think I couldn't type at all during the first month). That was when I taught myself about Dvorak keyboards, chairs with armrests, and wrist supports. The RSI (or whatever you call it) still haunts me every now and then when I type too much LaTeX or Perl (why is the damn backslash not in the middle of the keyboard?), but I know how to recognize the signals these days.
Avantslash: low-bandwidth mobile slashdot.
Make it a point to write out proper full sentences. For example, say you're IMing someone, instead of typing: "wassup" or "hi" type: "What's up?" or "Hi." so that you're always used to using proper sentence structure and then whenever you're typing away at a report or an email, your writing is a lot more pleasant to read. To stick to the question, I suggest that if it's too difficult to change your habits, you should at least put your fingers on these keys: asdf;lkj where the f and the j are your index fingers, your thumbs are on your space bar, and L-ctrl is sort of with the palm of your hand right below the pinky (for quick access).
I'm afraid that to fix my typing, I need some aversion therapy. *looks down at keyboard* ZZZZZT!! Augh!
You have too much time on your hands.
You could be in need of a semi-taxing job.
You could be in need of social intercourse.
Do you have friends who have, perhaps, commented on your nitpicking habits? You could see somebody about this... I hear that there have been all sorts of interesting methods of therapy developed in recent years.
How about writing a book? I think a suitable title might go along the lines of: "Why the world needs grammatical nitpickers - agree or die!"
Funny - this nitpicking thing DOES seem to have therapeutic qualities. I feel better now - thanks!
---- I was woken up this morning by a face full of fur. Damn cat thought my head made a good pillow.
Give Midgaard my best.
Speak truth to power.
I have been typing for some 22 years, nearly every day since I was 10 years old. Usually 10-16 hours every day, 7 days a week (yes, even as a teenager). I use the "rogue" style. I have no idea how fast I type, but it's pretty fast.
I have never, ever, not once had any inkling of a repetitive stress injury. Now that's a crapload of typing to never have any problems. I chalk it up to using the rogue typing style which causes my hands and fingers to move around into different and sometimes bizarre positions (eg. I often don't hit the same keys with the same fingers).
and I don't think it's due to superior genes or somesuch because I also do 3D work and if I use the mouse for more than a couple hours at a time over the course of a couple of days then my tendons and hand will start to hurt like a sonuvabitch (I switch hands, don't use the mouse so much, and wait for it to heal when this happens).
The ratio of people to cake is too big
I'm trying to achieve enlightenment, but I can't seem to get my WPMs up there. Is there any software or bodhisattvas that I can get that will help me out with this?
I personally use Dvorak, and my typing speed has increased a lot in a very short amount of time. A good typing tutorial for Dvorak is: http://www.gigliwood.com/abcd/abcd.html it is very simple but effective. I have a friend who can type 165 wpm, and he just did Mavis Beacon for 3 years straight as a kid for 2 hours a day. I switched to Dvorak so that I wouldn't get some stress disorder when I got older, and if you have the time I'd recommend the switch. While it may or may not improve speed (mine improved) it does prevent injury when typing.
"Man, I am so unbelievably stupid."
I love this program. http://typefaster.sourceforge.net/
Simple, clean, big, clear, and easy to use.
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