Touch typing?

[vashti]

I hope that this is the right area to ask this sort of thing, but how many of you know how to touch type? As in, you type & don't need to look at your keyboard. (I would create a poll, but I'm not even sure if I can do that or how to do so). I can sort of do it, but I've been considering doing little online lessons or something... I guess that I just want to hear from others about it. Do you think it's worth it? Particularly in the realm of coding & whatnot? My thoughts are that it's gonna be a pain to learn, but it'll probably save me a lot of time in the future.

[TheNothingMonster]

I have the tendency to look at my keyboard for split seconds, although it basically changes nothing. So, I reckon I know how to touch type.

It is usually good to be familiar with your keyboard, especially when utilising it for important work. It saves up a lot of time and makes everything a bit less painful to deal with!

Everyone learns at their own pace, so if you think that online lessons would suit you, then I couldn't say no! But, if you are often occupied with your device and keyboard, then you could practice alone and learn over time.

For the latter, I would suggest getting one of those speedskin keyboard covers. They basically cover the main section of your keyboard so you can't see what you are typing on! Moreover, you could try one of those typing speed tests! They are really fun and get you going if you are determined to aim for the best you can (a nice one is Monkeytype). Or if you want to take it more slowly, you could try copying text (by typing, of course). A nice source would be from a physical book, but pretty much anything would be superb. All of these are great ways to challenge your skills as you learn, but that's just me. Take anything you think would be good for you.

[Absentmind]

I just learned to do it by using a computer for prolonged amount of time. I do however awkwardly type with my two index fingers only much to everyone's disgust! I would just practice by yourself, do things like typeracer and all that. Soon it will become natural!

[TheFrugalGamer]

Back when I was a kid, my mom forced me to sit down and use Typing Instructor Deluxe (I still have the CD in fact!), even though I didn't want to. I keenly remember being yelled at from the other room because I wasn't using more than two fingers, and my hands weren't on the home keys.

But I have to admit my mom had it right, because I type at about 80-90 words per minute last time I checked, and it's incredibly useful for something I do every day. I think touch typing is pretty important and definitely helps, especially if you're working on a PC every day!

That said, I'm crap at typing on a screen, while most young people are much better than me. Generational thing, I guess 

[myleszey]

I picked up the habit of multitasking when I first learned to type - holding a book, phone, apple, etc., in my other hand while typing with the other. As a result, I learned to type "properly", though I occasionally have to look down at what I'm writing and often make minor spelling mistakes regardless (especially when copying text from somewhere else like those speed tests want you to do).

My one-handed typing speed is almost as fast as two-handed though! It's a useful skill to have when you need to do two things inefficiently and grasp less information!

[tarraxahum]

I know that there exists some particular technique for touch typing, certain keys for certain fingers and such, but I've never learned it.

However, from the sheer amount of time I've been spending on my computer my whole life I basically touch type from memory. I glance at the keyboard sometimes, but it's more of a habit. EDIT: my work has always been connected with typing, too, and I've been writing stuff and such often, etc, so that definitely plays a role.

I do that in two languages with different layouts, too :D

[vashti]

It's very interesting to hear everyone's replies. I type with both hands just because I'm on my computer constantly, but my hands are constantly moving around the keyboard & if I don't give it a glance, my writing will be riddled with small typos. I think what I want is to be a total typing speed demon. Typing 80-90 WPM would be amazing, just because I'd get through my essays quicker & I think it's really help me write more when working on my site.

When I was in middle school, I was actually in a typing class for a few days till they moved me to French. I guess I want to do it the "proper" way where I have my fingers resting on the little "home" keys or however they're called. I'll definitely look into those keyboard covers that make it so I can't see the letters. I think even if I didn't do little lessons, learning to type without watching my hands would really speed things up. I also really like the book idea! Last time I was writing a book review, it took me sooooo long to type out some of its excerpts. It's actually one of the reasons I was considering learning to type, haha.

[Gans]

The term "touch typing" feels misleading. When I'm writing fast, it's more of a "slamming" into the keys instead of just gently "touching" them. Looks more like a flock of chickens pecking for freshly scattered corn.

First experience of professional 10-finger-writing came in early school, 6th grade, around 11 years we were then. There was this program with a green typewriter icon being called "the writing coach" (Der Schreibtrainer in german).

It teaches you the keys by starting with 4 keys + space bar, adding two additional keys in each next level. It's like a video game. To be honest, as a child I never went further than maybe 12 keys with that program and continued writing texts on my own.

Now the question in hindsight is, was this training helpful? Would I have learned it automatically on my own, if I just would have typed lots and lots of texts on my keyboard? I'd say, probably yes to both, I would have learned it on my own. But the idea of dividing the keyboard into sections for each hand is good as well, although logical and would have come automatically over the years, as many of you described in your comments as well. Considering all our different hands, I'd liberate myself from the fixed grid, that each key is arranged to a specific finger. Just use, what feels the most natural for your very own pair of hands.

Different keyboard models can feel quite different as well, so getting used to one is also a big factor in making less mistakes. The quality and price of the keyboard feels overrated to me, unless you maybe want to become world typing champion or pro gamer. Eventually the keys won't work anymore on a worn keyboard, but that's a long way.

[KatKing]

I was forced to take 3 years of typing lessons in middle school, every other day I was sat in front of the computer for an hour of typing. First the letters, over and over, a sheet over our keyboards so we couldnt cheat. We used some sort of website, I couldnt tell you the name now

then we used this ancient typing computer game that made you type full sentances, i hated it.

at some point im pretty sure we had to type out several pages of the dictionary

needless to say im a pretty fast typer. At some point in that class, I hit 100 wpm. He said if we hit that we could stop doing the lessons LOL. I just took a typing test and I got 60 wpm. Im a bit of a reckless typer, so id say that probably isnt entirely accurate. I tend to type and then fix whatever mistakes ive made. I probably get up to speeds of around 80 when im typing, but thats not constant. When im invested in a conversation my hands just fly across the keyboard. T-T

i dont neccisarly type the "correct" way anymore, my hands hover above the homekeys and i type some letters with the wrong finger.  I do think those lessons helped me though, I rarely look at the keyboard. i was already a decently fast typing before though. id like to know my wpm before and after but i couldnt tell you.

i hated those classes though it gets really annoying when your working with a key you arnt good with and you have to sit there for an hour unable to take a break. the last year of that class we got to work in photoshop and make stupid animations  though so i cant complain

[Grimlock]

oh yeah i usually have no problem touch typing i take a few glances down sometimes because i'm like "is that key there or am i misremembering"

i actually had to take typing lessons with a program during a woodworking class, but i'd just do a little bit and then use the computer for other things because the teacher didn't really monitor what we were doing outside of the program. it was neat, it had cute little themes you could switch on but i don't remember how far i got into it.

[spencer]

i can touch type for the most part i think ??? i dont do it the proper way tho, my hands move all over the keyboard lmao. i do need to glance down every now and then, though.

[yuentp]

It's funny because I think I've been able to type without looking at the keys since I was like 10 due to being obsessed with computers from a very young age and having unrestricted Internet access as a kid 

[cuplike]

i can touchtype but not "properly" using all 10 fingers feels off to me. i type with like 3 fingers of each hand mostly with my pointer and midle fingers of each hand, with thumb being reserved for spacebar

[Icey!]

Back when I was a kid, my mom forced me to sit down and use Typing Instructor Deluxe (I still have the CD in fact!), even though I didn't want to. I keenly remember being yelled at from the other room because I wasn't using more than two fingers, and my hands weren't on the home keys.

But I have to admit my mom had it right, because I type at about 80-90 words per minute last time I checked, and it's incredibly useful for something I do every day. I think touch typing is pretty important and definitely helps, especially if you're working on a PC every day!

That said, I'm crap at typing on a screen, while most young people are much better than me. Generational thing, I guess 

Oh I remember those days (using different software), they were painful but ultimately worth it in the long run. Not even sure what caused my mom to do that in the first place considering she isn't a techie like I am. Maybe she was recommended that? Idk.

I will clarify that I was never yelled at, she just wanted me to type well.

I also feel you about the screen typing, those janky little UI keyboards are not the easiest thing to type with.

[owlhari]

we can touch type pretty accurately, but we do not have "proper form" at all. our hands are constantly moving around and where our fingers rest aren't where we learned they should be. our typing lessons, from what we remember, were just a few days where we played typing games back in elementary school. they attempted to teach the proper way but our teacher never corrected us so we just went with what worked. hours of being on the computer in our formative years were what got us to a 90-100 wpm speed.

we also use colemak in our daily life. we switched over a year ago and since then our skills at touch typing in qwerty disappeared. we have a steam deck, and due to some weird limitations, if we connect a keyboard in gaming mode it can only use qwerty. whenever we play a game that requires typing, it's a slow "hunt and peck" ordeal that has a lot of trying different keys and deleting them when it's not the one we wanted. our hands don't remember at all where the keys are anymore!