Sites or Software for a Budding Typist? 109
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 (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:1)
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:4, Informative)
And for linux? (Score:2)
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:2)
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:1, Troll)
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:2)
Installation requires Administrator rights. Running does not. That's it. It won't win the "Designed for Microsoft Windows __" logo because of this, but you can run it as non admin users no problem.
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:2)
Maybe you have mistaken "the program boots" for "the program functions as intended by the manufacturer." M-B will boot in restricted user mode, but it doesn't work as advertised.
Re:Mavis Beacon (Score:1)
TTOTD (Score:5, Informative)
Re:TTOTD (Score:2)
later...
Rob
Re:TTOTD (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:TTOTD (Score:2)
eight forty nine
Re:TTOTD (Score:1)
Re:TTOTD (Score:2)
Re:TTOTD (Score:1)
Re:TTOTD (Score:2)
Googling for it turns up nothing useful, though.
Not exactly what you're looking for, but... (Score:3, Insightful)
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.
Re:Not exactly what you're looking for, but... (Score:2)
I'm 24 and can type 70wpm, I've only ever had practice, never used software.
I'd recommend typing of the dead too as someone said, challenges you to find the keys quickly.
The danger of DIY touch-type training (Score:4, Informative)
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.
Re:The danger of DIY touch-type training (Score:1)
Re:Not exactly what you're looking for, but... (Score:2, Insightful)
diamondgate.com:4000
I admit, though, that I spent HOURS each day playing.
Re:Not exactly what you're looking for, but... (Score:1)
- improving typing of less-frequently used letter combinations
- forcing you to slow down and type correctly, by not letting you speed up until your accuracy improves
- prohibiting the use of cut and paste for corrections (forces you to type more accurately)
But as you say, practice is key.
it varies... (Score:5, Informative)
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 [popcap.com] Typing Shark [popcap.com] You'll keep at it because it's actually fun to practice.
Typing games (Score:2)
Sadly, I can't remember the name of the game, as it was about 2 decades ago that I played it.
Re:Typing games (Score:1)
Re:Typing games (Score:1)
Instant Messaging (Score:4, Funny)
Correctly != Best (Score:5, Insightful)
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
Re:Correctly != Best (Score:2)
Re:Correctly != Best (Score:2)
For me the opposite is true. Correctly == Best. By that I mean that my typing speed is directly proportional to my typing accuracy. When I'm fumbling around and hitting the backspace all the time, my speed plummets. I've found that concentrating on typing accurately without smashing the backspace all the time is the singlemost predictor of my typing speed.
On a similar topic, when I used to code a ton in vi I got carpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand from smashing the escape key all the time. My hand
Re:Correctly != Best (Score:1)
Ha.
Second this in a big way.. bastard style++ (Score:2)
Interestingly enough I honestly have no idea where or what keys are where. I don't even think about it anymore. Do you think about how you speak? I've been using a keyboard since I was 9, maybe even sooner than that - it's almost an extension of my arms. Fingers go to the keyboard and words appear. What's interesting is that I seem to rel
Re:Second this in a big way.. bastard style++ (Score:1)
Tactcile feedback annoys me. Requires too much effort, and gives out too much noise.
I can type much faster with quieter, softer keyboards.
- shazow
Give Dvorak a chance (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Give Dvorak a chance (Score:2)
Re:Give Dvorak a chance (Score:1)
Re:All we are Saying is Give Dvorak a chance (Score:1)
"
Not if he was typing it with a dvorak layout. I have a friend who referred to it as the Kevorkian layout.
Re:Give Dvorak a chance (Score:2)
I used to (more or less) hunt-and-peck my letters earlier and decided to learn to touch-type; games and tutors did not really motivate me so I decided to try a different keyboard layout. I just printed out a little reference card for the keys that I tacked on the top side of my monitor (so I could not cheat) and switched over cold turkey. The first two weeks were pretty bad, but after that I was at my previous level.
Currently I type around 50-60wpm (I have slow fingers), which is about twice as
Nitpicking nitpicking (Score:3, Interesting)
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 DO
Give the guy a break. (Score:1)
Re:Grammatical nitpicking. (Score:2)
Software no substitute for practice (Score:1)
It's sad but today's education de-emphasizes practice and memorization and over-emphasizes deduction and reasoning. There is a place for both. Once you deduce some information, it's time to memorize or practice it until it is second nature.
Re:Software no substitute for practice (Score:2)
Re:Software no substitute for practice (Score:2)
At least here in germany it is the absolute opposite. Most things are memorized, even the things you can look up or deduce easily are often taught on mere "it is this way because it is" basis. Naturally most students forget most of the knowledge they don't use shortly
While you're learning how to type... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:While you're learning how to type... (Score:4, Funny)
It's too late for me (Score:4, Funny)
text based MUDs (Score:4, Interesting)
Give Midgaard my best.
Re:text based MUDs (Score:2)
Re:text based MUDs (Score:2)
Don't most of us use Mozilla? It's just sl[tab][return], then...
(BTW, for you Firefox bigots, why is it a good thing that Firefox is "lighter"? The Mozilla suite is a helluva lot lighter than the multiple copies of Gecko, etc. I get with with Firefox + T-bird + nVu +...)
Re:text based MUDs (Score:2)
Re:text based MUDs (Score:2)
Re:text based MUDs (Score:2)
Mudding isn't bad advice, but it's also not really a good example of the type of typing you'll need to do in real life. Most MUDs consist mostly of typing commands for attacking a MOB, and very little of actually talking to other players.
What you want to find is a MUD based around RP, in which you're typing to other players much more than you're giving commands to the environment. (Plug: The Eternal Struggle http://esmud.com/ [esmud.com] is
Re:text based MUDs (Score:2)
Re:text based MUDs (Score:1)
I suggest tsunami.thebigwave.net:23 - the wars and pvp action mean you either type very fast or suck
Re:text based MUDs (Score:2)
Personally, I learnt typing at school partly out of being a computer geek at that time and it was one of the best things I did as it means I have a fairly decent typing speed and I'm reasonably ac
Re:text based MUDs (Score:1)
I particularly recommend trivia games.
Maybe not exactly what you ask for... (Score:2)
Coding does not require typing (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re:Coding does not require typing (Score:2)
Re:Coding does not require typing (Score:2)
You would use an IDE to implement code. You don't use and IDE to do a design. Very different activities. If you develop software professionally these lines a clearly drawn. Most pro
Type? (Score:2)
Easy. (Score:1)
Why would you want to do that? (Score:5, Interesting)
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).
Re:Why would you want to do that? (Score:2)
Buddhist Typing Programs? (Score:2, Funny)
This is a joke right? (Score:2)
Perhaps a hot ember on the back of your hand if you have more then a
If you surpass 1%, you might as well just off yourself, as you are too stupid to stay here with the rest of us and simply wasting MY air.
Budding typists? (Score:2)
Here is something... (Score:1)
ten thumbs (Score:2)
Dvorak (Score:4, Interesting)
Cheapest solution (Score:2)
Re:Cheapest solution (Score:2)
Life's little ironies (Score:1, Troll)
"Do to"? Are you sure the issue isn't spelling skills?
8^)
[I can spell, but can't type worth beans; the twi are not always distinguishable.]
Ho ho ho! (Score:2)
Re:Ho ho ho! (Score:2)
Re:Ho ho ho! (Score:2)
Don't look down. (Score:1)
I learned to type with the Dvorak layout this way but not looking at the keyboard was what took me the farthest.
Buddhist typists? (Score:1)
GNU Typist - gtypist (Score:1)
This is what I've installed for my mother for her to work on her typing and it has help a bunch. It's ncurses based and there are also binaries available for different OSs.
http://www.gnu.org/software/gtypist/gtypist.html [gnu.org]How I learned typing (Score:2)
The semester after that, I started a programming class, I also got a computer at home. At the time, since
Disney game (Score:1)
Looks like it's out of print now, but available at Amazon from their used & new section.
go to a library.. (Score:1)
look like free word wood bring
same save share state wear &etc.
i type 120wpm. i wouldn't be this way if i hadn't drilled, drilled, drilled. all i can say is: drill, drill, drill.
Free (OSS) Windows binary app (Score:3, Informative)
Simple, clean, big, clear, and easy to use.
Forget about it. (Score:2)
Eh... (Score:1)
OT but couldn't resist... (Score:1, Troll)
Secretary Training (Score:1)
hi (Score:1)
Umm, sintax shure isent youre ownley problam bud.
MUDs (Score:2)
Kingdom Of Loathing (not an advert) even has a literacy test before you are allowed in to the chat.
Simple (Score:1)
learn2type.org (Score:1)
I haven't gone through the learn2type.org tutorials in their entirety, but I have taken a look at them to get an idea of the correct hand positions. I picked up touch typing through frequent computer use. My speed isn't all that impressive -- it ranges from 60 to 80 wpm depending on the day and the exercise. I find that I type faster when I'm typing something I've composed myse