Can you type proper?

[slowmotion]

I'm a two-fingers-and-half-a -brain person.

 

[Fnaar]

I use six fingers and my right thumb. And the same when I'm typing

 

[Berk on a Bike]

I trained as a typesetter so got given lessons. Don't know what my speed is but I'm pretty nifty.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I forget why I did it now, but I taught myself to touch type when I was a teenager. In retrospect, a pretty strange thing to do, but I've felt smug about the skill so often since then that it was very much worth it.

I imagine there are lots of on-line courses, some of which may well be free, but I just used a book with exercises in which essentially start with asdf ;lkj and progress from there. It's just repetition and learned response; easy, but the structure of exercises helps a lot. IIRC, it took about an hour a day for a six week summer holiday to get to a worthwhile speed (60+ words per minute). If you don't want to invest in a 'proper course', the 'just a book' approach can certainly work.

We're two of a kind then. I did exactly the same as a teenager even though only girls were supposed to type in those pre-computer days. I started off on a portable typewriter. I also learnt from a book but I can't remember which one although I can picture the cover - baby blue with a picture of a typewriter on it.

 

[Sea of vapours]

We're two of a kind then. I did exactly the same as a teenager even though only girls were supposed to type in those pre-computer days. I started off on a portable typewriter. I also learnt from a book but I can't remember which one although I can picture the cover - baby blue with a picture of a typewriter on it.

Scary stuff: I'm pretty sure the book I had could be described like that, though admittedly the typewriter bit is .... fairly unsurprising. Also, there may well not have been all that many 'teach yourself to type' books around in the 70s. I also started off on a portable typewriter, which I'd saved up for. I wish I could recall exactly why I thought it was a good idea, though it may be as simple as 'something to do whilst babysitting'.

 

[vernon]

Kill two birds with one stone and have fun while learning.

I used to use a DOS space invaders type game where you had to shoot down words by typing them. It was addictive. Several years ago my keyboard was unusable by everyone else at home as I'd worn the letters off it and I was the only touch typist in the household.

Have look at the typing games here: http://www.freetypinggame.net/

 

[Sandra6]

I did a 6 month business admin course when I was 18, which included typing, and because I completed the course in half the time I also learned audio typing and payroll.
I passed with a 60wpm average and a 99.5% accuracy. I could probably manage 50wpm now if I had to, but I don't remember a thing about payroll.

 

[srw]

I can touch type but only with a ergonomic keyboard. Unfortunately my hot desk at HQ doesn't have one...

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction in terms?

I'd have a word with your boss - tell him you've got some cycling numpties to correct.

 

[summerdays]

My Mum felt I ought to be able to type so one holiday when I was about 15 sent me for a couple of hours training with a friend of hers who was a skilled typist. Then I forgot it all till I had a summer job which was tediously boring: put paper in word processor, hit button, it typed out a standard letter, so I would try to see how far through the letter I would get before it finished. Somehow by the end of the hols I'd progressed enough that they actually had me typing some real letters.

Since then I can happily touch type and look at the screen or a document, or chat whilst my fingers are busy. I find that's why I make lots of mistakes on the tablet as I type looking at the keys not reading what I'm typing as I type. I've contemplated getting one of those proper keyboards.

 

[RedRider]

I'm on a phone right now and you just draw a wiggly line between the letters of a word and it gets it right nine times out of tuna.

Rubbish typist but I can write shorthand about 110 wpm. My teeline's pretty indecipherable to any but me these days.

 

[midlife]

I had to type my PhD ......... Dragon Dictate

Shaun

 

[Saluki]

I'm can copy & audio type (with my eyes shut if necessary) at about 75 wmp when I'm in practice.
I have a Pitmans, RSA and a CSE in typing and office practice. My Mum said that I had to do the course, while I was at school. It's stood me in good stead, over the years.

 

[Speicher]

Ok do i just tries ti do it witjior looking and the resukkts arebt geear, Baxcj ri tge drawung borad!!

You just tried to do it and the results aren't great. Back to the drawing board.

 

[yello]

Miss Goodbody helped me with my touch typing. She showed me the correct places to put my fingers.

But please don't tell Fnar.

 

[TreeHuggery]

learnt on old fashioned typewriter - where your little finger does the equivalent of the hurdles type the letter "a" - who put that there? but that was in the era when there were small ads by people who would type up your CV - remember those?
I have a mavis beacon cd if you want to lend it - found it in the phonebox library, and Borrowed it for old times sake!