pippychick Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 I did a quick forum search, and didn't find a topic for this specific thing, so I thought I'd start one off. If you're a writer, and you can't touch type, it's a really easy (and strangely fun) thing to teach yourself. I did it quite a few years ago. I used learn2type.com but I'm sure there are other free resources out there too. Touch typing is a skill that is useful in lots of little ways you can't foresee, and it's also something you never forget. I know for a fact that I could never go back to writing longhand now, but that might be personal preference. When you can type without thinking about it, the ideas flow from your brain down through your fingers and appear on the screen like magic. Perhaps we could have a fun little wpm competition on this thread. I'll start, though it's a long time since I tried to be fast, so it's probably not all that good. .... Without any practice, my current WPM is 42. You can do better than that. Go on and have a go! Quote
DemonGoddess Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 I'm out of practice, and did a measly 64 wpm Quote
JayDee Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 A lot of the PWP authors would need specialist software, to learn to touch type one handed BronxWench, Desiderius Price, Wilde_Guess and 2 others 3 2 Quote
pittwitch Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 JayDee - I love you. From dictation, my forte: 125 wpm on a bad day. JayDee 1 Quote
BronxWench Posted January 31, 2014 Report Posted January 31, 2014 I managed to avoid learning how to touch type. I can still remember trying to drop that typewriter* out the window, muttering, "Fuck the lazy brown fox..." (*There were no PCs back then.) Quote
pittwitch Posted January 31, 2014 Report Posted January 31, 2014 The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. Quote
DemonGoddess Posted January 31, 2014 Report Posted January 31, 2014 oh man, I got so TIRED of that sentence! Quote
Melrick Posted January 31, 2014 Report Posted January 31, 2014 I learnt to type on a typewriter, but I learnt to touch type thanks to an early version of Makin' Bacon Teaches Typing. That's how I always thought of her, anyway. It actually did a very good job of teaching me to touch type. BronxWench and pittwitch 2 Quote
DemonGoddess Posted January 31, 2014 Report Posted January 31, 2014 I learnt on a typewriter as well. When I was actively working in an office, my wpm was 100+ wpm. Quote
Aysha c.c. Posted February 1, 2014 Report Posted February 1, 2014 Back in high school I used to achieve speeds of up words of 120 words per minute I used to use a technique called thought flow where I didn't even think the words I was writing I simply saw what was on the page and my fingers moved without thought haven't done that in about 100 years, Now I'm too embarrassed to tell you what my wpm is! Quote
pittwitch Posted February 1, 2014 Report Posted February 1, 2014 Learned on a manual - manual = not electric typewriter. We were so high tech. I thought I died and went to heaven when I could afford an electric. BronxWench 1 Quote
DemonGoddess Posted February 1, 2014 Report Posted February 1, 2014 yep, I learned on a manual too. Mom had an old Royal I practiced on at home. Then, the school upgraded and we got IBM Selectric II's for next semester pittwitch and BronxWench 2 Quote
BronxWench Posted February 1, 2014 Report Posted February 1, 2014 I had an old Royal manual myself. I also had a reel to reel tape recorder. And now that I've dated myself thoroughly... pittwitch 1 Quote
DemonGoddess Posted February 1, 2014 Report Posted February 1, 2014 yep, had one of those too. as well as a cassette recorder when it first came out. And Super8, remember that? Quote
BronxWench Posted February 1, 2014 Report Posted February 1, 2014 Oh, yes! Black and white tvs.... Rotary dial phones... Yes, it was FUN then. Quote
pippychick Posted February 1, 2014 Author Report Posted February 1, 2014 I had a little manual too, but portable. For a while it went everywhere with me. Apart from the nostalgia, you're all so fast! I'd practice, but I know for a fact that the last time I was trying for speed I hit a plateau in the mid-70s and couldn't break through it. I'm fast enough for my thoughts, which is enough for me. It's brought up an idea though. In the world now, with all the smartphones and tablets and such, are keyboards going out? Will typing one day become a skill akin to dry stone walling? Cute, but unnecessary. I hope not, because I can't stand writing with predictive text. Quote
BronxWench Posted February 1, 2014 Report Posted February 1, 2014 Predictive text makes me want to scream. I bought a little bluetooth keyboard for my tablet, and I use that rather than a laptop when I'm at the pool in the summer. I get to write, and when I need a break, I have the Kindle app to let me enjoy a book. I love my little keyboard, and I'll never give it up. Even if I am one of the slooooow typers. Quote
Muhabba Posted February 2, 2014 Report Posted February 2, 2014 I took the little test and can type 48 words per minute. Guess I need to practice some. Quote
Desiderius Price Posted April 16 Report Posted April 16 Had a small mini course on touch typing back in high school… remarkably useful TBH. (It was part of a series of mini-courses, honing some basics, like shop skills, intro-drivers-ed, personal finance, etc.) Quote
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