Are you a touch typist?

A long time ago I used to look at the keys on the keyboard but over the years I have graduated to the position where I dont watch my fingers, I watch the screen, and if I make a mistake my fingers know where the delete key is and how to correct stuff.

In fact I should tell you that my keyboard at home has the following key surfaces completely rubbed away - if you didnt know what they were you wouldnt be able to guess .

On the top line I have only got Q and W , T and Y and P (the T is on its way out though, as is the W)

On the middle line I have only the J left

and on the bottom line I have lost everything except Z and X.

Now I wonder if those letters are significant in scrabble, they ought to be I guess, because if they are the ones I dont use very much they ought to give high scores on the board.

The letters that looks as though they have the most use left in them are Z, X, Q and J (and I had to look down to type those, so that must prove something)

Do you have any letters worn right off on your keyboard? and if you do, does it matter? Do you read from the screen or do you look down and press the buttons as your eyes see where you want to be?

And finally, do you use all of your fingers, or just two? I have to admit that as far as I can tell, as I type and think about which fingers are hitting keys and which dont seem to be part of the game, I never (hardly) use my left hand thumb or my right hand little finger, all the rest seem to have a job to do.

Discuss

Yep I touch type.

We learned it in school in IT and it just worked for me.

I don't look at the keyboard, virtually never, except for finding symbols like $ or &

I use all my fingers on the "correct" keys (according to how you're taught to do it).

At my last typing test my typing speed was 102wpm!!

I check it sometimes on http://www.typingtest.com/

I'm a speedy speedy typist! I think it's cos I'm a pianist too??

I'm probably the worse typist in the world,i have to look at every key before i press it,but you don't really use a keyboard when your a welder!

90% of the time, I "touchtype" i use "s because I dont use conventional 'this finger goes here' tecniques, but I like to look down when im using the control keys or, if im using Shift and something, that way I make less mistakes! :D

- Rob.

Edit: According to that test, I typed at 56WPM, but IMO thats not correct, as usually when I type the words are coming from my head and I dont have to bother reading anything other than checking my typing at the time!

I'm not an 'official' touch typist in the way that you should use certain fingers for certain keys, but years of programming computers means I know where the keys are on a keyboard without having to look.

On a recent test my speed was recorded at 120 wpm.

The test consisted of the following words:

all sad lad gas :P :P ;)

I cant touch type!!!!

I also used to get in trouble from a certain person for looking at the keys all the time whilst on my web cam!!! ;)

Originally posted by Belle
Are you a touch typist?

A long time ago I used to look at the keys on the keyboard but over the years I have graduated to the position where I dont watch my fingers, I watch the screen, and if I make a mistake my fingers know where the delete key is and how to correct stuff.

In fact I should tell you that my keyboard at home has the following key surfaces completely rubbed away - if you didnt know what they were you wouldnt be able to guess .

On the top line I have only got Q and W , T and Y and P (the T is on its way out though, as is the W)

On the middle line I have only the J left

and on the bottom line I have lost everything except Z and X.

Now I wonder if those letters are significant in scrabble, they ought to be I guess, because if they are the ones I dont use very much they ought to give high scores on the board.

The letters that looks as though they have the most use left in them are Z, X, Q and J (and I had to look down to type those, so that must prove something)

Do you have any letters worn right off on your keyboard? and if you do, does it matter? Do you read from the screen or do you look down and press the buttons as your eyes see where you want to be?

And finally, do you use all of your fingers, or just two? I have to admit that as far as I can tell, as I type and think about which fingers are hitting keys and which dont seem to be part of the game, I never (hardly) use my left hand thumb or my right hand little finger, all the rest seem to have a job to do.

Discuss

I am at the moment taking a touch typing course, and am finding it extremely difficult. Although I am typing this with touch typing, I am making lots of mistakes and find it quite impossible at times.

The most marks I have had at the college so far are 89% accuracy and 13 words per minute and I despair of getting any better!!!

Originally posted by caprice
I cant touch type!!!!

I also used to get in trouble from a certain person for looking at the keys all the time whilst on my web cam!!! ;)

rofl! :P :D

not guilty m'lud :thumbsup: ;)

rofl! not guilty m'lud

Yes RPG, it was YOU!!!! Now don't laugh at me because I can't touch type!

Im not laughing....... (roflmao)

;) j/k

I think I take my typing abilities for granted sometimes :( even some people in my computing class cant touch type! I see them making word documents and looking down the whole time! :o

The government should provide free typing lessons to all, I've got a diploma in typing, and that cost me about a fiver! and the fiver was for the exam entry, I had to learn how to type myself :cry:

even some people in my computing class cant touch type! I see them making word documents and looking down the whole time!

I did the whole ICT GCSE coursework staring at the keyboard! It didn't do me any harm I did great!

When I think about it, I don't really look at the keyboard too much, but I'm certainly not a touch typist.

(Testing that statement with this sentence...)

Well if u say touch typing is not looking at the keyboard then I usually 1/2 touch type because I do simple words touch-typing such as: the, so do, and, good, ........ Ect

But with longer words I usually look at the keyboard then look at the screen then type get 1/2 way through the word and look at the keyboard then look at the screen and finish the word.

But things like delete, commor, full stop, control, enter and tab and all things like that I use automatically.

As for the fingers I don’t use my left & right little fingers, but I do use my left & right thumb.

My keyboard has all the letters on the top row except e,u,o,p and w. middle row has all but disappeared and only c,b, n and m have gone on the bottom row.

Yep, learned to touch type on a manual typewriter at school. A very useful skill.