
How Long Will We Keep Typing? - allenc
http://allenc.com/2015/10/how-long-will-we-keep-typing/
======
melling
In the past couple of years voice recognition has gotten good enough that
developers who can't type for whatever reason have started using voice
recognition:

[http://ergoemacs.org/emacs/using_voice_to_code.html](http://ergoemacs.org/emacs/using_voice_to_code.html)

Other advances like eye-tracking might help. OptiKey, for example, was
released last month to help with with ALS use eye-tracking to use a computer:
[https://github.com/JuliusSweetland/OptiKey/wiki](https://github.com/JuliusSweetland/OptiKey/wiki)

John Siracusa used to write his 20,000 word Mac reviews with Dragon:

"Recognition is surprisingly good. I’m using Dragon Dictate for OS X to write
these very words. It costs over a hundred dollars, but it earns its price with
extensive customization features and a recognition engine trained specifically
for my voice. Dragon has no problem transcribing sentences like, “Craig
Federighi loves ice cream and OS X 10.9.”"

[http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/os-x-10-9/23/](http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/os-x-10-9/23/)

So, it's probably possible to eliminate typing now, it's just a matter of
finding the proper setup to make it more efficient than typing.

~~~
lloyd-christmas
Perfect timing for my cubital tunnels to start to kick in.

------
taurath
Its about the more naturalistic interface between the computer and the user
and the way they're making thoughts. You can much more easily correct words
for non-fully-formed thoughts via typing and text than through speech - the
"backspace" key of speech requires a lot more slowing down and then going
back. In writing these sentences I've stared at a few of them, made some edits
and decided they're better that way. You spend more time with your thoughts
than with speech.

Maybe that's fine of course, but for such a fundamental change it will take a
while for those who are used to text-based stream of consciousness to ever
consider changing.

~~~
melling
No one said that the solution has to be all speech. Throw in some small
gestures and that'll be faster than reaching for a key.

[http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0](http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0)

Throw in eye-tracking and you can pick out any word quickly.

~~~
taurath
Totally right - I think however it will be a long time before things become so
natural - especially with the concept or writing as a whole. I'm sure you'll
be able to find specialists with any interface who can perform far faster than
even experts on another interface. I'm not being cynical here, but I think the
keyboard is an excellent interface right now. Neural feedback and direct
thought transcription seems like the most likely thing to replace it, but it
also might require far too much attunement. Take all the ways that humans
communicate - writing and text have survived as long as they have for a
reason.

