
How many keystrokes do you have left? - Inception
http://www.keysleft.com/
======
matthewrudy
I wonder how many decent devs spend anywhere near 4 hours a day typing. I
spend most of my day working out what to build and how to build it, not
typing.

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rfnslyr
I'm a front end developer. The calluses on the tips of my fingers have their
own calluses.

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samatman
I'm put in mind of my favorite tweet from a friend: "If I had a dollar for
each time I typed <div> today... wait, I do"

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mathattack
I long ago reached the point where I can type much faster than I can
coherently code. I haven't reached the point of being able to type as fast as
the nonsense that my mind thinks up.

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tehwalrus
500,000 keystrokes per computer program left? What monstrosities to they think
I'm going to write?!!

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brey
if that includes backspace, not so very far off in my case ;-)

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tehwalrus
a fair point, I hadn't factored that in...

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mistercow
This fails to account for the possibility of direct brain interfaces within
our lifetimes. It also fails to account for the possibility that I'll be
revived after the singularity. The chances of that are low, but the number of
keystrokes I'll be able to type if it happens is extremely high.

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awda
Keys left seems to just be standing in as a surrogate for time. Sure, try to
use your time valuably. And maybe blogging is a good way to save time by
avoiding repeating yourself.

But I'd start with silly consuming-not-creating timesucks like TV, movies,
even reading HN ;-). These eat more of my time than email.

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ck2
I would assume for 72, not 90.

At least for the USA, 90 seems a pipe-dream unless you are fortunate to be
wealthy or a congressperson awarding yourself gold-plated healthcare.

If you are in China, your government is killing you with unregulated
industrialism that is making the very air posionous.

If you live in Japan, the radiation may already be seeping into your area and
causing cancer.

And if you are in the middleeast, your government might kill you for the wrong
trivial actions against their religion, being a woman, or daring to challenge
a dictator.

90 definitely seems like a pipedream unless maybe you are in Canada, Europe,
Iceland/Greenland, or Australia/NZ (apologies to all those I missed, ie. South
America and Africa, may you live a long and happy life).

Wow I just depressed myself.

~~~
mistercow
If you're making a point about how low a number is, you need to base it on an
upper bound. 90 is certainly high, especially to assume you'll maintain your
current typing speed, but you have to shoot high if you're saying "You only
have this much left to type".

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frncscgmz
It would be nice if this included some sort of WPM test.

I could easily just Google "WPM test" and take it, but that just turned me off
on carrying on with this.

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neon_electro
[http://www.goodtyping.com/test.php](http://www.goodtyping.com/test.php)
worked for me.

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lcasela
I feel slightly depressed...

~~~
jacquesm
This too will change.

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nekgrim
Because he'll be dead?

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jacquesm
Or maybe he'll get a typing course. Not all change has to be for the worse.

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freehunter
By this metric, any time you spend in a typing course uses up your remaining
pool of keys left. Unless you're increasing your WPM enough to offset the
number of keys you've typed in taking the course, you're then running a
negative in taking the course.

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jacquesm
Nice one. I type insanely fast (makes grown secretaries cry) so the outcome
didn't worry me too much but it definitely gives you pause. For added effect,
make a browser plug-in or an app that reminds you. Next level: a count-down
timer that adjusts based on detecting the keystrokes you type in audio picked
up through a mic.

Would be nice as a wrist watch too. Tempus fugit.

~~~
corin_
How fast is "insanely fast", and is that your speed when testing your speed,
or your speed when actually writing (code, emails, HN comments, etc.)?

Personally I hit ~105 when doing a speed test (no idea where this falls on the
"reasonably quick" to "insanely fast" scale), but would never hit this when I
have to think about what I'm writing, as opposed to just ignorantly copying
text put in front of me.

~~~
jacquesm
I go much faster when I'm typing what I'm thinking than when copying text,
especially if it is a text that I have no clue about or in a language that is
not native or near native to me. Given a typing test in French, German or
Spanish I would probably fail miserably. But typing rarely involves copying
text and rarely involves writing in languages that you don't know.

~~~
corin_
While technically true that typing what I think is quickest, I very rarely
find myself with more than a few words to write without needing to think about
what I'm writing, which slows me down. This may be in the form of an actual
break to decide what to write next, or may just be pausing to decide on best
wording, etc.

Is this different for you? When was the last time you managed to write more
than a sentence or too without your brain slowing your hands down?

(Speed tests on the other hand - I can read them as fast as my fingers can
move, so as long as I understand what I'm reading I can do that pretty much as
quick as my typing ability lets me.)

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jacquesm
I don't think while I type. By the time I start typing I know what I want to
write.

When writing long blog posts I go through a couple of revisions, but that's
not so much typing as it is editing which is much slower.

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frd2
I think the author of this site is a tad bit too optimistic regarding the
advancements in code development, that are waiting for us in the future. Code
writing tools or new input devices, maybe some other paradigm shift.

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mashmac2
I do like the concept, and it makes an important point, but...

Please change the text or background colors for higher contrast. I'm young,
with semi-decent eyes, and white-on-light-blue and brown-on-tan are difficult
to read.

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fsiefken
perhaps i'm missing something, but your death will not come sooner or later by
typing less or more - perhaps your muscles will wear out if you type to fast
or so - so spending more or less time typing doesn't matter with regard to how
many average days are left to your death. Can someone enlighten me?

~~~
300bps
The site is only telling you that you have finite keystrokes left, so don't
waste it writing comments on HackerNews.

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sciguy77
Does this account for the fact that you type slower as you get older? What
about typing less?

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telephonetemp
The number is lower if you take into account the probability to develop RSI
each year.

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touristtam
try with multiple languages: I do French and German on a regular basis (more
or less).

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hyperventilator
I was a little upset when I was forced to take typing in junior high. Now I
think I should send them a thank you letter as I watch everyone hunt and peck.

~~~
TeMPOraL
Please do that. You may just make someone's day better.

