
Ask HN: Should I learn to type properly? - clessg
I am a software engineer and never took a course on typing properly. As it stands, I can type 110 wpm with basically no effort. I use my thumb for the space key, my index fingers for letter&#x2F;number keys (unless in normal mode in Vim), my middle finger for semicolon&#x2F;period, and my pinky&#x2F;ring finger for shift&#x2F;enter.<p>I am quite fast and have good accuracy. However, I am worried that continued typing in this manner will result in RSI. I am also wondering if I will be even faster if I use proper typing technique.<p>Lately, I&#x27;ve been attempting to get used to typing properly, but it feels very awkward, I make lots of mistakes, and I feel like I will never be as fast. Most proper typists I know reach 80-90 wpm max.<p>Any help would be appreciated.<p>Edit: Another problem is that my pinky finger feels quite weak, yet proper typing technique requires it to be used extensively, especially when coding.
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jwhitlark
Yes, because there is a social signaling component to not touch typing. I
always wonder, "they couldn't be bothered to spend two weeks on a foundation
skill, what else do they do the unnecessarily hard way?"

Ten years ago I made my wife learn to touch type; she still says it was one of
the best things I ever did for her.

I once saw it tip the balance in a hiring situation, when we were on the fence
about a candidate we were on the fence about.

Of course, I'm typing this on a tablet, so maybe it doesn't matter anymore...

~~~
webaholic
You might want to see how Linus Torvalds types. Typing skills do not equate to
anything other than may be being lazy.

~~~
jwhitlark
I'm not arguing if it's right or wrong, or if it's even a useful datapoint,
I'm just saying that some people will notice, and count it as a minus.

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mindslight
I use a "floating hands" style that basically came from ever-optimized hunt
and peck. I've clocked 140wpm, but it can take a little time to adjust to a
new keyboard.

Frankly I feel my technique is probably better for RSI because I do macro
movements with my forearm as supposed to stretching my fingers. I also make
extensive use of "far" keys (F1-F12 for switching windows) that seem like it
would be hard if my hands were stationary. I will have the occasional day
where my hands get "tired", but I find this occurs when I'm being _un_
productive - actual coding has a much lower duty cycle.

110wpm sounds perfectly adequate to me, so I'd only try learning "proper"
method if you have nothing else to do. Also, it's not like people who use
"proper" method are impervious to RSI. If this is your real concern it seems
like you'd be better off asking this question to the right doctor, explaining
your specific hand placement / movements.

~~~
clessg
> I use a "floating hands" style

> I will have the occasional day where my hands get "tired", but I find this
> occurs when I'm being unproductive

These both describe me, I do believe.

The stillness of hand required by proper typing technique actually causes my
hands to hurt a bit after a while. I've been programming since I was 10 and
haven't had an issue with wrist/hand pain, but as the years pass by I am
getting increasingly worried. I enjoy programming and don't want to be forced
to stop.

Furthermore I am always looking to improve, so increased typing speed would be
a boon.

> if you have nothing else to do

This also describes me right now.

Thanks for your input!

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jason_slack
I never learned to type properly either. We had a keyboarding class in high
school and I just didn't take it when it was really pushed as "needed for a
career".

Now I am 38 and I code and I can keep up with anyone else just fine. I often
think that I have adapted my typing based around the fact that I do code. I
position my hands in what seems good for code. I seldom move my hands and I
can hit every key in some manner.

My wife is a "proper typer". She can literally write a Word document
blindfolded and make very few mistakes. She even realizes if she does and can
backspace, etc without even looking.

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todd8
I've been typing since 1965 (probably before most HN readers were born) how in
the world do people get over 100 wpm? I've never been able to type much faster
than 50 to 60 wpm and I've worked at a keyboard all these years!

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usermac
For my entire career as a consultant, a technical consultant, I would tell my
clients to learn to type properly. It is the number one thing you can do for
yourself.

How? Just find the home-row keys and keep your fingers there as "home". The
worse you'll do is learn wrong the two index finger positions but no matter.

I was never trained to type but I knew I must and did just that - home row and
go. Done.

~~~
clessg
So, I do keep my fingers at home-row, but only when navigating in Vim or not
typing. When I switch to insert mode, I stray from home row until I re-enter
normal mode.

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veddox
wow - 110 wpm, respect! That's close on twice my speed with ten fingers...

Although I'm sure you could still better that with proper typing - from a
purely physical perspective, your fingers have to travel a smaller distance,
and I'm sure you'll find it more comfortable after you get used to it. I'd
echo usermac here: just keep your fingers on the home row, force yourself to
keep them there, and then go from there. Sure, it will feel weird at first,
but after a few weeks it will be second nature.

~~~
clessg
Thank you both. I will continue to practice, then. I suppose that I won't know
for sure without trying.

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gt565k
I use the WASD first person shooter gamer positioning ;) and I managed 96 wpm

[http://www.typingtest.com/result.html?acc=100&nwpm=96&gwpm=9...](http://www.typingtest.com/result.html?acc=100&nwpm=96&gwpm=96&ncpm=482&gcpm=482&dur=60&time=60&chksum=48213&unit=wpm&kh=45&td=null&err=0&hits=482)

Has anyone tried one of those split (2 piece) ergonomic keyboards? I need to
do some research on those and see how they fare.

~~~
clessg
Nice! Also, "average touch typist: 58 wpm" Wat. I've never felt like a fast
typist. Guess I'm better off than I thought.

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pdiddy
If you are worried about injury in a theoretical sense (by that, I mean you
haven't noticed particular discomfort with your typing style), it is probably
better to focus on exercising your hands (and body) than to retrain your
typing style.

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eonw
im with you, i dont follow "normal" typing methods, but i can reach much
higher wpm then most of my counterparts at work. i personally dont think
staying at the home row all the time is useful when writing code, because so
many of the characters i use force me to bend my pinky in uncomfortable ways.
pips, curly braces, brackets, etc were all left out of the typing classes i
took, so i modified my hand placement a bit.

so ill be the decenter here and vote no, as i was taught proper and hacked it
to my liking. im a firm believer in what works for some doesn't have to work
for all.

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welshguy
Yes, for the reasons you suggest. It's not about pure speed - you are very
fast without the proper technique. It will take you a week or two, blending
the exercises in with whatever else you have going on.

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AnimalMuppet
110 wpm is pretty "proper" by the measure that counts. And a two-finger
technique works better on tiny keyboards, which seem to be the direction of
the future. But...

I messed up catching a football, and jammed my left index finger hard enough
to break the joint closest to the end. I found out that, for a touch typist,
that finger is responsible for six letters, plus three keys on the number row.
But for your approach, it would be much worse.

You don't always have the use of all your body parts. Redundancy is a good
thing.

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stevenalowe
"proper" touch-typing matters less that _actual_ touch-typing. Minimal
movement, no need to look at the keyboard, and zero brainpower spent thinking
about typing.

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Mimu
I use most of my time thinking about what I'll type instead of actually typing
it. I have no idea how fast I do it.

However I now have to use a QWERTY MAC keyboard after like all my life on
windows AZERTY keyboard and oh boy I was slow at first. I'm still slow for a
couple of letters or a lot of "signs", I just have to think where it is on the
keyboard. So hard to change.

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x0ry
ASDFJKL; - My typing teacher in highschool said if you want to make an A in
this class, just look at the keys. If you want to learn how to type, don't.
You will likely make a C or a D, but you will know how to type by the end of
the year. He was right! Is it important? Sorta. Will it be important in 10
years, probably not.

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gotzephyr
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing - that was how I rolled back in the day :-D

Great fun to learn, you get to race a car...faster you type, faster it goes.
Education with play is the best kind!

I would certainly recommend it, I type far faster than I write now.

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mstechfreak2
I would like to suggest you to try
[http://www.typingstudy.com](http://www.typingstudy.com) which is a great
thing to use to learn to touch type faster.

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tocs
Yes.

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zhte415
Look after your neck and back. Good posture is important long term. Check this
box as well, it is an important one.

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icedchai
been typing "improperly" for years. don't worry about it.

