Poll: Do you touch type?

There have been a couple threads regard how well CPFers write. I'm sure everybody, as well as I, for the most part, agree that this is true, especially when compared to some other public forums on the net. Another thing I've noticed, is that many CPFers, besides writing well, compose many lengthy posts. So, I'm wondering, do people hunt and peck out their 2 page reviews or do most of you touch type?

Are there any people that *normally* use a touch system other than QWERTY--Dvorak, for example--?

For this poll, please choose "Yes..." or "No..." AND the system you use.

For me, I touch type (QWERTY). When I was in 7th grade, I took a computer class and the first week was devoted to familiarizing us with the keyboard. We were given a piece of paper that had a picture of hands over a keyboard, with lines drawn from each finger to the keys that it presses. A couple of my 8th grade friends already knew how to type very well, so, I thought if I just used the correct fingering, I'd eventually get it. After about three weeks of class, I could actually type, while the rest of the class stuck to hunting and pecking.

You?

:tinfoil:

I touch type on the AZERTY touch system. This is the common system in Belgium and France. But I can also touch type on QWERTY and QWERTZ (Germany).

Im a sheep here. Touch type on the regular old qwerty.

LOL - 2 fingers, buddy!

I write legal opinions on a laptop all day - when not interrupted by CPF and bladeforums - so my typing has improved a good bit over the years. I'm 90% "no look" qwerty.

My eyeball focus is also fixed at about 24" now from staring at a computer screen for 15 years, but thats another story.

peace

powernoodle said:

My eyeball focus is also fixed at about 24" now from staring at a computer screen for 15 years, but thats another story.

peace

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Cashier: "Sir, you're creeping me out -- are you looking IN FRONT of me???"

I *used* to touch-type at speeds exceeding 150WPM, but when I had that brain operation in late-2002, that was one of the abilities I lost. :shakehead
Now I just type with one hand, and I have to look at the keyboard the vast majority of the time - I believe they call that "hunt and peck" typing.

Touch type on qwerty. More or less essential for professions where you have to deal with big computers a lot (and many other fields dealing with lots of information).

I use QWERTY, but I still have to look at the keyboard for the number key row, as I just can't stand it and always get it wrong. I can push about 70 WPM even when I correct the errors as I type. I also look at the keyboard when keying passwords to ensure correctness the first time.

I have no idea what QWERTY means, but I'm assuming it's the regular keyboard. But I believe I type in the 60-70 wpm range. It's been awhile since I've done any actual typing tests though.

iced_theater said:

I have no idea what QWERTY means

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LOL !

Touch type & qwerty - too lazy to relearn a different system. I've also gone "ergo" with the keyboard thing.

Powernoodle, you really need to get yourself an external keyboard for your lappy (unless you're on the road all day) - built-in keyboards are killers on one's wrists.

The most i ever type is username and password .....
consequently i`m a hunt and peck typer ...... typing more than a couple of paragraphs takes an age

I learned to type with Typing Tutor 5+ (IIRC), and I learned to type quickly with Warcraft II and Starcraft, as I really (really) suck at RTSs and was always calling my teammates for help.

I sometimes wish I learned Dvorak early on, as it's much faster and more natural than QWERTY, but oh well.

I touch type with a dvorak layout on a qwerty keyboard.

I don't know if I'm faster or not, but it is more comfortable. It can be frustrating at times, as it is a qwerty country (US anyway).

Edit: frustrating because when I use other computers or (gasp!) a typewriter, I look like I just discovered a keyboard and hunt and peck. Most computers allow me to change the layout, but sometimes I use a public terminal where that isn't an option.

Learned to touch type on qwerty, went dvorak, will not go back.

iced_theater said:

I have no idea what QWERTY means, but I'm assuming it's the regular keyboard. But I believe I type in the 60-70 wpm range. It's been awhile since I've done any actual typing tests though.

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Look at the top row of the keyboard.

As a former magazine editor I've had my share of typing experience. Still not lightning-fast at it, but pretty decent.

I have noticed the spelling and grammar on this site are much better than most of the other forums to which I belong. Not sure why that is, but it's a refreshing change.

GreenLED, which ergo keyboard do you have? I've noticed there are several different ones, including one that is like two separate keyboards (one for each hand). How is it workin' for you?

So far, the polls are showing just what I expected: that most CPFers touch type. I figured that most do, or at least, the ones that are posting do, because it'd really be so tedious and time consuming to peck out those lengthy posts. I couldn't be absolutely sure, though, (I'm still not sure, really...) because my dad is a hunt and pecker, but he's always typing a lot of lengthy emails to his friends and to whomever he sees on TV. Yep, to the people and shows on TV. He's always watching TV (a lot of the business news and the political shows, as well as everything else), commenting out loud and raising his voice at the people and their opinions. My mom and I always laugh with each other, when we're in another room and we hear my dad shouting, "ohh, bologna!" (baloney!). So, after being stirred by some TV program, he heads off into the garage (where the computer is; mom doesn't want it inside the house) to write long emails voicing his opinion. The computer and email is really great for him, I think, because it really gives him an instant voice and works his mind a little. Dad is in his early 70's, BTW. (he looks younger) So, anyway, it's because I see him pecking out a lot of emails every days that I wonder if other people do the same, or if most of us touch type.

It's interesting, to me, that a couple people actually use Dvorak, BTW, and that Erasmus can type on three different keyboard configurations, although, I expect they're similar with only a few changes, but still, it's still pretty amazing.