Ask HN: What's your experience of learning to type?

4 points by unbindableisaac 2 years ago | 4 comments

Bit of a shower thoughts situation... I was recalling what it was like as a kid to learn to write using a pencil/pen; these memories are relatively vivid. I realised that I can't recall the same about learning to type.

I figure I would recall being intrigued by the keyboard's layout, the feeling and function of it, and recall finding it cumbersome at first and then finding it progressively easier. But no, I feel like I've just... always known?

So I'm curious to know how others experience this.

SubGenius 2 years ago |

My dad had something called Typing Teacher on his Windows 3.1 machine. I was too young to use it as a serious tool though. Learning to type "just happened" as an accidental side effect to using the computer all day long.

Same as you, I don't remember ever struggling with learning to type or anything. I could just do it.

More recently, I switched over to a Kinesis/Moonlander keyboard, so I had to put in actual effort to relearn to type. It wasn't as easy the second time around...

russfink 2 years ago |

“A lad had a real idea..” over and over. As a kid, I found this old book that belonged to my father.

50 years later, I have bad habits that I cannot break, such as always using the spacebar with my left thumb - annoying when I injured it this year. (Fast typists are shift- and thumb-bidexterous I would assume.)

meepmorp 2 years ago |

I was a pretty fast hunt and peck typist, and then I got a job at a small company where the absolute lunatic I worked for saw me typing one day and lost his mind in rage. So I got paid to sit at my desk and learn to touch type.

brudgers 2 years ago |

Typing class on Underwood mechanicals.

Then another on Selectrics.

Both with an audio tape audioing "F F F Space."

Good luck.