I never learned to type. When I was in high school, a progressive school for girls who were, um, "gifted", there was a philosophy that women who typed, regardless of education or position, were used as the office secretary. When I was in college and worked in the office of the President of the University, a woman who was a VP, told stories of just that happening to her. (before I malign my alma mater, let me note that I think the stories happened earlier in her career before she got to that office).
At the time, we didn't foresee the personal computer, much less the internet, and had no idea that, in the future, we'd all need to type. So, like many of you, I have learned to type without much formal guidance. Yes, my fingers start at the right keys and I generally use the right fingers on the right buttons. I look at the keys though and my technique is far from perfect.
Ever wonder how fast you type in that selfevolved manner? Try this online typing test. I scored 40 wpm though my mistakes took it to 34 wpm. That's about the same speed as the last time I tested in the early 80s.
Posted by Justene Adamec at December 31, 2003 08:19 AM | TrackBackI scored 69 net, 80-something gross. I'm sure John Duh-vore-ack thinks I could do better than that, if only I'd adopt his neato keyboard layout.
Posted by: Xrlq at December 31, 2003 08:56 AM (Permalink)Gross 72, net 70 - better than I expected and not bad since I really don't use my "pinkies" (but don't need to watch the keyboard). I NEVER took formal typing, but getting my first computer when I was 12 (a PET!) got me to self-learn my own typing syle.
I thought about learning touch-typing, but I figure after 20+ years that my own style is too ingrained.
Posted by: Director Mitch at December 31, 2003 09:01 AM (Permalink)48 gross and net, using basically two fingers (four actually -- very occasionally I use my middle or ring finger if the next letter is fairly close to the last one).
When I was in high school, those of us writing for the school paper would use the typing lab to type up our articles. The ones taking typing class never could understand how I could type so fast my way while they struggled with touch-typing. I think it's a matter of being extremely familiar with the QWERTY layout -- I'd been using my dad's typewriter at home for years.
Posted by: McGehee at December 31, 2003 09:49 AM (Permalink)i too embarrased to give my score. but i will say that i have a bad habit of correcting typing mistakes by pressing the backspace key over and over, erasing like 7 words just to fix an a into an e. then i have to type the 7 words all over again.
Posted by: jason at December 31, 2003 01:22 PM (Permalink)54 gross, 42 net :( Mavis Beacon, here I come again.
Posted by: suzi at December 31, 2003 03:33 PM (Permalink)In high school (now decades ago) on a non-electric typewriter, I learned to type in a one-semester course. I got to a speed of net 40 words per minute.
This was enough to get me my first full time job, as a teletype operator for Western Union.
The telegam company.
I used to remark that it was the only course in my entire education that seemed to be useful (at least monetarily).
Subsequent very successful higher education did not change that.
Typing on an electric typewrite was much easier. And a computer word processor is easier still.
But for no one except a secretary does the of typing that the test tests. We do not copy.
And even though I use the computer a lot, I felt that my typing skills had deterioated.
So I figured that the new equipment made me faster but the rusted skills and not having tried a typing test in a decades would balance each other out.
Result: Net 43 (Gross 48). Yep, just about right. 95% accuracy.
It also seemed that I did not start the test as quickly as I could have and that some familiarity with the test would improve my score.
A second shot at the test: Net 48. Gross 55.
85% accuracy.
Seemed about right.
But as in the past, unless one needs the skill of copying by typing, this score has very little use.
Otto
Posted by: Otto at January 1, 2004 02:55 AM (Permalink)
On the Huck Finn test, I got 78 gross, 73 net. I'm usually don't reflect on a word until after I hit "space" so some of my other scores were a little lower, but all above 55ish.
I'm entirely self-taught, and my right hand commands more of the the keyboard than my left (and TGBY & F I'll use from either hand)
Ha. My first test got me an 11 word net, but it was marking everything after a certain point as "wrong" so I think I got a buggy run. My second go-through got me a 49 gross and net, pausing over the proper spelling of tigris. I think I do better when I'm typing on my own because I don't have to worry about what the specific phrasing is.
Posted by: B. Durbin at January 5, 2004 01:31 PM (Permalink)