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Time to get past two fingers
Nov. 10th, 2007 09:36 amI've keen a sort-of-two-finger typist since I first started keyboarding in the 1980s; I got to be a moderately competent if not very fast or accurate typist, aided by my friend the DELETE key. My bizarre typing style (why do I use the first finger on my left hand and the middle finger on my right?) saw me through three degrees, endless reports and assessments at work, and goodness knows how much guff on Usenet, CIX and LJ.
But I'm finally getting fed up with it, and faced with three five-thousand word essays to write over Christmas I've taken the plunge and obtained a touch typing tutor. (Master Key 5 for the Mac, in case anyone's interested; $20 but what's that at the current exchange rate?) I now have a new time-filler for if I've a few minutes to spare at the computer, carefully assuming the right posture and fixing my eyes on the scrolling text as I tap away slake fast the fitted is deeded staid his kilt; flesh jail jf fj a; sl ls ...and so on. Yes, I'm still only on home row plus e, t, i and . so I work with a fairly eclectic set of words interspersed with odd little two or three-character groups. As I progress the text is slowly getting more meaningful, and looing at the leson schedule I get two more vowels and another three consonants soon!
One rather weird effect is that my previous keyboard style is already becoming uncomfortable. In an ideal world I suppose I'd do no typing other than the tutor program until I was working with the full keyboard, but for practical terms I have to do the full range of email and coursework, so am regularly having to jump back to two fingers. At least it's motivating me to press on with the lessons, though; I really want to be typing properly by the time I next have to churn out a large body of text.
But I'm finally getting fed up with it, and faced with three five-thousand word essays to write over Christmas I've taken the plunge and obtained a touch typing tutor. (Master Key 5 for the Mac, in case anyone's interested; $20 but what's that at the current exchange rate?) I now have a new time-filler for if I've a few minutes to spare at the computer, carefully assuming the right posture and fixing my eyes on the scrolling text as I tap away slake fast the fitted is deeded staid his kilt; flesh jail jf fj a; sl ls ...and so on. Yes, I'm still only on home row plus e, t, i and . so I work with a fairly eclectic set of words interspersed with odd little two or three-character groups. As I progress the text is slowly getting more meaningful, and looing at the leson schedule I get two more vowels and another three consonants soon!
One rather weird effect is that my previous keyboard style is already becoming uncomfortable. In an ideal world I suppose I'd do no typing other than the tutor program until I was working with the full keyboard, but for practical terms I have to do the full range of email and coursework, so am regularly having to jump back to two fingers. At least it's motivating me to press on with the lessons, though; I really want to be typing properly by the time I next have to churn out a large body of text.
