How do you type?

Well, my dear I have been typing since the age of 14 (56 years), my mother taught me before I went to high school. However, the Portuguese have a knack for two finger typing. Have seen a lot it in the notary offices and the like. I am absolutely amazed....of course they do look at the keyboard but I won't hold that against them. So sorry for your husband. Thanks for responding.

Is the Dvorak keyboard what I know as the international keyboard....cant remember the letter placements but I know that I had lots of trouble with it... After typing almost 60 years on a qwerty it would be hard (and take more time than I have left I'm sure) for me to learn a new system, especially since I am very happy with the one I have now. Thanks so much for dropping by and for your input.

Ok, got it. It doesn't look very pleasing to me this Dvorak keyboard. And you are right (as I am sure you knew already or you wouldn't have said it) the international is AZERTY. Love it when people come back to answer my comments. Thanks.

The Dvorak keyboard is the one where the home keys are: AOEU and HTNS. Instead of Qwerty, where they are: ASDF and JKL;. I made the mistake of learning it while I was writing a long paper though! It was very very frustrating to only be able to type 30 wpm! I think the international keyboard might actually be the AZERTY? That's not as different from the Qwerty. I think that's what it's called.

ROFLMAO. I used to be good at taking dictation but I hated it. Had to for Junior College (Secretarial School) but later in years I would take dictation at the typewriter so that I wouldn't have to transcribe my notes. All my bosses liked that cuz they didn't have to wait to see the finished product. One guy wasn't too keen though, The US Embassador in Ecuador. We had a crisis and he wanted to call in a secretary for dictation. I was officer for the weekend and I said if he didn't mind I could take it down at the typewriter (this was before computers). Since time was of the essence he reluctantly agreed. When he had the finished copy 20 seconds after he finished he kinda changed his mind. We had saved at least an hour and a half and the message was in Washington before the secretary got there. I get the feeling we are in the same age bracket altho I prolly have a couple of years on you. Thanks for responding.

Glad to respond. I loved your story. I remember very well the days before computers. It's a lot easier now, and I still get amazed at some of the things we used to have to do before computers. Yes, I think we're close in age, too. ;)

I don't feel so alone now. I was beginning to think I was the only relic in here.

oops that comment was meant for bilbi

It seems then that you type by words and not letters. It would be very difficult to reach 70 words just typing letters. I must admit the "big" words dont come so easy and I most often go leter for letter. There's a flaw in every perfection. Thanks for your comment.

Last test was 2 days ago and it was 188wpm. I know am not fast why ? because my friend can type 244wpm and I want to beat him to it. Yours is good but everyone always have scope of improving so challenge yourself to it.

Wow, hope what you have isn't catching....I don't know what I would do if I couldn't type fast. Probably die from boredom or something. It's wonderful that even against those odds after surgery you can still type fast and keep it up for 16 hours a day. I take my hat off to you. Thanks for dropping by...always nice to see you. PS: If you are interested and want to take the time here are a couple of sites where you can check your speed.... www.calculatorcat.com/typing_test/ www.valenciacc.edu/studentservices/typingspeed.asp

Thanks gifana, but I think I'll just keep going in ignorance of my speed. I can type as fast as I can think, so that is good enough for me.

Ok....but at least if one day you just happen to let curiosity get the better of you and now know where you can go...hehehehe

At my age it would be difficult for me to learn a new keyboard. For a time I had to use the International keyboard but that all changed when I got the PC. I have the same problem....sometimes I am typing English but thinking in Portuguese, as that is the language I speak during waking hours. One of the reasons I am here in myLot is to "practice" my English.....living here for 30 years has really taken it's toll on my native tongue. I don't type as fast in Portuguese but I get by. Thanks for dropping by and for your input. Nice to see you again.

I have a dual language personality....if I'm speaking Portuguese I can only think of a word in English and vice versa. Of course, I have to admit that my written English is much much better than my written Portuguese. I have not really taken the time to study grammar....most of what I know is what I have heard and read and filling in the spaces. I have fun with the people here when they correct my Portuguese grammar....I lovingly tell them that when they can speak English as well as I speak Portuguese then they can criticize all they want. This usually either gets a laugh and/or no further comments.

I know just how it is sometimes not using our native language in our day to day lives for years and years... sometimes I'm trying to come up with a word and can't remember it in any language LOL My daughter is there now, with my mom, and she also complained about the keyboards. She was using my friend's computer until her internet connection was set up and she kept misspelling everything:) FInally she got her connection working and is using the laptop she brought from here and things have improved.

I have days that my fingers don't seem to operate on the usual speed level too. However, I have so much trouble hunting and pecking that it takes me over an hour to type just one sentence. My fingers-bran link is so automatic that I have difficulty find the right key if I am not looking at the monitor. Wierd. thanks for dropping by and for your input.

I don't know what my speed is on computers...only electric typewriters which are much slower you needed more pressure on the keys. Plus you also had to keep track of the line length because it wasn't as automatic as it is now. Yes, the new two fingered typists are quite good but I find that most of them tend to look at the keyboard rather than the screen which sometimes makes it more difficult because they have to back and proofread more. Glad to see you back and thanks for your input.

Thanks. I am not a world champion by any stretch of the imagination. I used to know what the record was for manual typewriters but now with computer keyboards so much faster I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess as to what the world record would be. I have watched young people at the computer keyboard and it reels my mind when I see them going at it at about 60 wpm with just 2 fingers. My other taught me at an early age and then I put the finishing touches on in highschool and secretarial junior college. It makes it so much easier to see what you have already typed as you type it....having to keep looking up and down must be most nerve wracking. Thanks for dropping by and your input.

Good for both of you. I consider anyone who can type about 20 words a minite a good typist. It was my profission so I had to be able to type fast so that I could get more work done. Thanks for your comments.

Same here, learned it in high school--probably the most useful class I took in h.s. I'm a writer, so the faster I can type,the faster I can write.

At least that's a start. The more you type the sooner you're speed will increase. I still have to look for some of the keys because I'm always striking the wrong ones. For example, I always scrue up on the ( ) and many times I have to look for them. Thanks for dropping by and for your input.

You are absolutely right....you are definitely a typist typer. Touch for sure speed really isn't that important unless you use typing for a profession and earn your keep that way. However, there are a lot of people out there who only started typing after they got a computer and I would "guess" that a lot of those in that category would be the two finger typist.....that is the reason I chose this post to see how many fell into the latter category. As in most everything we learn in school....we don't know how important it will be in our lives that's why we should learn all we can every day. I looking upon Life as School Without End. Thanks for stopping by.

That's great. Actually 80 wpm is 20 wpm more than the necessary minimum to get a government job....so get in line. hehehehe. It is much easier to type when you don't have to look at the keys...although sometimes I make a lot of stupid mistakes thinking ahead of my typing. Thanks for stopping by.

That's a very interesting point about the piano...never thought about it before. I took lessons for about 6 years when I was real young. Maybe that gives me an edge as well. It's like most anything else you learn to do....practice will get you to Carnegie Hall.....or help you achieve your purpose. It is amazing how when I type I think of the word and the letters follow right behind. The only problem is I sometimes get typing so fast my thought are ahead of my fingers and I tend to make mistakes or leave out words and phrases. Oh well, nothing is perfect. Thank you for dropping by and for your input about the piano.

I had the same problem when I was learning to play the piano.....I always hit the wrong notes because I was singing ahead and my fingers just wouldn't or couldn't keep up. Thanks for coming back.

LOL.. I know the feeling about my brain rushing ahead of my fingers - or is the other way round? :-)

There's nothing wrong with that. I guess I just have a knack for using my fingers. Actually it's quite a feat sometimes because I have have had arthritis practically all my life. Fortunately, it is not the crippling kind and my fingers are still nimble enough for me to type. Lord knows what I would do if I coulnt type. Thank you for your response.

I take my hat off to all two-finger typers who type fast. I can't do it....my brain is programmed for 10-finger typing and when I try to use only two it drops way down believe me. Thanks for response

But at least you can get your responses down...although the length may be limited by the time it takes you to comment. Keep going and before long you will get your speed up... It's like the guy who went to New York for the first time and asked a cop on the corner...."How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" To which the cop responded "Practice, practice, practice." Thanks for responding.

Not to worry....as long as you are contented with your method and speed you should be proud of your accomplishment. Thanks for responding.

Don't complain....there are many out there who would love to type as fast as you. Thanks for response.

Just fair is not a fair answer when you type the minimum level for most jobs as secretaries. Give yourself more credit....you type fast period. Thanks for responding.