Do you type fast?
By getbiswa2000
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
India
February 12, 2011 1:19am CST
When I appeared for the first online test of my life, I didn't know how to type fast. Back then I thought that fast typing is a skill that can't be achieved in 2-3 months. Oh, I was so wrong. I learned typing later and it hardly took me 1 month to memorize A - Z keys. However I didn't learn typing on numeric keypad because at that time I did not feel it was necessary. I wish I took the labor of learning fast typing before I appeared for that online test.
One thing that I learned is that you have to get rid of the habit of looking at the keys while typing. This is a firm habit for most of us and quite difficult to give up at first. Next you need to memorize keys only 4 at a time. While doing this you have to associate each letter with the position of your finger. Then it becomes a habit. The last time I checked my speed, it was 60 words per minute. I think I can do better than that. Of course, I used a software to learn these tricks. They called it Typing Tutor. It's kinda old and is not available online anymore. However, you may certainly search it online, see if you can find it. I can make fast responses because I type at an incredible speed. My speed is only limited by the thinking part.
Do you type fast?
7 people like this
50 responses
@celticeagle (168269)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Feb 11
I am an old school typist. I come from an era when people took Typing in High school and you would memorize keys by doing practices constantly. I can look out the window or watch tv and type at the same time with no errors. I probably type 70-80 words a minute. But I have been typing for forty five years or so. I could probably type faster if I needed to and if my finger nails were cut.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (168269)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Feb 11
I feel anything that can be done well is an art. Anything you want to exceed at take practice. There are some fun tutorials. One particular that I use from time to time. Wish I could remember the name. Without accuracy you might as well do the 40wpm. I would go slow and be accurate.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
From your response I can easily understand that you actually consider typing to be an art. It seems you really enjoy typing and that's a fine thing indeed. I also think that typing can be an art if you know how to enjoy it. 70-80 words a minute with near 100% accuracy is no joke. I was a casual learner. When I started taking typing lessons I had no serious motive for learning it. All I wanted to do is to explore how the software was functioning. Once I started taking this tutorial I became addicted to it. I couldn't stop till I reached about half of the tutorial. Back then I could type at 40 wpm. Over time it increased. The last time I checked it it read 60 wpm with 99% accuracy.
1 person likes this
@sassygirlanne007 (4517)
• United States
12 Feb 11
If I am typing my own thoughts then I will type really fast but if I am trying to copy a text then I have a harder time typing it so I type allot slower. But I would have to say that I can type moderately fast even with one hand.
1 person likes this
@sassygirlanne007 (4517)
• United States
13 Feb 11
I tend to multitask allot so I have had practiced typing with one hand.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
I've never tried to type with one hand. I am more habituated in using all my fingers even my thumbs. When we type our own thoughts it surely needs less time. I have noticed that while typing in myLot. While responding to discussion I am like super fast. But things are different in case of writing articles. Since my monitor stopped showing red color, it became quite difficult to look at the computer screen for long. So I have to write my articles in a notebook and do all the editing there. Then I bring the notebook to my desk and start copying the article into my computer. This takes hell lot of time. While typing in myLot sometimes I don't even look at what I am typing. It's really fun. I look at different directions, talk to people while typing my stuffs on my computer. It feels as if I am juggling with words with both of my hands.
I have never tried to do that. I think it is too difficult to me.
@nice030481 (1109)
• Philippines
12 Feb 11
i am not good in typing without looking at the keyboard. my husband says when he was 17 years old he studied typing and encoding. he said he was able to type very well but now that he don't practice it for more than ten years he wont be able to do it again.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
Exactly the same thing happened to my father. He was a fast typist before he joined Government job. Since then he never needed typing. Due to lack of practice his skill was completely destroyed. The first think you need in fast typing is having the association of keys with the position of your fingers. We need to memorize this thing. Later on it becomes like an instinct. Once you are habituated with this you don't need to look at your keyboard anymore. This becomes quite spontaneous. However due to lack of practice my father forgot all about the key-finger association. But the memory is not entirely wiped out. If he practices for a week or so everything will be fine.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
Okay. I too have no other place to type except for the internet. I just had a hobby of exploring new software and then writing review about them. Anything that's unusual interests me greatly. When I first copied the software from one of the CDs that my friend gave to me, I didn't know anything about it's functions. I just copied it for later use. Then one day while reviewing softwares, I installed and ran it for the first time. I fell in love with it's simplistic user interface. It was a demo software and not a trial version. So I decided to go through the tutorial. It was really very addictive. They don't sell it anymore. I searched everywhere, but I did not find the site anywhere on the internet. However if you want to download similar software here are a few links,
http://www.nchsoftware.com/typingtutor/index.html
http://www.nch.com.au/fastfox/index.html
http://download.cnet.com/TypingMaster-Typing-Test/3000-2051_4-10046660.html
@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
12 Feb 11
Yes, very fast, and I always did. But on the other hand, I do pretty much everything very fast, so it is not only typing specifically.
1 person likes this
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
I recently finished reading a book on psychology. There the author established the relationship between general physiology and personality traits. He made five general classifications among which there was one thoracic type of personality. They are mainly florid people. They are fast in everything. They make quick decisions. They are often impulsive buyers. They are charming and lovers of art. They could make quick decisions because they generally possess a faster thought processing machine inside their brain. It seems that both of us fall under this category.
@michaeltandoc (69)
• Philippines
12 Feb 11
I can type up to 60 words per minute with about 90% accuracy. Not a joke.. :) Sometimes change when I don't feel like typing. :)
1 person likes this
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
60 wpm with 90% accuracy is really great for ordinary user. However more speed is possible. Sun51 mentioned something about 90-100 words per minute. What he actually tried to say though is that you should get a grip and must not be so much proud about yourself because there is always someone who can do better. 
I have a speed just like you 60 wpm and I am quite satisfied with that because I will never apply for a job as a stenographer. 
I have a speed just like you 60 wpm and I am quite satisfied with that because I will never apply for a job as a stenographer. @awnonbhowmik (1)
• United States
16 Jan 13
Never really thought about a Stenographer job. I can type pretty quick, and I'm happy with what I can do, since I still have that eye problem and it has worsened. Nowadays I am practicing typing without looking at the keyboard. To me it kind of strengthens up your confidence, and you know which key is in where......;)
P.S I typed this comment without looking at the keyboard....:P
@crazyrk (817)
• Brazil
12 Feb 11
Yes, for some time I was used to type about 100 WPM, but nowadays I don't care about it, there's a saying: you have to type as fast as you think. As they don't interfere nowadays, there's no point in typing faster. Tip: you can train your typing skill in typeracer.com
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
Yes you are right. I started using this typing tutor because I wanted to see how this software works. But then I learned it so well that I started typing with 40wpm when half of the tutorial was yet to finish. I did not complete the tutorial, because I became kind of overconfident. I think 80 words per minute will be more than enough for me. I am not a native English speaker so you can't expect me to think at a speed more than 100 wpm. I am not going to get a data entry job either. So it's kinda optimum. I presently have a limited bandwidth broadband scheme, so I can't take online test for typing. But thanks a lot for referring the site. I think many members will benefit from this.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
13 Feb 11
You are absolutely right. When I finished with this software I was talking about I had a speed of about 40 wpm with 95% accuracy. I completed the tutorial about 2 years before. Since then I have been typing different things on different occasions. I was also a veteran chatter in yahoo rooms. Due to my stormy typing habits other chatters assumed that I am extremely talkative, whereas it's only the typing part that made chatting interesting to me. I didn't want to talk in chat rooms even after buying the microphone. Anyways, after such a long years of practice my typing speed increased even more. The last time I checked it I was just demonstrating the same software to one of my students. I measured my speed to be 60 wpm with a 99% accuracy and this is just amazing. I think I will definitely have more speed in another 2 or 3 years.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
12 Feb 11
When I first was introduced to the net, I started with single-fingered typing. In 2006, after I came to Mumbai, I started learning typing slowly by writing answers in yahooanswers. Unfortunately I am not sure of keeping my fingers at the fixed spot daily and so I am not confident of typing without looking at the keyboard.I keep thinking that I should type without looking at the keyboard but I make so many typos that I lose my confidence. I can take my time typing and so I am not bothered anymore. However , I keep testing it out frequently but I am unhappy with the results.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
13 Feb 11
Typing with one finger is really tedious. I mean by the time you type you'd type your thoughts your mind had already jumped to the next thought. The speed at which we think is more than that of a supersonic jet. It is quite impossible to type or write that fast. All you can do is that you can always order your mind to hold that thought until it is written. Then you unleash your mind again to switch over to the next thought and hold it there again. I have been reading a book by G.H.Vallin on English Composition. He mentioned that to write a grammatically correct sentence we should be able to see it in its entirety even before we start writing it. This make a lot sense, however this will, at the same time, greatly reduce the speed of typing.
@stanley777 (9402)
• Philippines
12 Feb 11
NO, I'm not one of them.I do type using one finger on both hands like finger picking and while typing I always look at the keyboard because I can not memorize the placement of the keyword. How I wish I could learn to type fast, but I guess I'm not determined yet to learn it's technique.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
Typing with one finger from each hand is not good. You need to use all your fingers to type really fast. You may need it in future. Believe me it's not difficult at all. You can achieve incredible speed in one month. You don't have to practice day and night. Just one hour practice every day can make you a super fast typist. The software I used to learn typing is not available anymore. I tried to download it and searched it in different places online. It seems the manufacturer just disappeared. However you can still have a software with similar function. Follow this link,
http://www.typefastertypingtutor.com/
There is link at the bottom of the page which says something like Type-Faster-Installer.exe
You can download it and start using it today.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
12 Feb 11
I think, speak and type fast, have done so for many years. I type 92 words a minute and being a member on myLot has helped me to continue to keep it up.
It is important not to look at the keyboard as it will slow you down, as the brain goes into a separate thinking mode and slows down the coordination. I am one who does not look at the keyboard and can also type without looking at the screen as I can feel if my fingers are on the wrong keys.
Here is a site where as no download is required which I have given to others:
http://www.typingweb.com/
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
13 Feb 11
You are the kind of personality who welcomes challenges. You work best under mild stress because you consider it as motivation. Uhm, okay, let's get back to the topic. 92 words per minute is just WOW! 
I also don't look at keyboard while typing. It severely impairs the typing. I don't want my thinking interrupted by my looking at those keys every now and then. But when I learned typing I didn't feel like I needed it. I was just experimenting with this software. No sooner than I started the tutorial I understood that I became addicted to it. I typed for about 2-3 weeks and my typing speed went up to 40 wpm. I have been typing since then in chatrooms, emails, articles and of course in myLot and the last time checked my speed it was 60 wpm with a 99% accuracy. However I think I can do a lot better than that. In another 2-3 years my typing will reach 90wpm which is presently your speed of typing.
I also don't look at keyboard while typing. It severely impairs the typing. I don't want my thinking interrupted by my looking at those keys every now and then. But when I learned typing I didn't feel like I needed it. I was just experimenting with this software. No sooner than I started the tutorial I understood that I became addicted to it. I typed for about 2-3 weeks and my typing speed went up to 40 wpm. I have been typing since then in chatrooms, emails, articles and of course in myLot and the last time checked my speed it was 60 wpm with a 99% accuracy. However I think I can do a lot better than that. In another 2-3 years my typing will reach 90wpm which is presently your speed of typing.
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
12 Feb 11
I can not type fast. I did not know that there was any software to learn the tricks of increasing speed. I would definitely search for Typing Tutor. But if you know any other tricks, please share those with us.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
13 Feb 11
I still remember the day when you joined myLot and look, you've already made over a thousand posts. You call that slow? It seems that you are already fast but not satisfied with your present speed. I am also not satisfied with my 60 wpm speed as I know I can do even better. Many participants here mentioned softwares, websites that can enhance your typing speed. Just flip through the pages of this discussion and you will find many links. I have put some links here myself. All you need to do is to associate the keys with the position of your fingers. Once you memorize that thing the rest goes quite spontaneously.
PS: I just visited your blog and I think you are doing a great job. We have another homeopathic doctor here. But I am confused about the name of that person. As soon as I figure out the name, I will let you know.
@blueblink (246)
• Philippines
12 Feb 11
you are right, my speed is also limited by the thinking part. but if i will just copy the selection or story I can type fast.
Happy mylotting
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
13 Feb 11
I often write my articles in my notebook before typing them into my computer. This takes lot more time than what it would if I had typed it in the computer at first. Now I do this because for the past few days my monitor is not working properly. It can't show red color. As this is a CRT monitor, all it could show is either blue or green. Everything looks so pathetic in my computer and it strains my eyes. It has become absolutely difficult to stare at the screen for long hours. So until I buy a new monitor and throw this pile of junk away, I have planned to write and edit my articles in my notebook first and then copy it in my computer, even if it takes more time. At least I don't have to look at the screen every now and then. I can just type looking at my notebook.
@jhaidro (877)
• Philippines
12 Feb 11
I really do not type fast but I am not that slow. I just finished a course from a software as well and it helped a lot. Now, I do not look at the keys as I type. Sad thing though is when you are a bit better than before, it seems like your typing so fast that you miss out a few words that you wanted to be part of your typing. I am still getting a hang of it. I really hope that soon I will be better.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
One of my friend is a software Engineering ( we used to call him the java_King ). He never learned typing but he can type in a super fast speed. I never asked him how he made it but I guessed. He had to type thousands of lines of code. Writing a code and running it and then editing it again - all these are quite tedious tasks. However while adapting to this tough situation his typing speed increased naturally. Sometimes I am simply amazed at how much a person can learn from difficult situations. It's really incredible. Fast typing to me, however was more like a hobby. I never actually felt the need of it. However when I started writing online the skill definitely gave me some advantages.
1 person likes this
@jhaidro (877)
• Philippines
12 Feb 11
One of the disadvantages of typing fast is sometimes the computer can't keep up. With me, I think that I can type faster however, every time I do that, I ended up typing fast but not properly. Your fingers have designated keys right? As I type fast, I'll be pressing on the keys with the wrong finger. My friends are like this. Maybe I will just stick on how I do it. I think I will be better soon.
I am always amazed by the codes the people like your friend is doing. It seems so simple for them but just looking at it, it scares me to touch the keyboard for the fear that I might mess things up.
@marguicha (223777)
• Chile
29 Dec 12
I don`t type very fast, but I don`t think that I`d be able to type faster. I go along with my thinking and I like to ponder on my words. I wouldn`t be able to answer quicker even if I could type faster.
@ypyanyan (956)
• China
12 Feb 11
hi,getbiswa2000 .
long time no see . I am ypyanyan. nice to meet you again
yes, I am the same to you too . About typing .
at last ,I learn a tool about how to type fast .
I exercise it day and day .
I modifid my posture about how place the five fingers on keyboard .
it is vital
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
12 Feb 11
Yes you need to know where to place which of your fingers. For example, we use the right hand index finger to type 'y', 'h', 'j', 'n' etc. We should always use our thumbs to press the 'Space' bar. There are set of keys for index, middle finger, ring finger and pinkie. You need a lot of practice to have a good speed in typing. I am not good with numbers but the next time I take this tutorial I will definitely have some improvement. I did a lot of practice on this software. However back then my speed was only 40 wpm. I am under the impression that your typing speed increases over time.
@Cutie18f (9546)
• Philippines
28 Dec 12
Yes, I type very fast. I was one of the fastest in typing class and I always got something like 95 words per minute in typing. I also follow the proper way of typing and that is using home keys. Yes, my fingers are hitting the right keys even if I do not look at them.
@mtrguanlao (5522)
• Philippines
12 Feb 11
Hello there!
Honestly,I'm a one handed typist,lol! Well,I also use my left hand in typing but I use my right hand most of the time. I already tried some typing lessons but still I went back to my old habit,don't know why I'm more comfortable in looking at the keyboards while typing,hehe! I'm sure if I know the right way of typing,I would be able to post and reply more to the discussions here in mylot in a short span of time,lol! But still,I'm satisfied with what I'm capable of when it comes to typing..
See yah!
Honestly,I'm a one handed typist,lol! Well,I also use my left hand in typing but I use my right hand most of the time. I already tried some typing lessons but still I went back to my old habit,don't know why I'm more comfortable in looking at the keyboards while typing,hehe! I'm sure if I know the right way of typing,I would be able to post and reply more to the discussions here in mylot in a short span of time,lol! But still,I'm satisfied with what I'm capable of when it comes to typing..
See yah!@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
13 Feb 11
My other friend meluan here is also a one handed typist. I wonder how you guys do that. I can't even imagine typing in one hand. I have tried typing while drinking coffee and I messed it up all. I am right handed. However there are things that I manage to do with either of my two hands. Typing is definitely not one of them. I need both of my hands to type. When I type I need to use all 10 fingers of my either hand. The index, middle finger, ring finger, pinkie and thumb all are used. At first I place 4 of my fingers in right position over keyboard. I place the thumb of my right hand on the Space bar. I do this with both of my hands, because if I accidentally place them in incorrect position everything will be typed wrongly.
@roshigo58 (4859)
• Pune, India
10 Mar 13
Hi,
I can type fast. but the people who have done the course of typing or have taken the training of typing can type without seeing at the keyboard. Their fingers move on the keyboard very fast. I can not type fast like them.
]
