5 ms·

I never really understood the obsession about WPM that some programmers have. You're a programmer, not a court reporter. You don't need +200 WPM. You need to t

I never really understood the obsession about WPM that some programmers have. You're a programmer, not a court reporter. You don't need +200 WPM. You need to think before/during/after writing each one of the characters you type. And more often than not, you actually spend +5min of 20 lines of code, so your +200 WPM ability doesn't matter at all.

zokier 8y ago
I type normally below 50wpm (just did a test which scored 54, but that is above my normal day-to-day rate), and I do feel constrained by my typing ability. More specifically not the rate I can spew up finished code, but the way I can't efficiently and naturally use computer (via typing) for sketching out ideas and overall as a tool of thought or an extension of my mind. Indeed I do often resort to pen and paper for that purpose which, in addition to being just plain quaint, simply locks me out of vast arrays of capabilities and tools I'd have on computer (org-mode etc). There are also other ways I think faster typing speed can transform the way computers are used, for example being more comfortable in the cli, being more willing to write small simple throw-away code snippets, less reliance on tools like autocorrect and autocomplete, which in turn can give more freedom to experiment with more niche tools, and so on.
- jamestomasino 8y ago
  There's also the personal enjoyment factor. People that run long distances rarely need that skill level. People that sing for fun don't need to do it. It's great to push your abilities just for its own sake. Lots of us just enjoy it.
hopler 8y ago
There is a big range between 40wpm and 200wpm. Typing is a cost, a waste. After spending an hour thinking, I don't want to be stalled out by delays typing. I need to rewrite my code several times to get that clean bugfree 100 lines for the day. I want to write documentation, not just code. I need to write emails and chats too. Just like I spend 22hours a day not commuting but still want my commute to be twice as fast
V-2 8y ago
A chef doesn't need to be winning vegetable-slicing races, but being able to chop the veggies fast saves time for the meaningful work. Also I admit I'm not really thinking before each one of the characters I type. It's not uncommon for my thoughts to be forming in my head at a pace more or less consistent with my typing, or even exceeding it, especially as it's not necessarily coding, but eg. code reviews, comments and clarifications in tickets etc. I will go back and review what I wrote of course, but it still feels more convenient if I'm able to lay it out quickly to begin with. And all the saved time adds up, at the end of the day.
kkarakk 8y ago
linux torvalds doesn't touch type and richard stallman does. however they both use shortcuts heavily and have high APMs

zokier 8y ago

I type normally below 50wpm (just did a test which scored 54, but that is above my normal day-to-day rate), and I do feel constrained by my typing ability. More specifically not the rate I can spew up finished code, but the way I can't efficiently and naturally use computer (via typing) for sketching out ideas and overall as a tool of thought or an extension of my mind. Indeed I do often resort to pen and paper for that purpose which, in addition to being just plain quaint, simply locks me out of vast arrays of capabilities and tools I'd have on computer (org-mode etc). There are also other ways I think faster typing speed can transform the way computers are used, for example being more comfortable in the cli, being more willing to write small simple throw-away code snippets, less reliance on tools like autocorrect and autocomplete, which in turn can give more freedom to experiment with more niche tools, and so on.

jamestomasino 8y ago
There's also the personal enjoyment factor. People that run long distances rarely need that skill level. People that sing for fun don't need to do it. It's great to push your abilities just for its own sake. Lots of us just enjoy it.

hopler 8y ago

There is a big range between 40wpm and 200wpm. Typing is a cost, a waste. After spending an hour thinking, I don't want to be stalled out by delays typing. I need to rewrite my code several times to get that clean bugfree 100 lines for the day. I want to write documentation, not just code. I need to write emails and chats too. Just like I spend 22hours a day not commuting but still want my commute to be twice as fast

V-2 8y ago

A chef doesn't need to be winning vegetable-slicing races, but being able to chop the veggies fast saves time for the meaningful work. Also I admit I'm not really thinking before each one of the characters I type. It's not uncommon for my thoughts to be forming in my head at a pace more or less consistent with my typing, or even exceeding it, especially as it's not necessarily coding, but eg. code reviews, comments and clarifications in tickets etc. I will go back and review what I wrote of course, but it still feels more convenient if I'm able to lay it out quickly to begin with. And all the saved time adds up, at the end of the day.

kkarakk 8y ago

linux torvalds doesn't touch type and richard stallman does. however they both use shortcuts heavily and have high APMs