7 ms·

On a similar note, let me say something which is sure to be controversial/unpopular on HN. I type with 2-3 fingers, and I can tell you that the "peckers" like m

by whack 8y ago

On a similar note, let me say something which is sure to be controversial/unpopular on HN. I type with 2-3 fingers, and I can tell you that the "peckers" like me aren't missing out on much either. I can consistently type at 60-70 wpm, and that's after adjusting for typos. A big part of that comes down to me having memorized the keyboard layout, and not having to look at the keyboard at all while typing. I've also never suffered from RSI, and that might be a positive side effect of my hands being more mobile. And I'm not an exception either: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typing#Hybrid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typing#Hybrid "The number of fingers does not determine typing speed... People using self-taught typing strategies were found to be as fast as trained typists... instead of the number of fingers, there are other factors that predict typing speed... fast typists... keep their hands fixed on one position, instead of moving them over the keyboard, and more consistently use the same finger to type a certain letter." Would it be great to be able to type 100+ wpm? Sure. But if I have to dedicate all that time and effort, I'd much rather spend it on something else. Like learning a new technology or taking time off to pursue other interests. Besides, the amount of time I spend typing is a fraction of the amount of time I spend thinking. I honestly doubt that my 60+ wpm has held me back in any significant way.

xiii1408 8y ago
I can type at 120 WPM, and it's not all that useful. I'd gladly halve my typing speed if it meant avoiding the occasional bout of RSI.
- lixtra 8y ago
  This seems possible. Make more pauses and excercise. A good physiotherapist can do wonders.
- Pimpus 8y ago
  > RSI Read the Mind-Body Prescription, you might be surprised at what you learn. RSI is not something we should be afraid of in this day and age, with everything we know about the human organism.
  - mnm1 8y ago
    Bullshit. That might work for some but in no way is it a cure or preventative measure for RSI for everyone. RSI is a real concern and often is caused by actual physical issues that need to be dealt with.
  - kkarakk 8y ago
    >Mind-Body Prescription In this acclaimed volume, Dr. Sarno reveals how many painful conditions-including most neck and back pain, migraine, repetitive stress injuries, whiplash, and tendonitises-are rooted in repressed emotions (book description from amazon) Excuse me while i chuckle heartily
    - tomhoward 8y ago
      Half-jokingly: it's repressed emotions that usually cause reactions like that :) I haven't read Sarno's book but I've read the books by another prominent author in this genre, after battling stubborn health conditions for years without respite. Addressing repressed emotions has been the thing that made the difference for me, without doubt. Other things have been important too (diet, exercise, sleep, etc) - but none of that made a persistent difference without addressing the emotions, and none of those things were possible to adhere to consistently without also addressing emotional issues. I know several people who have gone through a similar journey and all found that the emotional approach was the one that worked when others didn't. And yep, we all know a lot about the placebo effect, thanks.
      - kkarakk 8y ago
        just goto a doctor and leave this newage stuff in the bin where it belongs. pain management is a different thing from pain alleviation.
        tomhoward 8y ago
        Sarno was a conventional physician. Nothing about his theories are "newage" or anti-scientific. Indeed, theories around pain must surely be less scientific if they rely on a dualistic notion of the mind and body being seperate entities. Plenty of people visit mainstream doctors for pain conditions and are told that nothing can be done other than pain medication, which as we're now witnessing, can too often lead to addiction and death. Whereas people who adopt the Sarno approach can and do achieve complete healing of the emotional and physical aspects of their illness. If you actually have any expertise to add to the discussion please share it, otherwise, please step aside and allow grown adults to make their own judgements about what works for them.
jules 8y ago
It's not just about typing speed, it's about comfort. Touch typing on Colemak (and presumably Dvorak) feels much better and is less tiring than pecking. What you mention is indeed the biggest advantage of touch typing: your hands are in a known position relative to the keyboard, so you don't have to look or think to type. How do you keep your hands in a fixed position if you only use 2-3 fingers?
- whack 8y ago
  > How do you keep your hands in a fixed position if you only use 2-3 fingers? They don't stay in a fixed position. They are constantly moving around the keyboard. I can still do this without having to think or look at the keyboard. I can understand why/how this would slow down my typing speed, but I can still maintain 60-70 wpm despite this. > it's about comfort My hands have never felt uncomfortable when they are moving about slightly. Why should they? I can walk for hours and feel totally relaxed - in fact, that actually feels better than standing still for 15 minutes.
  - jules 8y ago
    > They don't stay in a fixed position. Okay, then I don't understand the point of the quote, because it is a counterargument to your style of typing. > My hands have never felt uncomfortable when they are moving about slightly. I used to peck, and now I don't, and I used to think that pecking was comfortable, and now I don't. The difference is night and day.
    - whack 8y ago
      > Okay, then I don't understand the point of the quote, because it is a counterargument to your style of typing. The quote is saying that even if someone pecks, their typing speed isn't necessarily impaired. I'm not claiming to be as advanced as other pecking-typists, but I can still achieve bursts of 80 wpm. > I used to think that pecking was comfortable, and now I don't. The difference is night and day My hands feel about as comfortable while typing, as they do while I'm lying down or doing nothing. I don't see how they can possibly feel any more comfortable than that.
Pimpus 8y ago
> I honestly doubt that my 60+ wpm has held me back in any significant way. I type 120 at max speed and I think that if I were to suddenly start typing more slowly tomorrow due to a freak thumb accident it would be a significant impediment to my ability to get stuff done. Most of what I do is typing on the computer (either coding, writing, or flying around in Emacs and organizing my life with org-mode). I'm a great note-taker in meetings because of my speed and because I can concentrate on the content of what people are saying instead of on the typing, which is fast and accurate without conscious effort. Moreover, slow typing would be extra friction between my brain and the computer, and there needs to be as little latency between these things as possible to get my thoughts and ideas out there unfettered. Honestly, I think you should invest the time in learning to type properly. Yes, it does make a difference. Learn the finger placements and practice every day. Learn when each hand is appropriate for shift and space and practice it, alternating appropriately. Even minor stuff like that makes you a better typer.
mnm1 8y ago
I truly wish I never learned to touch type. The RSI issues are simply not worth it. I don't need to type fast to create software. That includes writing emails and such. I've adapted now to a slower workflow where I spend a lot more time thinking and a lot less with my hands on the keyboard/mouse and productivity has mostly stayed the same.
- gtrfreewifi 8y ago
  If you can touchtype, you have the option to spend more time thinking. RSI is generally not a symptome of touchtyping per se. Instead, there are usually some underlining issues like not actually touchtyping properly (for example too much force involved, I know nothing about you so these are not directed towards you), bad keyboard, or just generally neglecting breaks. Regards, 20+ years of daily touchtyping with zero signs of RSI (I never skip breaks which makes my eyes happier too, money is just imaginary but the one thing I really can't afford is losing my health).
TulliusCicero 8y ago
> fast typists... keep their hands fixed on one position, instead of moving them over the keyboard Interesting, I'm a fairly fast typist (exact speed varies on test, but I'm in the 80-120 range) who uses mostly my pointer and middle fingers on each hand, and my hands move all over the keyboard as I'm typing, especially my right hand.

by whack 8y ago

xiii1408 8y ago

I can type at 120 WPM, and it's not all that useful. I'd gladly halve my typing speed if it meant avoiding the occasional bout of RSI.

lixtra 8y ago
This seems possible. Make more pauses and excercise. A good physiotherapist can do wonders.
Pimpus 8y ago
> RSI Read the Mind-Body Prescription, you might be surprised at what you learn. RSI is not something we should be afraid of in this day and age, with everything we know about the human organism.
- mnm1 8y ago
  Bullshit. That might work for some but in no way is it a cure or preventative measure for RSI for everyone. RSI is a real concern and often is caused by actual physical issues that need to be dealt with.
- kkarakk 8y ago
  >Mind-Body Prescription In this acclaimed volume, Dr. Sarno reveals how many painful conditions-including most neck and back pain, migraine, repetitive stress injuries, whiplash, and tendonitises-are rooted in repressed emotions (book description from amazon) Excuse me while i chuckle heartily
  - tomhoward 8y ago
    Half-jokingly: it's repressed emotions that usually cause reactions like that :) I haven't read Sarno's book but I've read the books by another prominent author in this genre, after battling stubborn health conditions for years without respite. Addressing repressed emotions has been the thing that made the difference for me, without doubt. Other things have been important too (diet, exercise, sleep, etc) - but none of that made a persistent difference without addressing the emotions, and none of those things were possible to adhere to consistently without also addressing emotional issues. I know several people who have gone through a similar journey and all found that the emotional approach was the one that worked when others didn't. And yep, we all know a lot about the placebo effect, thanks.
    - kkarakk 8y ago
      just goto a doctor and leave this newage stuff in the bin where it belongs. pain management is a different thing from pain alleviation.
      - tomhoward 8y ago
        Sarno was a conventional physician. Nothing about his theories are "newage" or anti-scientific. Indeed, theories around pain must surely be less scientific if they rely on a dualistic notion of the mind and body being seperate entities. Plenty of people visit mainstream doctors for pain conditions and are told that nothing can be done other than pain medication, which as we're now witnessing, can too often lead to addiction and death. Whereas people who adopt the Sarno approach can and do achieve complete healing of the emotional and physical aspects of their illness. If you actually have any expertise to add to the discussion please share it, otherwise, please step aside and allow grown adults to make their own judgements about what works for them.

jules 8y ago

It's not just about typing speed, it's about comfort. Touch typing on Colemak (and presumably Dvorak) feels much better and is less tiring than pecking. What you mention is indeed the biggest advantage of touch typing: your hands are in a known position relative to the keyboard, so you don't have to look or think to type. How do you keep your hands in a fixed position if you only use 2-3 fingers?

whack 8y ago
> How do you keep your hands in a fixed position if you only use 2-3 fingers? They don't stay in a fixed position. They are constantly moving around the keyboard. I can still do this without having to think or look at the keyboard. I can understand why/how this would slow down my typing speed, but I can still maintain 60-70 wpm despite this. > it's about comfort My hands have never felt uncomfortable when they are moving about slightly. Why should they? I can walk for hours and feel totally relaxed - in fact, that actually feels better than standing still for 15 minutes.
- jules 8y ago
  > They don't stay in a fixed position. Okay, then I don't understand the point of the quote, because it is a counterargument to your style of typing. > My hands have never felt uncomfortable when they are moving about slightly. I used to peck, and now I don't, and I used to think that pecking was comfortable, and now I don't. The difference is night and day.
  - whack 8y ago
    > Okay, then I don't understand the point of the quote, because it is a counterargument to your style of typing. The quote is saying that even if someone pecks, their typing speed isn't necessarily impaired. I'm not claiming to be as advanced as other pecking-typists, but I can still achieve bursts of 80 wpm. > I used to think that pecking was comfortable, and now I don't. The difference is night and day My hands feel about as comfortable while typing, as they do while I'm lying down or doing nothing. I don't see how they can possibly feel any more comfortable than that.

Pimpus 8y ago

> I honestly doubt that my 60+ wpm has held me back in any significant way. I type 120 at max speed and I think that if I were to suddenly start typing more slowly tomorrow due to a freak thumb accident it would be a significant impediment to my ability to get stuff done. Most of what I do is typing on the computer (either coding, writing, or flying around in Emacs and organizing my life with org-mode). I'm a great note-taker in meetings because of my speed and because I can concentrate on the content of what people are saying instead of on the typing, which is fast and accurate without conscious effort. Moreover, slow typing would be extra friction between my brain and the computer, and there needs to be as little latency between these things as possible to get my thoughts and ideas out there unfettered. Honestly, I think you should invest the time in learning to type properly. Yes, it does make a difference. Learn the finger placements and practice every day. Learn when each hand is appropriate for shift and space and practice it, alternating appropriately. Even minor stuff like that makes you a better typer.

mnm1 8y ago

I truly wish I never learned to touch type. The RSI issues are simply not worth it. I don't need to type fast to create software. That includes writing emails and such. I've adapted now to a slower workflow where I spend a lot more time thinking and a lot less with my hands on the keyboard/mouse and productivity has mostly stayed the same.

gtrfreewifi 8y ago
If you can touchtype, you have the option to spend more time thinking. RSI is generally not a symptome of touchtyping per se. Instead, there are usually some underlining issues like not actually touchtyping properly (for example too much force involved, I know nothing about you so these are not directed towards you), bad keyboard, or just generally neglecting breaks. Regards, 20+ years of daily touchtyping with zero signs of RSI (I never skip breaks which makes my eyes happier too, money is just imaginary but the one thing I really can't afford is losing my health).

TulliusCicero 8y ago

> fast typists... keep their hands fixed on one position, instead of moving them over the keyboard Interesting, I'm a fairly fast typist (exact speed varies on test, but I'm in the 80-120 range) who uses mostly my pointer and middle fingers on each hand, and my hands move all over the keyboard as I'm typing, especially my right hand.