2 ms·

> The keyboard is a tool. Yes, but one of many. > If you can't type, you're going to waste a lot of people's time and they may be too polite to say anything,

> The keyboard is a tool. Yes, but one of many. > If you can't type, you're going to waste a lot of people's time and they may be too polite to say anything, but it's frustrating for everyone around you. I don't think in my career I have ever been alerted to anyone's typing speed being slow. Yes, I've heard endless noise about "the perfect keyboard" and the ins and outs of spring types and junk. But I've never noticed the output of someone because they type slowly. And to be honest, I really couldn't care. Can they code? can they keep to a deadline? are they nice to work with? if the answer to all three is yes, then I couldn't give a shit about how they type. > but can't work a hammer efficiently would be ridiculed on a job site. Only if they need to use a hammer effectively though. If they are laying veneer, carving, using a screwdriver like a sensible person, then a hammer is only rarely needed. This all smacks of gatekeeping to me.

mgkimsal 5y ago
> But I've never noticed the output of someone because they type slowly. I do, when I'm pairing with someone, or in any synchronous meeting environment. It may not effect the 'output' of delivered code (for a developer) but it can hinder their ability to pair effectively.
lbayes 5y ago
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I agree that some (maybe lots of?) people feel differently about this and of course, that's okay too. To be clear, I'm not saying anyone needs to type 120 WPM, I'm talking about a single finger on each hand, eyes down, hunting for the next key to press. Over the 20+ years of my career, I've been exposed to hundreds, maybe thousands of different folks doing different kinds of computer work. And yes, I agree that there are likely people who can kind of get the job done without being able to operate a keyboard efficiently. I also agree, that it helps a lot if they're nice to work with. But I have not yet met a single hacker who has demonstrable and deep knowledge of computers and the software that runs them who cannot type. I'm sure they must exist, and it wouldn't surprise me if Donald Knuth himself dropped into this thread to let me know that he hunts and pecks! I'm just saying, that I have not personally met or observed someone operating at the highest levels of this field who cannot type with a reasonable speed. [update] Almost forgot about Gatekeeping, Yes! Gatekeeping is an essential part of interviewing. In fact, that's the entire point. We interview people for roles with the specific intent of bringing on people who we believe (or at least hope) have higher competence and closing the gate to people who have lower competence. It's incredibly difficult work and it's not perfect and we have a lot of work to do, to make it better and more inclusive, but expecting competence in basic, role-relevant skills is unambiguously reasonable IMO.

mgkimsal 5y ago

> But I've never noticed the output of someone because they type slowly. I do, when I'm pairing with someone, or in any synchronous meeting environment. It may not effect the 'output' of delivered code (for a developer) but it can hinder their ability to pair effectively.

lbayes 5y ago

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I agree that some (maybe lots of?) people feel differently about this and of course, that's okay too. To be clear, I'm not saying anyone needs to type 120 WPM, I'm talking about a single finger on each hand, eyes down, hunting for the next key to press. Over the 20+ years of my career, I've been exposed to hundreds, maybe thousands of different folks doing different kinds of computer work. And yes, I agree that there are likely people who can kind of get the job done without being able to operate a keyboard efficiently. I also agree, that it helps a lot if they're nice to work with. But I have not yet met a single hacker who has demonstrable and deep knowledge of computers and the software that runs them who cannot type. I'm sure they must exist, and it wouldn't surprise me if Donald Knuth himself dropped into this thread to let me know that he hunts and pecks! I'm just saying, that I have not personally met or observed someone operating at the highest levels of this field who cannot type with a reasonable speed. [update] Almost forgot about Gatekeeping, Yes! Gatekeeping is an essential part of interviewing. In fact, that's the entire point. We interview people for roles with the specific intent of bringing on people who we believe (or at least hope) have higher competence and closing the gate to people who have lower competence. It's incredibly difficult work and it's not perfect and we have a lot of work to do, to make it better and more inclusive, but expecting competence in basic, role-relevant skills is unambiguously reasonable IMO.