Q1: I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
Q2: What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let your mind go away?
Q3: Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
Q4: Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
Q5: How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average 10 wpm faster?
Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
> Q1: > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
I began touch-typing a few years ago -- 2006, if I had to guess. I didn't document my progress. I just switched to ANSI Dvorak layout, struggled along in that, removed the printout of the layout from my desk when I could remember where everything was, and moved on from there.
Improvement does require practice, but that doesn't mean you have to consciously practise so much as you have to simply do what you're trying to be good at. I didn't use typing trainers or any such thing. They're boring anyway. I just typed online messages as I had been doing, and that was exposure enough.
> Q2: > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > your mind go away?
I find I can't type well if I don't focus on the text almost exclusively. If I'm typing original text, like I am now, I can listen actively to music, or look at something else and type; but when I have to read text and then type it back, I can't pay attention to much else.
I've tried addressing the text one word at a time, but then I get ahead of my own mental buffer. I find I do best when I scan back and forth between my current point in the text and about one line ahead, so that I know what to expect and don't stumble over, say, an unexpected capital or a comma that I thought was a period in my periphery.
> Q3: > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
Right only. I've read that this is 'standard', but it's just what I ended up doing. It may be because, due to the skewing of the keyboard, the left thumb is lifted a bit farther off the spacebar in the left hand's efforts to reach its keys, so that the right thumb is best for striking the spacebar.
> Q4: > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
A laptop keyboard is probably the worst common keyboard I could type on, followed closely by, as you say, a 'normal' keyboard. I dislike membrane keyboards altogether and never do nearly so well unless I'm using my IBM Model M or Das Keyboard.
> Q5: > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > 10 wpm faster?
I do have averages at every 100 races documented at http://jack.is/typist/ but I vary too much and the sample is still too small for reliability (plus the global average was skewed when I spent a while racing with a keyboard I couldn't get used to).
David Pritts likes to make progress graphs of things, so maybe he could figure something out for you.
> Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
No problem. I've always wondered about many abstract aspects of typing myself, and could never find good answers, so I hope this helps. ;)
-- Jack Aviado http://jack.is/ Whence spring these inclinations, rank and strong? And harming no one, wherefore call them wrong?
I type over 100wpm, and don't recall when I crossed that "barrier" - it was before I did any measurements of speed. I did train Dvorak recently, and got that up to about 110wpm from 40wpm mostly by using TypeRacer, so I can convey some things I learned in that process. I also have experience with practicing other kinds of finger-exercises - i.e., playing organ and piano. So, here's what I have to say about improving:
Train your mind, and the fingers will follow. Be absolutely clear mentally of which keys you are about to press, and in which order. Your goal shouldn't be to go all out during every race, but instead concentrate on getting 100% accuracy every time; when you hit a word or a letter pairing that is difficult, slow down when you reach it and make certain to type it exactly right. This trains your mind, and you will be better prepared to type it the next time you meet it. Read ahead as much as possible; you can reach really crackling speeds by preparing for several words in advance at all times, especially strings of shorter, simpler words. The more you can group these together, the faster you'll be.
The exact techniques are not really as important as the principles. For instance, I type using a laptop keyboard and without my right thumb (left thumb handles all space bar presses), both of which could be improved; however, since typing isn't my profession, it's not worth the time to relearn my entire technique to fix the space bar issue. The keyboard one uses is important, but any standard keyboard can be used to type over 100 wpm.
It varies for everyone how long it takes to go from 50wpm to 100wpm, but time and clear thinking are both important things. I'd say that, all things considered, it would be more valuable to do 1 hour one day and 1 the next, than to do 2 hours one day and none the next. It's easier to bring a fresh approach the next day. Vary your training, keep the mind active - while it's possible to improve speed by only using TypeRacer, you will end up only practicing texts with which you are familiar. I type on a variety of sites; TyperA.tk, Urikor.net, TypingZone.com, and Intersteno all offer different options for improving your typing, and all are valuable in their own ways. TypeRacer is unique, however, in that the presence of other people racing at the same time will add an urgency and focus to your typing, which can yield excellent results. I recommend a combination of all of these for someone seriously interested in improving their overall typing ability.
And in the end, it comes down to practice, practice, practice!
best, Noah
On Jan 5, 3:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Q1: > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
> Q2: > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > your mind go away?
> Q3: > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
> Q4: > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
> Q5: > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > 10 wpm faster?
> Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
Hi, I never actually learnt touch typing. I just practiced on typeracer until I have reached an average of over 100. So, here are just my opinions:
>>Q1:I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. >>How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
Yes they can. Atleast I have, and I see people from my class who are also improving. All of us haven't really "learnt" touch-typing. The time it took me was around 7 months, though alot to get me going initially.
>>Q2: What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about >>what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let >>your mind go away?
Well, its a question of balance :) . Its hard to type fast if you are too sleepy. However, I found that sometimes, when I start getting higher speeds (118+ wpm for me), I tend to concentrate too much on the words, leading to making really stupid mistakes. For me, just casually reading the text can do the trick. When I was around 50 wpm, I used to look at my fingers a bit as well.
>>Q3: Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
Yup
>>Q4: Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
Normal keyboard. Currently use the standard membrane keyboard. Though I really want to order a nice one wid mechanical switches.... Every1 seems to use em :(
>>Q5:How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average >>10 wpm faster?
Something like this- 45 -> 60 wpm : around 2-3 months 60 -> 70 wpm : around 1 month 70 -> 80 wpm : around 15 days 80 -> 90 wpm : around 1 month 90 -> 100 wpm : around 2 months 100 -> 110 wpm: Pursuit in progress...
Regards, Gaurav
On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 6:13 AM, Alex Epshteyn <alexander.epsht...@gmail.com>wrote:
> > Q5: > > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > > 10 wpm faster?
> I'll try to answer this question in the next blog post!
> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "typeracer" group. > To post to this group, send email to typeracer@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > typeracer+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<typeracer%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups .com> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/typeracer?hl=en.
Sometimes when I am typing, I read character by character and suddenly I focus on the meaning of the words I read, and then I start to type very fast while thinking and imagine all the text say. I supposed that happens because I don't slow my fingers choosing what key to press, typing with my subconscient mind.
Any of you have ever feel this?
On Jan 7, 11:28 am, Gaurav Mogre <gaurav.mo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, > I never actually learnt touch typing. I just practiced on typeracer until I > have reached an average of over 100. So, here are just my opinions:>>Q1:I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > >>How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
> Yes they can. Atleast I have, and I see people from my class who are also > improving. All of us haven't really "learnt" touch-typing. The time it took > me was around 7 months, though alot to get me going initially.
> >>Q2: What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > >>what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > >>your mind go away?
> Well, its a question of balance :) . Its hard to type fast if you are too > sleepy. However, I found that sometimes, when I start getting higher speeds > (118+ wpm for me), I tend to concentrate too much on the words, leading to > making really stupid mistakes. For me, just casually reading the text can do > the trick. When I was around 50 wpm, I used to look at my fingers a bit as > well.
> >>Q3: Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
> Yup
> >>Q4: Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
> Normal keyboard. Currently use the standard membrane keyboard. Though I > really want to order a nice one wid mechanical switches.... Every1 seems to > use em :(
> >>Q5:How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > >>10 wpm faster?
> Something like this- > 45 -> 60 wpm : around 2-3 months > 60 -> 70 wpm : around 1 month > 70 -> 80 wpm : around 15 days > 80 -> 90 wpm : around 1 month > 90 -> 100 wpm : around 2 months > 100 -> 110 wpm: Pursuit in progress...
> Regards, > Gaurav
> On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 6:13 AM, Alex Epshteyn > <alexander.epsht...@gmail.com>wrote:
> > > Q5: > > > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > > > 10 wpm faster?
> > I'll try to answer this question in the next blog post!
> > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "typeracer" group. > > To post to this group, send email to typeracer@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > typeracer+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<typeracer%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups .com> > > . > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/typeracer?hl=en.
On Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:50:38 -0600, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thank you all very much for your answers.
> Sometimes when I am typing, I read character by character and suddenly > I focus on the meaning of the words I read, and then I start to type > very fast while thinking and imagine all the text say. I supposed that > happens because I don't slow my fingers choosing what key to press, > typing with my subconscient mind.
> Any of you have ever feel this?
It sounds like you're progressing from typing in letters to typing in letter-groups or word-groups. Common sequences will become individual, fluid motions in themselves. I think of it as moving to higher levels of programming: binary > assembly > C > your favourite scripting language -- if you can relate to this. The point is that you're beginning to delegate explicit processing of each character to the background so that you can focus on the big picture and type more quickly and efficiently.
-- Jack Aviado http://jack.is/ Whence spring these inclinations, rank and strong? And harming no one, wherefore call them wrong?
1: I think everybody can get up to 100wpm with a bit of practise. I myself used to be able to type 105wpm using only 2 fingers, until I realized I'd look like a retard when I got an office job and it would probably lead to every finger and wrist condition known to man. So I switched to Dvorak layout and painstakingly taught myself to type using all 8 fingers. From 5wpm to 75 has taken me about 2 and a bit months. Doing this I have used everyday typing such as emails etc, I've raced a few over 200 typeracer races, and I've played about 15 hours of 'Typershark' (That game is awesome fun =). I'd expect I will be at 100wpm within another 2 or 3 months, maybe a bit more. Honestly the hardest part is that initial push to learn touch typing or using all your fingers etc. Once you're past that it's just a matter of practise.
2: I just focus on the passage I'm typing out and do what comes natural (That sounded dodgy). I think it's best not to try and do anything different, just try and be accurate as best you can.
3: Left only, I think this might have been a habit I picked up from my 2-finger typing days
4: I use whatever keyboard comes with my laptop or costs less than $10. When I get an office job and type 8 hours a day I might start thinking about Ergonomics and all that crap, but it will be for my hand health, not to type faster.
5: Not sure, it varies between which 10wpm. From 90-100 will take longer than from 20-30 for example.
1. Everyone can practice to type more than 100 WPM, very easily in fact. 2. If I encounter the word very often, it would be second nature. Otherwise,I read it syllable after syllable. 3. No, I simply just use my right thumb. 4. It doesn't matter if its a laptop keyboard or not, it depends on how each keyboard feels (hard to press, too small, etc). 5. It entirely depends on the whether someone has good form or not. If you have a good form, you'll be able to increase your typing speed by 10 WPM in less than a week, no problem. But if you have good form, it would take you a long time. Keep in mind, that to increase your typing speed depends on how fast you're already typing.
I switched to Dvorak layout in less than 2 weeks and achieved a typing speed of 100 WPM after another week. That was a long time ago using a typing program. So, if you want to increase in typing speed, simply get a typing program to fix up bad habits that you might be hindering your improvement at the moment. In many typists, its simply their form that's stopping them from typing faster.
On Jan 5, 4:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Q1: > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
> Q2: > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > your mind go away?
> Q3: > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
> Q4: > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
> Q5: > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > 10 wpm faster?
> Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
> 1. Everyone can practice to type more than 100 WPM, very easily in > fact. > 2. If I encounter the word very often, it would be second nature. > Otherwise,I read it syllable after syllable. > 3. No, I simply just use my right thumb. > 4. It doesn't matter if its a laptop keyboard or not, it depends on > how each keyboard feels (hard to press, too small, etc). > 5. It entirely depends on the whether someone has good form or not. If > you have a good form, you'll be able to increase your typing speed by > 10 WPM in less than a week, no problem. But if you have good form, it > would take you a long time. Keep in mind, that to increase your typing > speed depends on how fast you're already typing.
> I switched to Dvorak layout in less than 2 weeks and achieved a typing > speed of 100 WPM after another week. That was a long time ago using a > typing program. So, if you want to increase in typing speed, simply > get a typing program to fix up bad habits that you might be hindering > your improvement at the moment. In many typists, its simply their form > that's stopping them from typing faster.
> On Jan 5, 4:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Q1: > > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
> > Q2: > > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > > your mind go away?
> > Q3: > > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
> > Q4: > > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
> > Q5: > > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > > 10 wpm faster?
> > Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "typeracer" group. > To post to this group, send email to typeracer@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > typeracer+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<typeracer%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups .com> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/typeracer?hl=en.
I personally used Typing Master, its not free. However, there are a couple of free ones on the internet.Here's a program that seems good to me, http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/
If you haven't touch typed before, your going to be slow but you'll eventually increase in speed. If you do touch type, you might have some bad habits like using the wrong finger for a certain character, so you can fix that up. In addition, force yourself to touch type even though your "hunt-and-peck" speed is way faster.
A few last words, when you get to around 100 WPM or more, please slow down or rest when your hands starts becoming tired. Just so you're less likely to get some degree of carpal tunnel syndrome ;D. Good luck.
> > 1. Everyone can practice to type more than 100 WPM, very easily in > > fact. > > 2. If I encounter the word very often, it would be second nature. > > Otherwise,I read it syllable after syllable. > > 3. No, I simply just use my right thumb. > > 4. It doesn't matter if its a laptop keyboard or not, it depends on > > how each keyboard feels (hard to press, too small, etc). > > 5. It entirely depends on the whether someone has good form or not. If > > you have a good form, you'll be able to increase your typing speed by > > 10 WPM in less than a week, no problem. But if you have good form, it > > would take you a long time. Keep in mind, that to increase your typing > > speed depends on how fast you're already typing.
> > I switched to Dvorak layout in less than 2 weeks and achieved a typing > > speed of 100 WPM after another week. That was a long time ago using a > > typing program. So, if you want to increase in typing speed, simply > > get a typing program to fix up bad habits that you might be hindering > > your improvement at the moment. In many typists, its simply their form > > that's stopping them from typing faster.
> > On Jan 5, 4:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Q1: > > > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > > > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
> > > Q2: > > > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > > > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > > > your mind go away?
> > > Q3: > > > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
> > > Q4: > > > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
> > > Q5: > > > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > > > 10 wpm faster?
> > > Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > > > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
> > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "typeracer" group. > > To post to this group, send email to typeracer@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > typeracer+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<typeracer%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups .com> > > . > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/typeracer?hl=en.
On Jan 5, 1:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Q1: > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
I'm old school I guess. I "learned" to type in the 90s, in college, using Mavis Beacon. Got up to maybe 50 or 60WPM after a few months. Then found IRC, which within a few months averaged probably 90WPM. Now I'm averaging a little over 120WPM with QWERTY.
> Q2: > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > your mind go away?
I'm reading a few words ahead of what my fingers are typing. I make a conscious effort to notice any special characters or numbers/dates, as thore are more prone to mistakes on my fingers. When I think I'm typing slowly with a good read ahead, I end up averaging over 120WPM, sometimes in the 130s. Also I find myself not reading "words", but reading sentences. A lot of times my typos will be from my convoluted mind compiling my own "correct" syntax when the author actually wrote it differently. For example, I'd have a heck of a time typing anything from Shakespeare since I don't talk the same way he wrote.
> Q3: > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
Yes. I think in doing so, I also sometimes hit the space bar in the middle of words. So m y typ ing end s up lo oking lik e th is. Perhaps that's just from a spacebar getting loose, or my thumbs getting lazy and resting on the space bar.
> Q4: > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
I can't type fast on a laptop(at least on the laptops I have). I prefer keys that have more movement.
> Q5: > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > 10 wpm faster?
After you get to that "comfortable" point where you aren't thinking about typing as much as you are thinking of your thoughts, I think the rate of improvement deminishes. So if it takes you 2 months to get from 100WPM to 110WPM, maybe it'll take 3 months to get from 110WPM to 120WPM. Extrapolate that a few years, we'll all be typing 370WPM in no time at all :)
> Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
I'm especially interested in what Noah and (I think Jack) mentioned, related to one of the OP's questions. That is, where one should focus his or her attention while typing. I've noticed that this can make a difference, though I stupidly never have done any effective experimentation to figure out what works best for me.
That is, you can focus attention on your fingers, and whatever you are typing at the moment, or you can focus on reading the sentence, such that your focus is actually ahead of the words that you're typing.
I have noticed that sometimes when I am typing something from my head (as opposed to copying text), I am able to type ridiculously fast, and without sacrificing any accuracy. This seems indicative of Noah's point that "your fingers will follow" if you have the appropriate mental state. I'd be interested to hear more about what Noah and other fast typists have to say about this.
Personally I don't have a set way of doing it... maybe this is the next step for me, in order to keep improving! Maybe I'll look into it..
OP: To follow up about what Jack said, I do doing some statistical analysis of typing results... I wrote a script that can do some of this for you.. go to www.davidpritts.com/typeracer/ if interested. Enter your username (two times, sorry) and you can get some useful info. This might also be useful because you can get info about any other user's account, too, and this might help you find answers to some of your questions about "how long does it usually take for a person [to do something]". .
I officially apologize for writing this rambling, slightly incoherent and unnecessarily long post.
S(ChimChimChim) wrote: > On Jan 5, 1:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Q1: > > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
> I'm old school I guess. I "learned" to type in the 90s, in college, > using Mavis Beacon. Got up to maybe 50 or 60WPM after a few months. > Then found IRC, which within a few months averaged probably 90WPM. Now > I'm averaging a little over 120WPM with QWERTY.
> > Q2: > > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > > your mind go away?
> I'm reading a few words ahead of what my fingers are typing. I make a > conscious effort to notice any special characters or numbers/dates, as > thore are more prone to mistakes on my fingers. When I think I'm > typing slowly with a good read ahead, I end up averaging over 120WPM, > sometimes in the 130s. Also I find myself not reading "words", but > reading sentences. A lot of times my typos will be from my convoluted > mind compiling my own "correct" syntax when the author actually wrote > it differently. For example, I'd have a heck of a time typing anything > from Shakespeare since I don't talk the same way he wrote.
> > Q3: > > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
> Yes. I think in doing so, I also sometimes hit the space bar in the > middle of words. So m y typ ing end s up lo oking lik e th is. Perhaps > that's just from a spacebar getting loose, or my thumbs getting lazy > and resting on the space bar.
> > Q4: > > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
> I can't type fast on a laptop(at least on the laptops I have). I > prefer keys that have more movement.
> > Q5: > > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > > 10 wpm faster?
> After you get to that "comfortable" point where you aren't thinking > about typing as much as you are thinking of your thoughts, I think the > rate of improvement deminishes. So if it takes you 2 months to get > from 100WPM to 110WPM, maybe it'll take 3 months to get from 110WPM to > 120WPM. Extrapolate that a few years, we'll all be typing 370WPM in no > time at all :)
> > Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
I was doing a typerace just now, and the quote had the words "been given". I typed "beev"
This happens to be very regularly, and indicates the significance of the mental focus.
(One could point out that N and V are adjacent on a Dvorak keyboard, but that would just show that I've provided a poor example... I assure you, it was a mental mistake, not my fingers. It happens all the time :)
David Pritts wrote: > I'm especially interested in what Noah and (I think Jack) mentioned, > related to one of the OP's questions. That is, where one should focus > his or her attention while typing. I've noticed that this can make a > difference, though I stupidly never have done any effective > experimentation to figure out what works best for me.
> That is, you can focus attention on your fingers, and whatever you are > typing at the moment, or you can focus on reading the sentence, such > that your focus is actually ahead of the words that you're typing.
> I have noticed that sometimes when I am typing something from my head > (as opposed to copying text), I am able to type ridiculously fast, and > without sacrificing any accuracy. This seems indicative of Noah's > point that "your fingers will follow" if you have the appropriate > mental state. I'd be interested to hear more about what Noah and other > fast typists have to say about this.
> Personally I don't have a set way of doing it... maybe this is the > next step for me, in order to keep improving! Maybe I'll look into > it..
> OP: To follow up about what Jack said, I do doing some statistical > analysis of typing results... I wrote a script that can do some of > this for you.. go to www.davidpritts.com/typeracer/ if interested. > Enter your username (two times, sorry) and you can get some useful > info. This might also be useful because you can get info about any > other user's account, too, and this might help you find answers to > some of your questions about "how long does it usually take for a > person [to do something]". .
> I officially apologize for writing this rambling, slightly incoherent > and unnecessarily long post.
> David
> S(ChimChimChim) wrote: > > On Jan 5, 1:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Q1: > > > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > > > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
> > I'm old school I guess. I "learned" to type in the 90s, in college, > > using Mavis Beacon. Got up to maybe 50 or 60WPM after a few months. > > Then found IRC, which within a few months averaged probably 90WPM. Now > > I'm averaging a little over 120WPM with QWERTY.
> > > Q2: > > > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > > > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > > > your mind go away?
> > I'm reading a few words ahead of what my fingers are typing. I make a > > conscious effort to notice any special characters or numbers/dates, as > > thore are more prone to mistakes on my fingers. When I think I'm > > typing slowly with a good read ahead, I end up averaging over 120WPM, > > sometimes in the 130s. Also I find myself not reading "words", but > > reading sentences. A lot of times my typos will be from my convoluted > > mind compiling my own "correct" syntax when the author actually wrote > > it differently. For example, I'd have a heck of a time typing anything > > from Shakespeare since I don't talk the same way he wrote.
> > > Q3: > > > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
> > Yes. I think in doing so, I also sometimes hit the space bar in the > > middle of words. So m y typ ing end s up lo oking lik e th is. Perhaps > > that's just from a spacebar getting loose, or my thumbs getting lazy > > and resting on the space bar.
> > > Q4: > > > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
> > I can't type fast on a laptop(at least on the laptops I have). I > > prefer keys that have more movement.
> > > Q5: > > > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > > > 10 wpm faster?
> > After you get to that "comfortable" point where you aren't thinking > > about typing as much as you are thinking of your thoughts, I think the > > rate of improvement deminishes. So if it takes you 2 months to get > > from 100WPM to 110WPM, maybe it'll take 3 months to get from 110WPM to > > 120WPM. Extrapolate that a few years, we'll all be typing 370WPM in no > > time at all :)
> > > Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all > > > above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
On Jan 5, 4:49 am, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Q1: > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
I have been typing for years -- I got my first computer when I was 5 which was a Commodore 64. There was a lot of typing involved since loading programs was typing out a command. With that being said, I have no idea how long it took me to go from 50wpm to 100wpm. I never measured my typing speed until about a year ago, which at that time I had about 20 years of typing experience.
> Q2: > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > your mind go away?
What works best for me with typing tests is to read ahead and let my brain feed the information I'm reading to my fingers and let it flow. The best tip I can give you is don't try to type fast. If you try to type fast, you're going to type letters reversely, capitalize letters that shouldn't be capital, type letters in lower case that should be capital, and just flat out press the wrong keys.
> Q3: > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
I always use my left thumb for spacebar. I don't think I've ever used my right thumb for the spacebar.
> Q4: > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
Normal keyboard. Laptop keyboards are too small for my fat fingers.
> Q5: > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > 10 wpm faster?
Don't worry about trying to learn from TypeRacer. If you are trying to type faster, TypeRacer is just going to frustrate you. Instead, just start up a blogging profile (Live Journal and Blog Spot are good starting points) and write blogs. I started out from chatting with people as I'm playing video games such as Quake. I also do a lot of communication on instant messaging services such as AOL IM, Yahoo IM, MSN Messenger (now known as Windows Live Messenger or WLM), and ICQ. Alternatively, join a social chat room on IRC and just start conversing with people. This will brush up on your typing skills more than a typing tester, such as TypeRacer. When taking a typing test, you feel the "need" to rush and type as quickly as possible, where when normally typing, you are more inclined to type at a rate that is comfortable for your skills. Once you start to get the hang of it, then go to TypeRacer and measure your speed. Then head back into a chat room and get more familiar with typing! When you can type without looking at the keyboard, then you can start to worry about speed -- but always keep accuracy in mind. Believe it or not but people who take time to be accurate typically type faster than those who rush.
On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 4:49 AM, fring <scrau...@gmail.com> wrote: > Q1: > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
This is perhaps unusual, but I began touch-typing during a high school keyboarding class that taught how to do this. By the end of the semester I was typing 50 or 60 WPM as I recall. About a year later I was on a plateau at 80. My ascent from 50 to 100 probably took about 3 years, and these days I can sustain about 120-130. I type in qwerty; my main reservation against climbing the Dvorak learning curve is that I don't know what it would do to my command bindings in Vim.
> Q2: > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > your mind go away?
It is difficult to describe. There is certainly a mental aspect to this activity; indeed, that's what I enjoy most about it. But it's not like I concentrate on what I'm doing to the exclusion of all else. During a long training session my mind wanders quite a bit. Perhaps I'd do better if it didn't.
In typeracer, I think that I tend to look somewhere between "two words ahead" and "to the end of the line". Practice moving your gaze to different places relative to where you are, and see what works best for you. One piece of typing software recommended to "type one letter at a time; don't get caught looking at words!" That is very bad advice. Look at words, or pieces of words, and learn how they feel. Most of your learning will be subconscious, and that's why practice is important.
One thing that was helpful was something I read about reading. Some people move their lips when they read, and this obviously slows them down. Far more people do not actually move their lips, but do imagine the sounds of the words, a habit called subvocalization. This slows them down almost as badly. If you find that you do this, quit it. Your reading will improve immensely, and your typing may improve slightly.
> Q3: > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
I find that I use my right thumb exclusively on spacebar. My left thumb typically remains anchored to the near lip of the keyboard, steadying it. This is not a habit I consciously chose, but I have noticed it's what I do.
Furthermore, I rarely use the left shift key. I've heard that you're supposed to use the left shift when typing a capital right-hand letter, but I only do this for right-pinky punctuation keys. To get a capital P, I tend to use pinky on right-shift and (improperly) ring finger on "p".
When typing the above, I noticed that I also get a close paren by using pinky on right-shift and middle on 0. Bad, bad, bad.
I cheat the finger assignments in certain other cases, too. Most notable is in the "ce" combination, during which I hit "c" using my left index instead of my left middle, so that I don't have to wait for the hurdle-jump. An exception is a word like "practice", because the "t" causes my index to be unavailable for this reassignment.
Q4:
> Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
I type faster on a full-sized desktop keyboard, but I will still break 100 on a laptop keyboard unless it is very uncomfortable. Even the small keyboards on two EeePCs I've used are good enough.
> Q5: > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > 10 wpm faster?
I have not noticed any improvement in my own speed from playing typeracer. What the game does do is keep me in practice with a minimal time commitment. This maintenance is valuable :)
If you have found a typing program that you like that allows you to type large swaths of prose, you would probably do well to alternate that with your typeracer regimen. One activity that I found helpful was to clock myself transcribing pages out of some book that I've propped open on my desk. Your marathon speed will not be as impressive as your sprint speed, but the exercise of maintaining the mental effort for twenty or so minutes is valuable.
Sorry if this looks like examination, but I always wanted to know all
> above and never meet anyone able to answer me.
I can think of no better forum. Others have given good advice as well.
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "typeracer" group. > To post to this group, send email to typeracer@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > typeracer+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<typeracer%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups .com> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/typeracer?hl=en.
I'd like to post others' answers to OP's questions here at http://jack.is/typist/interview.php -- naturally it will then become Interview With Typists. :P
I'll also link to this thread but I've seen too many forums disappear altogether to not have my own copy.
If you wouldn't mind having your post included, let me know, along with any conditions. I won't repost your content without your permission (and yes, you do retain rights to such things).
On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 1:25 PM, Jack Aviado <vonu...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi all,
> I'd like to post others' answers to OP's questions here at > http://jack.is/typist/interview.php -- naturally it will then become > Interview With Typists. :P
> I'll also link to this thread but I've seen too many forums disappear > altogether to not have my own copy.
> If you wouldn't mind having your post included, let me know, along > with any conditions. I won't repost your content without your > permission (and yes, you do retain rights to such things).
> Thanks.
> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "typeracer" group. > To post to this group, send email to typeracer@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > typeracer+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<typeracer%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups .com> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/typeracer?hl=en.
Jack: I give permission to use what's below on your site.
> Q1: > I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. > How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
I got a computer when I was 9 or 10, but I didn't know how to touch- type. When I was 12, our computer science teacher made us spend the first 10-15 minutes of every class doing "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing". This was my first introduction to touch-typing, and that school year I ended at 120wpm. I also played the piano as a kid, which I think helped. I don't recall how long 50-100wpm took, or what speed I started at.
> Q2: > What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about > what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let > your mind go away?
I don't think much about how to type what I'm typing. Once I read the text, muscle memory controls my fingers.
Also, the muscles seem to have trained themselves on letter combinations as opposed to single letters. For example, I am much faster (maybe 75% faster?) at typing English vs., say, French (without the accents), and I attribute this to being more familiar with English letter combinations.
> Q3: > Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
I only use my right thumb for spacebar. My left thumb is never used for any typing. (I'm right-handed.)
> Q4: > Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
I'm roughly 20% faster on a normal keyboard.
> Q5: > How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average > 10 wpm faster?
No clue, though practice definitely does make you faster. Seven years ago, I got 716cpm (5cpm = 1wpm) on TyperA (Minilek on http://typera.tk/oldhiscore.cws), and I remember that taking many many trials. Nowadays, getting 800+cpm on the same site takes just a few trials.
Thanks, posted both of those. Note that I used your names as seen in the e-mail headers -- if you object, let me know what you'd prefer. (I did ass-ume because you'd used them in your headers -- though maybe this is dangerous? :P)
> I'd like to post others' answers to OP's questions here athttp://jack.is/typist/interview.php-- naturally it will then become > Interview With Typists. :P
> I'll also link to this thread but I've seen too many forums disappear > altogether to not have my own copy.
> If you wouldn't mind having your post included, let me know, along > with any conditions. I won't repost your content without your > permission (and yes, you do retain rights to such things).
Q1: I wonder if everyone can type at more than 100wpm only with pratice. How long do you had been typing to up your speed from 50 to 100 wpm?
I remember when I was in 9th grade I had not yet learned how to type properly, and was doing my own thing at around 55wpm. By the end of that year I was in the 70s once I got the right kind of form down. Then again, I don't type perfectly as I only press the spacebar with my left thumb, and only use the left shift.
I'm 18 now and have been typing over 100 for at least a year and a half, but it's not always consistent. If I'm just typing something like this, it's usually in the 80s or 90s.
Q2: What do you think while typing at more than 100wpm? Do you think about what you are reading word by word or simply move your fingers and let your mind go away?
I try not to think about the act of typing, but rather just read what I have to type and let my hands do their own thing. Sometimes when I'm playing TypeRacer I start thinking about other things and make careless mistakes, costing me a few races here and there.
Q3: Do you press spacebar with left and right thumbs alternatively?
Just left
Q4: Where do you type faster on a laptop keyboard or a normal keyboard?
Normal
Q5: How many hours (playing typeracer) are needed in order to type average 10 wpm faster?
I dunno. I don't play it that much, but I would like to get better at it as it seems I've reached a plateau.
On Jan 23, 10:44 am, "S(ChimChimChim)" <stevesonga...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Go ahead and use my post, although I'm not sure how helpful it will be > to anyone since I'm just the average Joe-Blow around here. Cya at the > races!
> ..S
> On Jan 22, 10:25 am, Jack Aviado <vonu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > I'd like to post others' answers to OP's questions here athttp://jack.is/typist/interview.php-- naturally it will then become > > Interview With Typists. :P
> > I'll also link to this thread but I've seen too many forums disappear > > altogether to not have my own copy.
> > If you wouldn't mind having your post included, let me know, along > > with any conditions. I won't repost your content without your > > permission (and yes, you do retain rights to such things).
