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  • #2259055

    How important is typing to IT career?

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    by rapell ·

    Recently, a colleague from our network administration department came to install a new router. As she was typing in the configurations, I noticed that she keeps her eyes on the monitor, as a proper typist should, but the problem is that she was making so many mistakes and would have to backspace to correct. At the end of the day, a line that would take me 5 seconds to type (am not a good typist and look at the keyboard almost half of the time) took her almost 20 secs. I don’t know why she insists, but I would prefer if she did her practice on a typing tutor in her free time, instead of trying to impress during production time. I can do about 45 wpm in my own style, and it has not made me a lesser pro. What do you think about typing ability in THE FIELD? P.S. If there is a thread about this already, point me to it. Thanks.

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    • #3282526

      Here you go, previous lengthy discussion

      by tony hopkinson ·

      In reply to How important is typing to IT career?

      http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=8&threadID=172368&start=0

      I seem to have just tested TR’s new search and it works much better.
      May be worth using it again.

      My own point of view being an accomplished two fingered typist, who conentrates poorly on the keyboard is it don’t matter for ****. I’ve no doubt at all, that if I was better at it, I’d be a little quicker, but it’s at best a minor facet of my skillset.

      I’d rather employ someone who typed good code badly, than someone who could rattle out incomprehensible inefficient dross at a 100 wpm.

      • #3284749

        Yeah, no need ipressing clients with

        by rapell ·

        In reply to Here you go, previous lengthy discussion

        rubbish. How about for hackers?

      • #3284748

        Yeah, no need impressing clients with

        by rapell ·

        In reply to Here you go, previous lengthy discussion

        rubbish. How about for hackers?

      • #3283367

        I used to agree Tony

        by justin james ·

        In reply to Here you go, previous lengthy discussion

        Tony –

        Like you, I am a 2 fingered typist. Actually, I’m finally up to about 6 fingers, and hopefully in another few years I will be up to all 10. 🙂 Indeed, I look at the keyboard more out of habit than anything else. I know for a fact that my typing style stinks. It is based upon the needs of a coder more than a long-paper typer, like using a *lot* more than a standard typist.

        That being said, one of the greatest regrets of my life was not learning how to type properly.

        I am 27 years old, and have been using a computer for 4+ hours a day since about the age of 12 or so, and at the age of 16 or 17 that increased to 8 (minumum) hours per day of usage. At my relatively young age, I often need to ice my left wrist at the end of the day, and on a really bad day, I will need to ice my elbow too. My posture is pretty detroyed at this point, on many days I simply do not feel my wrist/hand, and if I am not lucky, I *do* feel it… severe pain. It is bad enough just doing my job… add onto that the countless emails, IMs just to be at my desk, TR discussions, personal email, and then when I get home, blogs & articles for TR.

        If you figure for the 12 or so hours that I spend on a computer, I am actively typing 20% of the time (as opposed to manuevering a mouse, reading, etc.), at 50 WPM, I am cranking about 9,000 pages of text a day, equally to about 35 – 40 pages of double spaced text in a standard thesis paper format. That is a lot of typing.

        Learn to type, now. At the rate my wrists have been deteriorating, I will be pretty useless on a keyboard in about 10 years (that is why I am starting to change todya, including improving my posture and investigating ergonomic equipment). Concerned about your career? You won’t have ANY career if you are unable to move your hand or wrists at all due to CRS!

        J.Ja

        • #3283037

          Oh I’d love to be able to type properly

          by tony hopkinson ·

          In reply to I used to agree Tony

          First key to expire on my keyborads (damn) is backspace.
          Short of switching to landscape gardening for about ten years and never using a keyboard again or drilling a hole in the correct area of my cortex, I just don’t see how to do it.

          Besides, I wouldn’t be able to hold my cigaratte, my coffee and press keys at the same time with my usual level of efficiency.

          That would knacker me up.

        • #3283003

          Ciggies & coffee affect my typing style too…

          by justin james ·

          In reply to Oh I’d love to be able to type properly

          That is actually a major problem I’ve had with typing, I type with a ciggie constantly in my hand, when I am not at work. Hopefully “no smoking” thing I’ve been trying the last few days will stick this time, bringing the items to just the coffee. 🙂

          J.Ja

    • #3283252

      who’s asking?

      by sr10 ·

      In reply to How important is typing to IT career?

      For myself, I have found that typing ability helps me immeasurably. I can compose both code and prose at the keyboard at a reasonable pace and shape it up later.

      For others, I don’t want to get into whether they can touch type or not, as long as I don’t have to watch (watching a two-finger keyboarder is painful). As a manager, I absolutely do not want to give a typing test to a developer.

      Net: it’s worth it for any person to be able to touch type, but a bad basis for judgement of others.

      • #3282983

        Judge secretary about touch typing, Not IT Pro

        by naser ·

        In reply to who’s asking?

        I believe touch typing is secretary job not IT Pro.
        If he has it, then it’s a plus.

      • #3282982

        Judge secretary about touch typing, Not IT Pro

        by naser ·

        In reply to who’s asking?

        I believe touch typing is secretary job not IT Pro.
        If he has it, then it’s a plus.

    • #3200016

      The problem isn’t the speed of her typing …

      by jp_the_it_guy ·

      In reply to How important is typing to IT career?

      …the problem is that she is even typing at all!

      (Warning: This is going to be a rant that doesn’t pertain drictly to the original question answered.)

      Having done more than a few router configurations in my day, I’m appalled that any reasonably compentent network admin would type in configuration commands at the prompt when doing an initial installation.

      They should know everything about the network beforehand: interface IP’s, subnet masks, NAT configuration, IPSec tunnels, NTP server, AAA server (though probably doesn’t apply at a remote location) and any other details specific to the configuation ahead of time. If the router is already on site, a simple floppy with a text file should have the complete configuration. This can be either copied up by tftp (after backing up the original config) or pasted in on the command prompt. Mostly likely, they have been in posssession of the router for days (weeks?) and could have done all of the configuration ahead of time.

      A router installation is almost certainly going to result in some downtime. Downtime for the entire site! Even at 5 minutes downtime for a site with a dozen people, that is a productivity loss to the company of at least an hour, likely 2 hours total accounting for the interruption to peoples time as they save their work and go get another coffee.

      If all of the necessary planning & preparation is done ahead of time, then the downtime can be kept to just a few minutes, leaving the rest of the window for any necessary troubleshooting.

      If you just walk in and start the configuration at the start of the maintenance window, it will take at least 15 minutes to unpack everything, another 15 to figure out what your going to do, another 15 to actually do it. And then an hour to test and correct the mistakes that were made. This path is fraught with peril.

      Ok, I’m done ranting. I’m on a crusade against I.T. cowboys or any other type of worst practice.

      BTW, for telnet tools, I really, really like PenguiNet (www.siliconcircus.com). It makes the copy / paste functions so much easier than a Windows command prompt.

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