Typing

Then he should at least be able to make the simple stuff. Same with a pc/keyboard. If you spend all day at a keyboard, you should be able to learn the basics to make yourself more efficient. In my opinion, 2 finger typing is fine if you can do it in a reasonable amount of time. As long as it doesn't take you all day to type a paragraph...

What an atttitude!

If it bothers you so much, then transfer to the Secretarial Pool. They're always looking for good typists.

My ability to hunt and peck on the keyboard is faster than my wife's trained typing.

Besides, most of the typing in the computer world does not follow the normal vestages of correct spelling. We are normally typing acronyms, abbreviations and proprietary commands, not letters, documents or books.

My typing speed has nothing to do with my keyboarding skills. I find that, in programs like mavis, I can hit speeds of 60-70 wpm (small words with a tailwind). But in practice I usually only chug along at 15-25 wpm. the reason is that this is the speed at which my slow little brain is figuring out the problem. In other words, typing skills are not what is constraining me. I bet for most technical problems faster typing would not significantly increase productivity.

'Thank god for the incompetent, without them, where would be be?' -- Twain.

I'm grateful for the slew of slow typists. I believe I've benefited as a direct result. I can type 60-70wpm, and in my work in the computer industry and as a result, I'm often able to prototype and test two or three problem solving ideas while smarter 2 finger typers are trying out their first attempt.

They may have better odds at getting a correct answer in fewer iterations, but I can iterate *much* faster!

The point is rudimentary skills, like keeping your mouth shut when your eating, learning your ABC's, basic math and washing your hands after going potty, not being a Donald Trump Jr.

If you are interviewing with a potential employer that asks if you can take a typing test:

"No problem, I can type just fine. I just can't READ beyond the grade 3 level, so it takes me longer to type."

:)

More important than typing skills, are punctuation, spelling, and grammar, as well as composition skills. For example, I'm working with a global vendor of medical systems, and I constantly get documents with mis-spellings such as "valadation", wrong usage (to, too and two; there, their and they're), emails with all lower case, or all caps, no punctuation, or just rambling thoughts.

I have been known to send emails back to sales people with a note telling them that I will look at their product when all of the mis-spellings in their email and the BROCHURE from marketing have been corrected.

While coming from the administrative/executive secretarial
arena into the computer industry as a new repair
technician, typing was a main criteria in all the jobs I've had
from 1987 to now, so I HAD to learn how to type (starting
in high school 1985). I would agree that knowing how to
type would prove to be essential in the workforce, and it
moves you along. However, 1-2 key pecking is not bad as
long as it's done efficiently and the job is getting done
without question or complaints. I've come to learn that
people have their own way and style when it comes to
typing, and I've seen some great 1-2 pecking. So let them
type how they want. If it's an issue, Mavis Beacon is the
solution.

do be careful as your attitude is an early warning sign for "RoadRage"

If you're a seasoned pro with 20+ years of experience, they're gonna hire you, even if you type with ONE finger. However, if you are just starting out in the field, this is just another skill that will set you apart from the rest of the crowd. And it is easy to learn!
THAT IS WHO I AM: Someone who thinks that overcoming your ineptitude is far better than making excuses. Learn touch typing! I never regretted it.

STUPID ANSWER--WHEN YOU GET 85 B$ YOU TO CAN THEN TYPE WITH 2 FINGERS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF TYPING TUTOR SOFTWARE--BEST THING I TOOK IN HIGH SCHOOL WAS A TYPING CLASS.
YOU CAN GET TYPING TUTOR SOFTWARE FOR $35-50.

"Mavis Beacon" typing tutor is excellent for getting up to speed and may I suggest as a self taught finger tapper that typing while important, is something that speeds up quickly with practice.
Try not to look at the keyboard after memorising key positions.
I work for myself too so I don't know what most companies position on typing speed would be.

As someone else mentioned, you fall into the category of Anal + Jobless. Unless one is a programmer and has to churn out a billion lines of code, in a timely manner, sure, take a typing course. I am surprised that this was even a topic for dicussion. Maybe we should start arguements about burping, farting, eating ramen noodles, drinking diet cola too. Typing fast does not reflect one's competancy. case and point: Yesterday a highly paid consultant was trying to install MSDE on a workstation over the internet, and failed to do that after 6 hours of trying. we were watching the person as she was using VNC. We had notepad open to relay messages back and forth, and each time she would type a message for us, she would type at 100 wpm, but make mistakes every 2 leters, backspace, erase retype. My General Manager who was also watching just let out a curse and said " holy f@#$, slow down and type the d@#$ message so that we can read it"...

the guy who knows what he's doing AND can type 80 WPM is probably the guy who's going to get hired unless the guy who can't type knows a fair amount more than the typist.

For example, notice that the pronoun I is not capitalized once in this complaint about tech typists... Oddly enough, when I worked in Intelligence in the military, I had to type 25 WPM with few errors, even before computers. When I became a computer guy, there has never been a typing requirement. I don't know any computer people I work with that can't type, though. Problem is most people learn on their own, rather than through a formal class. Personally, I think the regular class is for the birds, since I only use 8 fingers and can type about 80 WPM, and I don't get sore wrists or fingers near as much as I did typing the "correct" way. If I see members of my team that can't type, I get them into a typing class ASAP.

Has it ever occured to that there might be some very intelligent people out there with poor motor function? Do these people not deserve jobs in your impatient little world?

Yes, I am guilty of only using 2-3 fingers for typing. I know I'm not the greatest, but in some cases speed just isn't everything. The last typing test I took rated me at 44 wpm; that's a heck of a lot better than the 28 I was expecting. Not to mention, the slow typing speed helps me to think about what I am putting it down, instead of having to go back later with the mouse to delete or even rewrite whole sections.
Just putting in my 2??

as you did not finish your sentence i assume you are playing switch :)

Is the differences in each model of Keyboard. Because I'm using well over 20 different keyboards per day in different offices I'm always looking for those elusive /\ keys which seem to move about all over the place on different keyboards. ;)

I used to touch type but have long since given it up as now I need to constantly be looking at the different keyboards for all of those odd characters that are required to get into the guts of things from the command line. Actually it is one of my pet peeves why can they make every keyboard exactly the same? :)

Col ]:)

it. Now it's efectively impossible. Cretinaly it would hurt to get the basics in school when first introduced to a keyboard, and it may help set you apart. But most would be no more likely to choose an IT candidate because they can type than they would a plumber or a nurse. I certainly wouldn't.
I've no use at all for someone one whou could type up a big invoice after screwing up my house or my death certificate after screwing up my medication, simply becuase they can type fast.

I was thinking the *exact* same thing as you. You merely beat me to the post.

I actually do type pretty fast. But I sacrifice in a large amount of typos I make on a routine basis. So even when you read the bibles I type in some discussions, it actually does not take me that long to type it (as long as the thoughts are streaming in key with my fingers)...no what takes me long on these posts is the amount of effort and time to re-edit the typos.

Often I don't even do that....no offense guys...but TR isn't a high priority for me to be anal on spelling or grammar....my reports and documents for work are, but not here.

lol.

A mechanic does not need to be able to drive at raceing speeds to keep a race car in proper condition. Just as a driver does not need to be able to adjust the valves to drive well. As long as each has enough skill to do their own job and work well with each other the team can win.
Tony Hampton

A big part of my job is creating instructions for users in both emails and in user guides to proprietary apps. I bought a book--yes, a BOOK--in 1980 called "Typing Made Easy" because I was an aspiring novelist and wanted to type my ideas fast--on a typewriter. My day job in IT has gone much more smoothly due to having this skill (100 wpm). In fact, using a mouse slows me down! I agree with Mr. Linn that Mavis Beacon is a great tutorial software. I have a peeve when I call a tech support rep and can tell that they are hunting and pecking to enter my name, address etc.--TSRs should have keyboard training. Knowledge and a good phone manner are excellent too. Don't make it a hiring requirement, but once hired, tech support reps should be given typing training.

You obviously don't have nearly enough to do. Go see an admin if you want fast typing. IT PROS have more than enough to do and learn without sweating the small stuff.

What in the world does that have to do with anything, You walk everyday, what if the speed at which you walk became an issue of productivity and some small minded person decided that you had to consistantly walk at a certain speed in order to work. Get over it!!! I have been in the computer field for over 12 years and I am NO SPEED TYPIST, My boss is impressed with my ability to keep network downtime to a bare minimum and not my ability to speed type.

..., everyone can see he's not a native!

and I don't think this has to gain extra-weight. Don't take it personally.

I have to agree with the few people who actually commented on grammar, punctuation, and spelling ability as opposed to "typing speed". In most programming environments, very little is done from the "home row". So the hunting and pecking is somewhat required when most of what you are typing is special characters and symbols. However, everyone in IT, including techs, should be able to communicate the written (and spoken!) word clearly and concisely in email, letters, and all forms of correspondence. It amazes me that so many people brush off this "skill" as useless and unimportant, saying it has nothing to do with one's ability to run a network etc. While that may be true, the lack of ability to spell and/or create a grammatically correct document, says volumes about the education of the author. Writers and secretaries (I love how that term is used in a way that infers some sort of inferiority to any other profession.) are not the only people who should be able to communicate properly.

The age of email correspondence and shortcuts and informality in typing that we are all guilty of using has caused many of us to appear to be uneducated boobs. Most of us dress neatly and appropriately, no? There is a good reason for that. The same should go for spelling, and all types of communication. We are all educated members of society, but if I had a dime for every grammatical error in the use of "your" and "you're", or "there", "their", and "they're", I wouldn't have to come to work anymore. So I do not think typing "speed" is necessarily the problem, I believe it's (another problem contraction or lack of!) the ability to write and/or speak the language. Typographical errors are supposedly just mistyped keys. Using the incorrect form of "its" or "it's", is another matter.

I will never understand how people can brush off the lack of communication skills as unnecessary in any job in any field.

It's not two-fingered typists. It's those bleeping bleeps who run the toilet paper BEHIND the roll. Here's hoping we can hunt down and eradicate 'em all . . .

Why do you think the reaches to keys such as "\" and "~" are so awful on computer keyboards? Because 'way back when, when such things were being invented, the nerds who invented them couldn't touchtype, and had NO CLUE where they belonged.

So they put them where they could be reached when typing with two fingers, which means "anywhere there's room." It really is a shame that all these guys (as guys they were in those days) were so typing-challenged, yet were in charge of something they knew nothing about.

Bill Gates was never an IT professional and made all his money through his marketing and business skills, so who cares how he types, it doesn't relate to the topic.

asolutely. anyone in it who can't type should get out of the business. typing skills are vastly more important than technical acumen.

Right over your head, swoooooosh! Gone buh-bye. LOL :D

I don't think I look stupid at all. And I don't need a big dic(AFUism) to look up glib, but if you need to boost your own ego by putting down strangers, fill your boots.

But you can feel free to think what you want. I'm secure enough not to be threatened by some anonymous poster.

I did read your post. And your lack of capitalization of your title was indeed ironic. But I didn't take it for intentional. I was indeed pointing out the irony, and if you had been trying to actually be ironic, you might have sent a gentle clarification. Your viperous (go ahead, look it up, I can wait)response suggests to the reader that you were embarrassed and felt the need to salve your wounded pride.

As for kettle black, I have no awareness of a racist undertone. The origin is old - cast iron pots and kettles are both black from soot. Its not an insult - its pointing out that you are what you are accusing someone else of being.

But hey, I will let my peers here decide if I was being pedantic or heaven forbid using an analogy with racist undertones.

James

I've noticed in another thread that you're getting into Linu administration. If you learn to touch-type, it will enhance your productivity with the Linux command line quite a bit -- especially if you find yourself forced to edit configuration files from the command line.

Of course, since I'm a touch-typist and have gotten to be reasonably competent with the editor Vim, I actually prefer the command line editor, even when composing new posts for my TechRepublic blog. Vim is just a far better productivity-enhancer for one who knows how to use it properly than any other editor I've tried out. It helps that I never have to remove my hands from "home row" position to move around in, and quickly edit, a document.