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MJIthewriter
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21 Mar 2008, 3:32 am

I find my fingers falling on the wrong keys and at the wrong times often... It gets annoying having to keep going back and editing my posts to remove stupid looking typos.

To mask my bad typing I have to copy and paste just about everything I type into MS Word with the grammer/spell nags set on.

Anyone else have this issue or am I the only one?



dosh
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21 Mar 2008, 8:11 am

You are not alone. My typing is just as you describe it -- full of errors and I have to keep going back to correct it (or use spelling correction function).

One reason may be that I do everything too fast and with too much impatience -- even eating.

If I am typing a report as part of my job, I always check it very carefully to make sure that I haven't inadvertently typed a "rude" word !



Jeyradan
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21 Mar 2008, 9:10 am

I type extremely well. I hit wrong keys sometimes, but my fingers sort of automatically go back and correct it practically before I've even noticed. I don't usually have to edit after I have finished typing because I do it during.
However, I will say that it was a struggle to get here - my school had computer classes with typing lessons and I couldn't do it. They would tell you to use both hands, and then they'd cover your hands with a sheet of cardboard so you couldn't look while you typed. I guess it would have been valuable, if I'd been able to do it, but I didn't actually learn to type until we got our first Internet-enabled computer and I learned that I could actually research and communicate with other people about my special interests. That was a major motivator.



MJIthewriter
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21 Mar 2008, 12:11 pm

I type with both hands and try to type the way I learned in elementary school. (PAWS anyone?)
Although I HAVE to look at the keys when I type. (If I don't then it's even worse)

When I was at or local independant living ressource center I saw some kind of metal sheet that had holes opening up for each key. The idea is to make it easier for the fingers to fall on the right keys. I wonder if something like that would be helpful for me? I had never seen one before then.

Deverging from the topic a little:

Did anyone else find the PAWS program (or similar typing education program in school) a pain to get through? I sighed relief when it was over.



sartresue
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21 Mar 2008, 1:01 pm

True to type trouble topic

I have always had trouble. But my writing is worse. I learned on an old underwood typewriter, and in order to shift so I could do capitals and higher case characters I had to stand up when I held down the shift key! 8O My typing was slow and awkward and many mistakes meant I had to use whiteout fluid, as there were no corrector ribbons on the ancient typewriters.

I have always had to look at the keys. If I do not I make too many mistakes. It is hard, though, because I have to spell each word and things are slow because I am visual. I proofread and edit every sentence. This is why my post count is not high though I have been here since December of last year. :?

Dyspraxia and unco-ordination are the causes of this slow motion. :(

I have compassion with those who are in the same boat. I used to think I was the only one.


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poopylungstuffing
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21 Mar 2008, 1:10 pm

I am an ok typist....I type without looking at the keyboard..unless I am thinking about it (like now)....
amazingly, I scored higher than Flakey on a "see how fast you can type the alphabet" game...

I do tend to reverse my letters alot though...



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21 Mar 2008, 1:19 pm

I can only type on the keyboard from one angle. Then I do type extremely well and fast, hit the right keys and all.

If I change my seat to the left or right side however, then my typing becomes full of errors (the change of seat occurs when a friend is here and then said friend usually laughs at my horrible typing). I want to hit the correct keys, but cannot as I seem to miscalculate the distance to the keys and how I must move my hands and arms to hit the keys from this unused angle.

Extreme and silly example of inability to cope with minor changes?



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21 Mar 2008, 1:21 pm

Thats also my problem, I tend to type way to fast, I was up to 120wpm at one time, now its only about 80wpm, I still have to go back and spell check everything, unfortunately spell check on this forum is poor. A good way to improve your typing accuracy is to use a program called Mavis Beacon, its very helpful for getting better speed, the accuracy will eventually improve also.



KFleshman
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21 Mar 2008, 1:57 pm

If I'm transcribing things (and so can read ahead to prepare my fingers for the next keystrokes), I can type about 150wpm sustained for 2 minutes, or around 100wpm for a long period (hours) of time. If I can't read ahead, my typing speed is greatly reduced.



MJIthewriter
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21 Mar 2008, 9:36 pm

I wonder if part of it may be because I am typing what I "speak" in my head. There is a delay between what I have spoken and what my fingers can type.

I find it interesting when I handwrite; I tend to make some of the same "typos" that I make in type. I don't think my handwriting is all that good, but I can write just about anywhere. I've written while riding the bus, which seems to get interesting remarks from people. One time I got a compliment that my handwriting looked good (which makes me wonder what his hand-writing is like).

I've found mechanical pencils with a rounder tip better. That way I can hold my fingers pretty close to the tip rather comfortably. Pentel's E-Sharp mechanical pencils (specifically the .5 lead) are my favorite and just about the only pencil I write or draw with. Another feature is the lead saver. That way I’m not wasting like an inch of lead per every lead refill.

http://reviews.pricegrabber.com/pencils/m/619835/
I wish I could find them sold in our area. :( Wal-mart and Officemax used to carry them.

Overall though I have to say I type faster than I write and I like the advantages that the computer offers for editing and spellchecking.



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21 Mar 2008, 9:56 pm

I'm a excellent speller, but I can't type very fast. I'm only able to use 2 fingers, and I don't know if I'll ever improve. It seems overwhelming to think that others, almost instinctively, are able to use all their fingers while typing. I just don't think I have that level of coordination. Who knows? Someday something might click, and I'll reach that next level. Only time will tell.

Maybe I should ask someone to show me the proper way to type. Because, I honestly have no idea how it's supposed to be done. :roll:


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Dhunter
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21 Mar 2008, 10:25 pm

To everyone who dislikes this spell checker:

I suggest using the internet browser with the....

...

...

BUILT IN SPELL CHECKER!

That's yet another reason I like Mozilla Firefox.


Anyway, when I know that a nice red line will pop up below misspelled words i can get up to about 175wpm. I type with about 8 fingers (Yes, that is a random number) and my hands often cross in strange ways. People who watch how I type always give me strange looks. I think they're just jealous.


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MJIthewriter
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21 Mar 2008, 11:10 pm

I like firefox with the built in spellchecker but alas I had to uninstall it. :(

It wouldn't work on my machine. It kept stalling and going really slow. I tried to ask for help but couldn't find a way to do it on their forum. No one seems to have that problem, so I guess my computer is just wierd and unable to use firefox ever since they upgraded to v2.



Dhunter
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21 Mar 2008, 11:18 pm

That's too bad. The computer I'm using now can't use Firefox, because of the stupid hyperactive Norton. It closes any wep page that may be slightly dangerous automatically, I cant get into my C: drive, and I can't even go to Display settings.

Enough of why I prefer my laptop. 3 days to home...


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Brandon-J
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22 Mar 2008, 2:51 am

I'm like an average typer. I took keyboarding in high school so I know how to type with both hands. Everybody makes typo's. There's nothing wrong with that.



asperity
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22 Mar 2008, 3:47 am

Back when I was in college, we were taught typing classes. I could never master it. My instructor kindly tried to help and finally suggested I have some testing done to see why my hand eye coordination didn't seem normal. I had testing done and all kinds of learning disabilities showed up. I was actually relieved. All those years I knew I was trying and something wasn't working. Still I knew that wasn't the whole problem, but it led me to find out about the autistic spectrum. That sounded exactly like me, and the LDs were all common comorbids. I'm so grateful to that instructor, who is probably dead by now. He was the first person who listened.
So, yes, I'm horrible at typing.