Briefly: I've been practicing touch-typing for the past two days. I am rediscovering that I am amazingly clumsy. I actually was tested for aptitudes when I was 16, and one of the things I scored lowest in was "manual dexterity." I had been a model-builder before that (1920s and '30s cars were my favorite, but tanks and airplanes too—my best friend Mark and I used to build models together in his basement, complaining about the music his little sister was playing in the next room over), and that made the light go on—ah, so that's why I have so much trouble with so many things when I was modeling. I promptly gave up model making. Why do something for which you have little aptitude? It makes more sense to do things you're good at.
It probably explains why the model N-gauge train layout I was making had one little tiny area that was beautifully finished with scenery and buildings, and the rest was plain plywood for the next four years, till we moved.
Plus, I have a weird brain. I learn visually. When I just have touch to go on, I'm pretty lost. In a way that feels disconcertingly permanent. Two days of typing seven letters and I apparently still don't know where the confounded "R" is. It's very stressful. If I just look down, my speed all but doubles. It actually might make more sense to me to look while learning and then gradually allow myself to stop looking. That goes against that standard advice. But it's what I did with my current method, and I barely look at all.
Anyway, I'll update you in a few months. But wish me luck; I need it. You'll know when I switch over to touch-typing all the time because the posts will get super-short for a while.
(By the way, the three-day program of aptitude tests, which cost a lot of money at the time, ended with three recommendations for me as far as a future career was concerned: writer, photographer, or forester. Two out of three ain't bad, eh?)
Mike
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Nick: "I have never taken such an in-depth aptitude test, but I'm sure that my manual dexterity score would cause the person scoring the test to look on the back of the rubric sheet to see if it included negative numbers. Every single career test I ever took, though, pointed me toward 'scientist' or 'mathematician,' though they would occasionally drop in the odd 'auto mechanic' and the like (indicating the absence of the manual dexterity test...). As little credit as I give such tests, I've been a professional scientist for a quarter of a century and I have a degree in math as well. Of course, I knew I wanted to be a scientist since I was three years old (scientist parent + 'space and dinosaurs are cool!' —> adult chemist who still kinda wishes he had studied paleontology or astronomy), so I definitely cannot promise that my thumb wasn't on the scale when I was taking them."
Mike replies: I always wondered about that "thumb on the scale." I was very into the outdoors as a kid, camping, hiking, Boy Scouts, horseback riding, pack trips, wilderness Summer camp, etc., and I wonder if I skewed the results of the test to allow them to come up with "forester." Curiously, I chose Dartmouth partially because of all the outdoors activities, went on a fantastic week-long initiation trip as a freshman, loved it, then never went camping again. I never have been able to explain that, to myself or anyone else.
By the way I took Paleontology in eighth grade and also loved that. One of the best courses I ever took at any level, from one of the best teachers, Elizabeth (Beth) Sieckman. (I hope I spelled that right.) Mrs. Sieckman also taught me how to write, by assigning a paper every single day, grading them on a 1–10 scale, and being famously resistant to giving out 10s.
"writer, photographer, or forester. Two out of three ain't bad, eh?" Have you looked out your windows recently? I think you're closer to the last one than you want to realize. (That actually sounds like a peaceful life to me, ignoring the idea of the sound of chainsaws.)
Posted by: Josh Hawkins | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 01:52 PM
Just cut back some shrubbery now and then, your life will be complete. :)
Posted by: Robert Roaldi | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 02:49 PM
A few years ago we successfully converted a co-worker from a hunt and peck typist to a touch typist using the Mavis Beacon typing program.
I assume it, or something like it, still exists.
IIRC it has a number of tests that identify problems and then games and drills that focus on fixing those. Slightly more entertaining than just sitting there trying to type.
Posted by: T. Edwards | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 02:50 PM
If you learn visually, I wonder if it would help to stick a small photo of your actual keyboard to the bottom of your monitor. Technically, you wouldn't be looking at your keyboard. Yes, it would interfere with the goal of keeping your eyes on the text, but I wonder if you'd soon not need to focus on the picture because just having it in your field of view would be enough. (Enough of what, you might ask? Well, I think insecurity and panic has a lot to do with this hurdle, so call it "confidence" or "reassurance".) Just a wild theory from someone far from expert in these things. Is it cheating? If it works, who cares? Plus, it brings photography into the project!
That leads me to a weird thought: I "hear" in my mind the words I type as I type them, as I do when I read or write. Is everyone like that, or am I a weirdo? And if I'm not a weirdo but a type (no pun intended), is this related to my preference for quieter (though not silent) keyboards?
That, in turn, reminds me of a tip from typing class: the key to speed is not raw velocity but maintaining a steady tempo and rhythm. Perhaps something to consider when choosing your background music.
Posted by: robert e | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 03:23 PM
I wasn't prescient about computers, but nonetheless took a high school typing class back in the late 1960s. Got up to around 45 words per minute without mistakes, if memory serves. It's been very helpful. I still look down for numbers and top-row special characters though. Never programmed my brain-finger servo loops for them. :-)
Posted by: Sal Santamaura | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 04:21 PM
So you are making progress, but you are not out of the woods yet.
: )
Posted by: Roger Bradbury | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 04:36 PM
visualize the keyboard.
Posted by: Dennis | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 04:41 PM
My high school gave an aptitude test to everyone back in the 70s. Six of my top 10 career suggestions were along the lines of HVAC engineer, HVAC repair, HVAC designer, etc. My teenage self decided the school knew there were a lot of HVAC workers needed and they were pushing everyone that way. Two of the other top 10 career suggestions were forest ranger and photographer; interestingly, I've been into landscape photography for most of my life and have actually been paid to photograph parks a few times.
Posted by: Brian Vahey | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 05:52 PM
If the class is any good it should be one of the old original ones that should about 6 weeks in length, 1 hour a day 5 days a week. Continuous drill. By the end they will give you a manual typewriter with no markings on the keys - and you will be able to do about 45WPM error free including numbers and symbols. Hard to believe? Check it out. Like learning to ride a bicycle (little more difficult). Once you get it, you will never lose it (maybe the numbers and symbols).
Posted by: Bill Polkinhorn | Friday, 09 February 2024 at 06:50 PM
Hi Mike, I learned to type with the Tap'Touche software. Now it's done online. It was like a game, I started from nothing and now I write 40 words a minute. That's good enough for me, but it's possible to do better.
https://www.taptouche.com/en/
Posted by: Jean | Saturday, 10 February 2024 at 03:05 AM
I should change the title of this blog, this is not about photography anymore, but only about you, and only your person, dear Mike. It becomes irritating.
[I'm sorry! You're right, I have not been doing a good job these past few days. I'm desperately behind on comments again, for one thing, something I was trying not to let happen, and am struggling to catch up. --Mike]
Posted by: Jozef | Saturday, 10 February 2024 at 04:54 AM
When I started off as a newspaper reporter I taught myself to touch type by battering out "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" over and over, gradually shutting my eyes for longer periods as I progressed. Back in those days, we had to have 100 wpm shorthand and my typing got very close to my shorthand speed. Mind you, I was always crap at shorthand...
Posted by: Bruce Robbins | Saturday, 10 February 2024 at 06:27 AM
Keep at it, Mike. Some success will come. In high school, I decided that taking personal typing would be a good idea. At one point the class's teacher, not known to be a particularly kind person, stood above me at the typewriter that lacked any markings on the keys. After a short time watching me, she flatly stated, "You will do better hunting and pecking." I am still not clear how that would have worked with those blank keys. I later was given a portable typewriter and kept at it, eventually my fingers learned where the keys were. Then later, I became a reasonably successful consulting environmental scientist/aquatic ecologist until retiring, needing to continually touch-type technical reports on computer keyboards. This was made somewhat harder by my inherited mild dyslexia and, I assume, a related generally poor spelling ability (still thanking daily the computer spell checker). I am still a slow typist, but I can get'er done. Keep at it and I will keep reading your posts!
Posted by: Mike Marcus | Saturday, 10 February 2024 at 12:20 PM
Mike said
"Why do something for which you have little aptitude?
For the sheer enjoyment of it? Dancing is a prime example; singing is another. I’ve only ever had fun playing tennis, but I'm rubbish, and I'm ok with that.
Posted by: Sean | Sunday, 11 February 2024 at 07:55 AM
If you’re serious about learning to touch-type, get a computer program like Mavis Bacon. It has the advantage of giving you visuals w/o looking “down” at the keyboard.
Touch-typing is a skill that Uncle Sam taught me. 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for a month - in “crypto school.” Came out of there at 100 wpm, pretty much error free. Never used it in the military (standard joke there), but has served me well all my life. It’s worth pursuing. Being fast at touch-typing allows you to keep pace with what I call cranial vomit onto the screen. I reorganize later.
Rand
Posted by: Rand Scott Adams | Sunday, 11 February 2024 at 11:43 AM
Back in the day, there was a great typing program called "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing" that really got me back in the game when I got a computer and started typing again.
Not sure what's available now, if anything.
Posted by: Rick Popham | Sunday, 11 February 2024 at 01:03 PM