Saturday's Question of the Day - March 29th

fhicat

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Good happy wonderful morning everyone! 


How did you first learn to type? And as a bonus, what is your typing speed?

You can find your typing speed here: http://www.typeonline.co.uk/typingspeed.php

In 1996, we got our very first computer. "Computers" were a new, big thing then, so our local computer company (called Digitek) sponsored typing classes for $10 per 4 sessions per household. My siblings and I learnt typing from those classes, which were quite a deal. Right now my typing speed is about 75wpm. 
 

peaches08

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Speedy!  I'm so slow, 46 wpm but zero errors.

I learned to type on a fairly modern typewriter.  Hence I still double-space after periods, colons, etc.  I graduated high school in 1993, but I did have a computer in high school!  It was a Tandy and I remember it having Word Perfect and other oldies such as that.  In high school I had a terrible wart on my left hand that made it hard to bend those fingers (I'm right handed), and since I rode some pretty tough sport and hunting horses that hand was often sore so I relearned to type by pecking along with my left.  I get by.
 

swampwitch

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I learned to type in 10th grade in a typing class in high school. My brother was a senior and also in the class and I remember our female teacher kept flirting with him it really creeped me out, lol.

I was tested once years ago during a job application and I typed 150 wpm on a IBM Selectric. I don't know what my speed is now, it's much easier to type on keyboards (no resistance from the keys) but I'm not as practiced anymore. (I read 800 wpm I don't know why I have to do everything in a hurry.)
 
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kookycats

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I learned to type in Jr High School -- but it was my older brother who gave me my first typing lesson - even before school. Many years ago (and I'm not saying how many!). It was so long ago that it was on an old Royal manual typewriter.
 

blueyedgirl5946

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I didn't learn to type until I was hired to be a secretary. Then I went to the local community college and took typing and also shorthand. I was in my late twenties. That was forty years ago. I just took the test at the link you gave and my typing speed was 66 wpm with one mistake. That is probably half of what I could do when I did it every day. Time slows you down, right.:lol3:
 

Willowy

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I never "learned" to type. It just sort of happened as I started using the internet. I haven't done a typing speed test yet. I usually post from my cell phone so I don't think little tiny keyboards that you type on with your thumbnails count for typing speed! But when I'm on my laptop I'll try it. My mom says she thinks I type faster than she does, and she took typing classes in school. I do have to look at the keyboard though :/.
 

MoochNNoodles

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I learned to type in high school.  I took a class my sophomore year.  Before that; typing papers was painfully slow. LOL 

When I was working I clocked myself on my company's program at 89wpm.  That was several years ago now.  I don't really have time to test myself at the moment; maybe later tonight!
 

Winchester

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I was at 68 wpm and I had one error. (I tend to always misspell the word "civilized" when I type because I get my c and v mixed-up. Happens every time. 
 Ice becomes ive. Very becomes cery. I don't know why!)

I learned how to type in high school. I think I had kind of an advantage in a way because I took piano lessons for 14 years. That helped me to move my fingers faster. Not that it helps me now. I know I used to be able to type much quicker than I do now.
 

catlover19

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I learned to type just by using a computer. I was long distance with my boyfriend (now husband) for the first couple years and we used instant messaging to talk every day. On that typing test, I got 70 wpm, but if I am on an actual computer rather than a laptop, it can be considerably faster. It's harder to type with the computer sitting on my lap.
 
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fhicat

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Lots of fast typists here! My speed has been constant for some years now, I can't see myself typing any faster without making tons of errors. Keyboard type definitely affects the speed.
 

andrya

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My first real IBM-clone computer was a 286 back in 1988, and l'm embarrassed to say l cannot type! l type with only two fingers of my right hand, and l have to look at the keyboard to do it 
 

blueyedgirl5946

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I took the test again and typed 54 wpm, no mistakes, I really need to practice.:lol3:
 

MoochNNoodles

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Lots of fast typists here! My speed has been constant for some years now, I can't see myself typing any faster without making tons of errors. Keyboard type definitely affects the speed.
So does what you are typing.  I type MUCH faster when I'm typing words coming from my own head vs words I'm reading or listening to.  When i worked for an audiologist I did her medical transcriptions.  It was nice because she always dictated things so clearly; but slower than my fingers wanted to go.  Now the specialist I worked for; his would have been harder, but he outsourced his dictations.  I'd just have to proofread them and fix names mostly or things they missed since they were being done in a foreign country.  There was another specialist who shared office space with us a few days a week.  He'd dictate his notes between patients at the nurses station.  I swear he spoke 900 miles an hour in a whisper.
  I have no idea how anyone could make sense of what he was saying!
 

jcat

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I'm a slow typist, especially on a laptop. I did have typing way back in 7th grade. The teacher was a gym teacher and presumably taught typing because he could work a stopwatch.

Interestingly, he went on to become somewhat famous - a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Vince Papale. His story was filmed with Mark Wahlberg: "Invincible".
 
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ayeshajae

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I learned to type in high school, she also taught me how to do a power point presentation and how to use ms word, office /:3

I never did clock myself though my grandma and mom can both type over 100 wpm at least that's what they tell me :D
 

AbbysMom

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I'm not awake enough to attempt a typing test, but I know I am slow. :lol3:

We had typing classes on typewriters back in middle school. :nod: There was no "keyboarding" class back then. :lol3:
 

cassiopea

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Officially, back in Junior High School/Middle School, we were required take a class in the computer room where it was purely typing lessons. We had to play typing games, increase vocabulary, practice with various writing assignments, speed tests and so forth, and graded as such. We were definitely encouraged to become very proficient and fast typers, being emphasized on how important a skill it was.

This was of course, back in the late 90's.

How times have changed
 Even for someone of my age.

 

Unofficially, I was using the computer here and there to play a Mickey Mouse game when I was around 5-6 years old on my dad's comp. You would type a letter or number and Mickey would do an action based on a word that would start with that letter. I also used my grandparent's typewriter a little bit. So I was already decent at typing before those lessons later on.

As for that test, I also got 75. Likely a bit faster without the need to copy words.
 

mservant

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I've tried to do the test twice but each time Mouse has climbed on top of me and laid himself down on my left arm.  
  I got about half way and 47 wpm with 2 errors.  


I learned to type while playing at home on my mum's old typewriter as she used to do bits of secretarial work at home for my dad.  I took 'secretarial studies' when I was in my last year at school, really just to fill time, and went to class for about 4 weeks in the first term, then bunked with a friend that was doing it for the same reason.  Spent a lot of time playing cribbage (card game) and listening to bizarre music in our year's 'common room' meant to be used for study and break times.  Ha ha.  Seem to remember turning up at the end of the year to get something signed by the teacher and him looking at us and saying he thought we'd left school. 
   Computers were rare beasts in those days and the school had not long had its first basic monster which only final year math genius pupils got to go near.  I cheat with touch typing a lot of the time and will look down to check my position on the keyboard.  Need to carefully double and triple check everything with spell check and proof reading because I'm slightly dyslexic.
 
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