Typing: Home-keys or freestyle?

[bloodzombie]

If you don't learn the right way, you'll never get faster. if you're happy with your current speed and don't need to be faster, more power to you.

I use home keys, but I have a few weird things that I don't do "right", so I can't use one of those windows keyboards that's split because they put the B key on the wrong side.

I also only use the left shift key.

[Subjugation]

to each his own, but if you don't use the home keys, htf do you type without having to keep looking down at the keyboard? that's the only reason why the home keys are so popular...so people can look at their work while typing, instead of wasting time looking back and forth from their work to the keyboard.

and if you are busting fast speed without them, imagine how fast you'd be if you actually saved more time by using them? again, whatever works for you.

[Adeon]

Much easier said than done, Jesus.

It sounds like I type a lot like Zeus, there. As for the staring at keyboard thing, I tend to do sort of a hybrid, keyboard / monitor looking, where I look at my keyboard most of the time I'm typing, until I reach near the end of a thought. Then, I'll look up for maybe the last couple of words to proofread the sentence, but keep typing, as my hands still know where the keys I need are. I find that, though it's like 25-35% slower for me, and there are more typos when I do it, I actually can type without looking at the keyboard at all. This key memory just comes from typing the wrong way for a really long time, I suppose (and yes, I'll admit it's the wrong way :P). I've tried to learn the home keys before in the past, but I couldn't apply myself and do it all the time I typed outside of lessons. Meh.

[Pandagirl!]

Depends on how I feel like typing. I type at like 40WPM the home key way so if I feel like practicing that I'll do it that way, or if I'm not chatting. But I type a LOT faster my way which is sorta like the home row way but not exactly. My hands stay there but I use different fingers to hit the keys lol. I usually do it my special patented way.

[Viral]

I personally find it easier for me to type fast when I copying something or typing from my mind. What I mean by that is I am copying a whole passage out of a book (looking away constantly), reading it, while I type.

I feel that those typing programs don't gauge your typing speed to your fullest potential considering that you have to type while reading the damn thing as it scrolls slowly. So for those of you at 40 wpm or even 120 wpm, it's probably even faster heh.

[Melufa]

Originally posted by bloodzombie
If you don't learn the right way, you'll never get faster. if you're happy with your current speed and don't need to be faster, more power to you.

I use home keys, but I have a few weird things that I don't do "right", so I can't use one of those windows keyboards that's split because they put the B key on the wrong side.

I also only use the left shift key.

Same, I stretch over and type R with my right hand for some reason

[NaiLed]

Originally posted by cundor
wtfzor are home keys?

[bloodzombie]

Originally posted by Melufa
Same, I stretch over and type R with my right hand for some reason

T too?

[Jeansi]

Home keys but I press C with my left index finger and not the middle finger, and W with my left middle finger sometimes when I've been to the gym and my fingers get shaky. Also I almost always use the right shift so when I make big letters home keys don't work.

[Ewan]

Originally posted by Viral
I personally find it easier for me to type fast when I copying something or typing from my mind. What I mean by that is I am copying a whole passage out of a book (looking away constantly), reading it, while I type.

Is there any other way you're gonna be typing other than from your mind or copying something? (apart from dictating but that's very rare)

I tend to type just randomly, I use the first three fingers of each hand and I don't have to look at the keyboard to type. I am the fastest typer of anyone I know in real life, but I dunno my WPM, if I was to guess i would say something along the lines of 60.
I have a strange way of typing, some keys, like "T"and "R", I use both hands depending on where the next keys in the word are and what the previous keys I have typed are. (I don't think about which fingers to use, I just do it by habit)

I also never use the right shift (except for "?"), I just use my pinky on the left one. (Same with contol, alt, windows key etc.)


~E

PS - Also for paste I use Shift + Insert instead of Ctrl + V for some reason but I still use Ctrl + C for copy

[Jeansi]

I write quickest with my eyes closed. That's how I type stuff here on the forum. If I have to copy a text (look at it) I make more mistakes. Same if I watch the keyboard or the monitor.

[froedrick]

Me too arch I usually have em at wasd because I played DoD and CS for so long, it's just a natural position for me, but i can swicth to home if I was in need but i don't really do that anyways