Beyond QWERTY
I took advanced studies computing back in 1981. My school considered typing to be an integral part of computer class. It could have been because we had only a few computers at the time; I doubt it was because Mrs. Miller was a big hacker. So, I signed up thinking I would dive instantly into the forefront of programming, and instead spent nine arduous weeks learning how to type.
I don't think I've ever been more grateful for being made do something I didn't want to do. I can now type a good 80 wpm if I want to, and I spend most of my waking life at a keyboard, writing either for fun or profit.
This would have been Mrs. Miller's dream keyboard. She was an old-school business teacher who rapped knuckles and refused to allow long fingernails in her class. Imagine not having to rap my knuckles for looking at the number row.
posted by Kat Coble @ 1:49 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Yes, I am also grateful for a typing class I had in school. However, I would have been terribly annoyed if I thought I would be learning programming, only to spend my time learning how to type.
In all fairness, we did learn programming, too. It was a semester course, with the first 9 weeks spent on keyboarding and the second 9 weeks spent on programming.
I hated typing class, and have never learned to type properly -- and I can still tear it up. I don't ever look at the keyboard, and use one of those weird MS ergo keyboards -- because guitar, drums and long nights in the cold colocation facility have gimped me severely. If I were to pick a bad*ss keyboard, this would be it. I haven't used one, but it looks promising, anyway.
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