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Keyboarding – do you still type with two fingers?

Are you a two finger typer? And do you have to look at the keys when you type?

  • Yes two fingers and I look at the keys

    Votes: 4 9.3%

  • Yes two fingers and I dont look at the keys

    Votes: 6 14.0%

  • No I use all fingers and I look at the keys

    Votes: 4 9.3%

  • No I use all fingers and I dont look at the keys

    Votes: 29 67.4%
  • Total voters
    43
M

Misskitty

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 18, 2010
448
2
Any two finger typers on here? How about looking at the keys while you type?

You would be surprised how many people still two finger type, meaning they only use either their middle fingers or their index fingers, not both and definitely not their thumb, 3rd or pinkies. If you remember, this is how most people typed when they first learned in Grade 1.

I have a friend who types like this (he uses his middle fingers) and not to be rude but I cant help but laugh when I see him type cause I still think it looks odd. He also always has his head down and up cause he cant type without having to look at the keyboard, so his eyes are going all over the place. But apparently some people can type faster with one finger per hand while looking at the keys.

It just crossed my mind, if you are a two finger typer or one who has to look at the keys first, do you see this affecting you in landing jobs in the admin field like admin asst? Not for me, as I am a full typer and dont have to look at the keys as I type 60-65wpm easily with 99% accuracy. But for some people I see from time to time, they peck away at their keys with two fingers and have to look at the keys first while their neck goes up and down from the keyboard to the screen. Back and fourth, back and fourth. It must be exhausting. How the heck do people like this land jobs in admin?
 
Last edited:
RITZFit said:
I'll admit, I never committed the top row of number keys to memory so I peak on occasion. :eek:
Click to expand...

THats pretty standard, just like any secondary keys like the slashes and abbreivations. Our hand is much more used to num pads than a row of number keys.
 
Two fingers, have to look at the key board, and my first typing attempt of the day is a disaster. As the day moves along, my typing gets a bit faster with fewer errors requiring correction.

Mainly, what I laughingly call typing is pathetic!:eek:
 
I use four fingers and look but it's mostly muscle memory. I type about 60 wpm and am fairly accurate.

----------
Misskitty said:
THats pretty standard,
Click to expand...


Double capital error. It's the bane of my typing.
 
Misskitty said:
Any two finger typers on here? How about looking at the keys while you type?

You would be surprised how many people still two finger type, meaning they only use either their middle fingers or their index fingers, not both and definitely not their thumb, 3rd or pinkies. If you remember, this is how most people typed when they first learned in Grade 1.

I have a friend who types like this (he uses his middle fingers) and not to be rude but I cant help but laugh when I see him type cause I still think it looks odd. He also always has his head down and up cause he cant type without having to look at the keyboard, so his eyes are going all over the place. But apparently some people can type faster with one finger per hand while looking at the keys.

It just crossed my mind, if you are a two finger typer or one who has to look at the keys first, do you see this affecting you in landing jobs in the admin field like admin asst? Not for me, as I am a full typer and dont have to look at the keys as I type 60-65wpm easily. But for some people I see from time to time, they peck away at their keys with two fingers and have to look at the keys first while their neck goes up and down from the keyboard to the screen. Back and fourth, back and fourth. It must be exhausting. How the heck do people like this land jobs in admin?
Click to expand...

Well you may have been lucky enough to learn to type in grade 1, but for my generation we did no typing at school whatsoever. I type with two fingers. I look at the keys. I run my own admin department very well thanks. Mostly because I don't spend the day on Facebook/Twitter/my mobile like the younger employes.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Well you may have been lucky enough to learn to type in grade 1, but for my generation we did no typing at school whatsoever. I type with two fingers. I look at the keys. I run my own admin department very well thanks. Mostly because I don't spend the day on Facebook/Twitter/my mobile like the younger employes.
Click to expand...

I took a typing class in 7th grade. We typed on IBM Selectric typewriters.
 

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Misskitty said:
Any two finger typers on here? How about looking at the keys while you type?

You would be surprised how many people still two finger type, meaning they only use either their middle fingers or their index fingers, not both and definitely not their thumb, 3rd or pinkies. If you remember, this is how most people typed when they first learned in Grade 1.

I have a friend who types like this (he uses his middle fingers) and not to be rude but I cant help but laugh when I see him type cause I still think it looks odd. He also always has his head down and up cause he cant type without having to look at the keyboard, so his eyes are going all over the place. But apparently some people can type faster with one finger per hand while looking at the keys.

It just crossed my mind, if you are a two finger typer or one who has to look at the keys first, do you see this affecting you in landing jobs in the admin field like admin asst? Not for me, as I am a full typer and dont have to look at the keys as I type 60-65wpm easily with 99% accuracy. But for some people I see from time to time, they peck away at their keys with two fingers and have to look at the keys first while their neck goes up and down from the keyboard to the screen. Back and fourth, back and fourth. It must be exhausting. How the heck do people like this land jobs in admin?
Click to expand...

I've had a personal computer since I was in third grade in 1983. That's over 30 years now. And I've always been a heavy computer user. I still type mostly with two fingers and usually look at the keyboard.

I know how the keys are laid out, but that means nothing. I don't hunt and peck. I tried a couple of different typing tests just now. In one which was just typing a random series of words, I got 50 wpm. Typing the rules of baseball, I got 43 words per minute. If I'm typing something that I'm thinking about, instead of having to read something and then re-type it, I'm guessing it's somewhat faster.

I've actually noticed that I've become worse at typing over the past few years.

I just don't have the coordination to touch type with ten fingers and without looking. If I haven't figured it out in 30 years, I'm not going to figure it out.

I don't ever plan on being in administration, so I don't see it affecting my job search there. I do wish I was better on a number pad though, as it would help with my lighting programming.
 
I type one handed using all five fingers without looking. I can do this left or right hand but much faster right handed.
 
I'm the odd one out- I've tried to learn how to type the "right" way but never really learned how. I taught myself how to type- and I have my own unique style. And doing a short, online, free WPM test, get up to around 60 WPM, which usually is a bit slower than when I type out papers and stuff because I know what I want to say better when I'm writing my own stuff.

Usually I use all 5 fingers both hands, most of the time I can do it without looking at the keys. My pinky finger on my right hand probably gets used the least. My left hand is used the most which is probably because I'm a lefty :) The fingers on my right hand are rarely used, I just realized this. I don't use my ring finger or pinky on my right hand almost ever.
 
I use both index and both middle and each finger kind of has its own area on the keyboard where I instinctively use it. I used to play Runescape quite a lot :p so my style had plenty of time to develop. We had computer classes in school where they would try to teach us to type the right way but I never listened. When the teacher was looking I'd try but otherwise I'd type my way. I can type pretty quickly with minimal errors usual. Sometimes I keep screwing up though. Just the odd blip. I also don't look that much. Just the occasional glance that is out of habit rather than intentional.
 
I type weird... I type with all my fingers on the "home row" the way I was thought and use all fingers but my pinkies. I never look at the keyboard and I type pretty fast and all ways hit the right keys.
 
I'm a two-finger typist.

I'm somewhat amazed how natural and fast I can type with this method.

While I do have to look down at the keyboard, I don't have to focus on individual keystrokes.

And since data entry isn't a part of my job, my poor technique isn't really an issue.
 
I made the mistake of responding to the poll before actually typing and consciously thinking about it. It seems that I use about seven fingers, not all ten… and while I mostly look at the screen, I actually glance at the keys a lot more than I thought I did! :eek:
 
The Doctor11 said:
I type weird... I type with all my fingers on the "home row" the way I was thought and use all fingers but my pinkies. I never look at the keyboard and I type pretty fast and all ways hit the right keys.
Click to expand...

You're not the only one that types weirdly. I use my left hand properly, with my index finger on the F and hit all the appropriate keys with the appropriate fingers, just like I was taught in high school. But with my right hand, I primarily use my index and ring fingers, almost like I'm using the finger pecking method, but with a with a twist.

And no, I don't look at the keys at all. I barely ever glance down at my keyboard.
 
I can only use one hand, so I am a two-finger typist, but I don't look at the keyboard. I type maybe a little over 230 WPM.

The only thing that holds me back is that my brain doesn't work as fast. :eek:

It's brilliant though, takes me less than 5 minutes to do an essay.
 
I would say all fingers, but I don't think I've ever used my left thumb for anything. :eek:
 
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