Like several above, it was required in grade school. I remember having a blast learning how to type with Mario Teaches Typing. 
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Where did you learn to properly type?
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Oh, wow. I remember those type-writers - amazing machines, and incredibly sturdy. I seem to recall hearing that they had been designed to a design specification requested by the US Navy and were required to be able to work in conditions where they could withstand gale force winds on the high seas. I have no idea whether this appealing tale is true, but I do know that they were an incredibly indestructible machine. And yes, wonderful to use.
Back in the day, secretaries loved them. When I started teaching in university - back in the late 80s - the secretary in the (politics) Dept used to revert sneakily to her IBM golfball (which she swore by) whenever the then Head of Dept (who was enamoured of tech matters) was away and temporarily discard the temperamental computer she had been issued with.
For my part, I learned to type on my mother's old manual type-writer, the sort where you bashed the keys in order to get a response. Then, she got an IBM electric golf-ball type-writer, and yes, a delight to work with.
However, I was essentially self-taught, and tapped and bashed away (quite accurately and fairly rapidly) until a good many years later, when a Government Dept where I worked at the time sent me on a typing course. Nowadays, I have a curious hybrid style.......
I never learned to type!
I did 7th, 8th, and 9th grades in 2 years, so we had no "minors", like home ec and typing. Big pain in the ass in undergrad and grad school, I had to pay to have all my papers typed. Cost a fortune.
Now it's two finger, hunt and peck. If I type something long, I get faster (everything is relative!) as I type.
I envy you all who use ten fingers, but I'm too damn lazy to get a typing program and learn correctly. Old dogs, new tricks...
Although to be fair, Shrink would have had to learn on this...what a pain
Although to be fair, Shrink would have had to learn on this...what a pain
Even for my antiquarian tastes, that is a bit antique.
However, I have typed on a post WW2 era portable, and that had a satisfying solidity and the keys gave a delicious sounding 'clack' as they hit the ribbon.......
Although to be fair, Shrink would have had to learn on this...what a pain
Very cruel...
Totally true...
But very cruel...
(You don't know how close you really are...
) 
Although to be fair, Shrink would have had to learn on this...what a pain
I would be horrible at typing on that.
I was horrible with the old typewriter we had in the house, and then with the Smith Corona word processor my parents bought when I was in 6th grade because the ass-face at Sun (remember when they had stores?) said that "Kids only use computers for games, a word processor would be a better fit".
He was terribly incorrect on that.
Oh yes, I forgot about those! When I was little, we didn't have a computer but my mother had a typewriter! It was a Smith Corona that had a suitcase shell and hummed when it was plugged into a wall outlet and on but not doing anything. I always thought that hummmmm was weird!
We didn't have a computer at home until I was 9. Prior to that, I just used the computers at my dad's work and at school on occasion.
We didn't have a computer at home until I was 9. Prior to that, I just used the computers at my dad's work and at school on occasion.
A strongly-recommended summer school course before I entered high school, and nearly everyone I knew took the course. Classes were throughout the day, though any particular student went three times a week once a day.
Manual typewriters, and the really old mechanical ones (no cheap plastic in sight). Computers as we know them now didn't exist for me to learn on.
Manual typewriters, and the really old mechanical ones (no cheap plastic in sight). Computers as we know them now didn't exist for me to learn on.
Truth is, I never formally learned to type "properly." But after spending enough time on a computer (and some time as a phone support agent, having to type out a conversation as it took place), learning to type just sort of happened.
But I never broke the habit of looking. I can touch-type just about perfectly, but I still look.
EDIT: Oops, I lied. I just remembered that I played Mario Teaches Typing in elementary school.
But I never broke the habit of looking. I can touch-type just about perfectly, but I still look.
EDIT: Oops, I lied. I just remembered that I played Mario Teaches Typing in elementary school.
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I've been typing "improperly" since I started on my C64 back in '83. I still remember when I actually had to look at the keyboard - I laugh at that now
The day you don't have to look at the keys is the day you know you've made it to "expert level"
I did have a typing class in high school on computers (around '91), and it slowed me from around 130-135wpm down to like...15 So I never really tried to learn the "correct" way, because I type more than fast enough for my needs.
The day you don't have to look at the keys is the day you know you've made it to "expert level"
I did have a typing class in high school on computers (around '91), and it slowed me from around 130-135wpm down to like...15
So I never really tried to learn the "correct" way, because I type more than fast enough for my needs.
Self taught. Had a Spectrum and Amiga when I was around 5-6 years old. At 8 I could type without looking at the keyboard. Wasn't until I was 10 that someone taught me shift+letter resulted in a capital, though .
To those 3 who downvoted acidfast7, why? Is that program made up?
.To those 3 who downvoted acidfast7, why? Is that program made up?
I can't type "properly", but I can type accurately and quickly enough to see me through most situations.
Sounds familiar!Now it's two finger, hunt and peck. If I type something long, I get faster (everything is relative!) as I type.
I envy you all who use ten fingers, but I'm too damn lazy to get a typing program and learn correctly. Old dogs, new tricks...
I learned in high school. I didn't have a computer to practice on until around 2000-ish but then I was inspired by the internet to type quicker. I only look at my hands to type special characters because I only remember where a few of them are.
I don't understand how anyone who spends time on the internet could stand not to learn. My husband still two-finger types and I think it's weird as hell.
I don't understand how anyone who spends time on the internet could stand not to learn. My husband still two-finger types and I think it's weird as hell.
I took a typing class in 9th grade. There wasn't a typing program like Mavis Beacon....or at least my HS didn't have it. We were given pages to type and it was a black computer screen with green letters at we typed. We printed out on a dot matrix printer for grading, and had to peel off the holes before I turned it in for grading.
As a matter of fact, all the business and computer classes I took in school were connected to a pin fed dot matrix printer, and it wasn't that long ago.
As a matter of fact, all the business and computer classes I took in school were connected to a pin fed dot matrix printer, and it wasn't that long ago.
One day I realized I would have to take notes on my computer in college. So I stopped looking at my keyboard. I guess you could call it "cold turkey". The first weeks were terrible, but after a while I got to 80wpm. No need for boring software.
Never learned, but at a recent assessment I completed 72 words per minute. Not bad for two-fingered typing!
It was a required course in 9th grade at my high school. We used Tandy computers and some kind of typing program with typing tests for speed and accuracy. I checked out that Mavis Beacon program that some people have mentioned. It looks like a good option for people learning to type. The website also has some fun facts.
If you just do a web search there are numerous online courses for typing many of which are free.
If you just do a web search there are numerous online courses for typing many of which are free.
Where did you learn to properly type?
At a typewriter.
But also in High School, as part of an option, with book-keeping.
At a typewriter.
But also in High School, as part of an option, with book-keeping.
I learned in a class in seventh grade. Since then I discovered the free program gtypist. It is my favorite typing program because it focuses on accuracy. I recently started going through the lessons on gtypist without looking at the keyboard and raised my average typing speed to about 80 wpm with very few mistakes.
Like the OP, I had a lot of bad typing habits that I picked up in High School in the mid-90s when AIM first became popular... lots of sitting at the computer blasting off quick chats to my friends, and no real instruction. I used to hit the "P" key with my ring finger (instead of my little finger), for example.
I tried to identify my bad habits and then spend an hour or so a day focusing on correcting each one. It takes some mental focus, but I promise you can do it.
I'd also suggest one of the many free typing instruction apps (there are probably some on the Mac App Store, but I haven't checked...). A little practice goes a long way.
Good luck... it's worth it.
I tried to identify my bad habits and then spend an hour or so a day focusing on correcting each one. It takes some mental focus, but I promise you can do it.
I'd also suggest one of the many free typing instruction apps (there are probably some on the Mac App Store, but I haven't checked...). A little practice goes a long way.
Good luck... it's worth it.