| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: How many fingers do you use to type? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How many fingers do you use to type?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Adnan Özdemir 
Türkiye
Local time: 16:53
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
+ ...
Only 3-5.
Saludos desde Anatolia
Anadolu'dan selamlar
| | | | Αlban SHPΑTΑ
United States
Member (2008)
English to Albanian
+ ...
I can't believe that so far only 40% of respondents here are touch typists..
| | | | Evans (X)
Local time: 14:53
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Isn't this a basic skill? | Jan 12, 2011 |
Only last night I was astonished to see on television a quite well-known author typing with just two fingers, and wondered why she didn't take a little time out to learn how to type properly.
If I had to look at the keyboard as well as my source text it would drive me crazy, and distract my thought processes to boot.
| | |
|
|
|
| Not for lack of trying... | Jan 12, 2011 |
It does drive me crazy. 
Forty years ago, when typing meant using a typewriter, and typos meant hassle, unsightly crossings out or messing about with correction fluid, waiting for it to dry and trying again.....
I gave up on typing and found a job where my fast and legible handwriting was acceptable.
At intervals I have tried again to learn to tough type (sic ...) , but my hands simply will no... See more It does drive me crazy.
Forty years ago, when typing meant using a typewriter, and typos meant hassle, unsightly crossings out or messing about with correction fluid, waiting for it to dry and trying again.....
I gave up on typing and found a job where my fast and legible handwriting was acceptable.
At intervals I have tried again to learn to tough type (sic ...) , but my hands simply will not coordinate. (Just be thankful I never play the piano. )
One of the biggest blessings in my life is Autocorrect, and how I miss it when forced to use TagEditor, which does not incorporate Autocorrect!! (Why, why??? And Studio 2009 doesn't either - I must complain again.)
Still, there is the spell checker (sometimes) or at least the delete key, which I use more than any other! It is no joke when I say that is how I started my proofreading career.
Alternatively, I can type VERY SLOWLY, and keep the number of errors down to a level I can live with.
I may be an extreme case, but I bet I am not alone! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Debbi Steele
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:53
Member (2010)
French to English
+ ...
I can almost touch type - I just tend to forget about the existence of my little fingers...
| | | | Amandine Added
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:53
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
| all ten but also 15 years of practice | Jan 12, 2011 |
I feel like I am very lucky, my brother and my family used to pay me to type on an old typing machine (my brother his courses or works to give to teachers, and my parents all official letters) so at 16 I was able to type with most of my fingers.
15 years later, I do not need to look the keyboard and I am as fast as a professional secretary ))
But no secret, I had to type, and type and type and clearly I've met people to... See more I feel like I am very lucky, my brother and my family used to pay me to type on an old typing machine (my brother his courses or works to give to teachers, and my parents all official letters) so at 16 I was able to type with most of my fingers.
15 years later, I do not need to look the keyboard and I am as fast as a professional secretary))
But no secret, I had to type, and type and type and clearly I've met people totally unable of such a thing.
It is certainly a plus (typing can be time consuming) but I think that in the next decade we will have better technologies and won't have to type anymore, just talk)) ▲ Collapse
| | | | keelin feeney
Ireland
Local time: 14:53
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| speed x mind | Jan 12, 2011 |
At the Proz conference in Barcelona last year, one of the speakers made a very interesting point re using our time to the maximum and said that we should be typing as fast as we translate in our mind...and if this is not the case, then we should consider a typing course or something similar. I think this was a very valid point!
| | |
|
|
|
| Necessary skill | Jan 12, 2011 |
Some of us will always be faster/slower than others, but it's one of the basic skills for our professional generation, I would say, and I am amazed to discover that neither in Spain nor in the UK can I find evidence of this skill being addressed as a central part of education. "Basic skills" as far as I'm concerned.
Voice recognition may progress far enough to eliminate the need eventually, but for the time being, not being able to type at a reasonable speed and without reasonable a... See more Some of us will always be faster/slower than others, but it's one of the basic skills for our professional generation, I would say, and I am amazed to discover that neither in Spain nor in the UK can I find evidence of this skill being addressed as a central part of education. "Basic skills" as far as I'm concerned.
Voice recognition may progress far enough to eliminate the need eventually, but for the time being, not being able to type at a reasonable speed and without reasonable accuracy is an enormous hindrance to work efficiency (and I'm not just talking about typing in your translated words, but also your research).
And this applies to many walks of life, not just word orientated ones. Even if your many activities is, say, tree felling you will probably want to do internet banking at some stage, make a booking, buy sth etc etc
Signed
The one who deliberately damaged a typewriter in the international bank where I worked in Caracas in 1978 in order to be given the spare machine which had an early example of a correction key! It really was time to come clean on that one! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Don't know about the speed of mind.. | Jan 12, 2011 |
...but I once did a speed test where I at the most typed 559 characters (about 110 words) / minute with one error typing =).
All ten fingers of course =P.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 15:53
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| about 55 - 65% of available typing "tools" | Jan 12, 2011 |
Some 40+ years ago all that mattered was to get something typed, looking neat and clean. Being a self-taught "typist" using between 6 - 8 fingers was sufficient to get the job done.
Nearly a decade later in technical college we were taught to use all 10 fingers - well, actually 8 fingers and 2 thumbs By then my "highly developed seek, circle, and strike style" ( ... See more
| | | | Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:53
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
But it just sort of happened; I realised one day that I was no longer looking at the keyboard and all fingers were involved. Strangely, if I consciously think about my typing it becomes much slower, a bit like speaking a foreign language!
| | |
|
|
|
| Almost 10 fingers! | Jan 12, 2011 |
For some reason, I can't use my left thumb and you can see the mark on the space bar =0
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 15:53
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Dont exactly know | Jan 12, 2011 |
I'd say just two, occasionally more, but it's not a branded method, just that I never had any real training. I find that quick or touch typists make more mistakes and so take more time revising/proofing. I tend to go more slowly but produce a finished draft product that usually needs little revision.
More haste, less speed, I say.
PS: regarding the rather disparaging comments about "learning to type properly" and similar incredulous slights upon monodigital fumblers like myself, I he... See more I'd say just two, occasionally more, but it's not a branded method, just that I never had any real training. I find that quick or touch typists make more mistakes and so take more time revising/proofing. I tend to go more slowly but produce a finished draft product that usually needs little revision.
More haste, less speed, I say.
PS: regarding the rather disparaging comments about "learning to type properly" and similar incredulous slights upon monodigital fumblers like myself, I hereby state that I am willing to challenge any multi-fingered typer to a combined speed+quality contest in the neutral arena of their choice. Bring it on, you cephalopods!
[Edited at 2011-01-12 12:58 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | maryblack
United States
Local time: 08:53
Member (2013)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| thank you, high school typing class! | Jan 12, 2011 |
When I signed up for a high school typing class, it was basically for girls who asprired to become a secretary (different times...). No boys (God forbid!!). But even though my family looked askance at me, I am so thankful I took it, not only as a translator, as it helps me to touch-type quickly, but even before that in university when I was writing term papers... Definitely worth the effort, although I agree with some other posts, that it's best learned early (e.g., at school), because bad habit... See more When I signed up for a high school typing class, it was basically for girls who asprired to become a secretary (different times...). No boys (God forbid!!). But even though my family looked askance at me, I am so thankful I took it, not only as a translator, as it helps me to touch-type quickly, but even before that in university when I was writing term papers... Definitely worth the effort, although I agree with some other posts, that it's best learned early (e.g., at school), because bad habits are hard to break. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: How many fingers do you use to type? | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
