to think learning to touch-type was one of the best things I've ever done?

[emkana]

Just to start a bit of a pointless thread there

megapixels, thanks for that link. I thought I'd slowed down much more than I have. I got 91wpm, no errors, and am sitting with the laptop balanced on my knees, so not bad for an old girl who learned on one of those, as someone said, 'sit up and beg' typewriters in the 60s. Does anyone else find that the laptop keyboard is a little slower to use than the standard computer keyboard?

As well as typing, for which I have an O Level (blows on fingernails and buffs them) I did shorthand, which I still use when taking notes on the phone, etc, though it's many years since I 'took a letter'.

Yanbu, we had one half term of typing lessons in secondary school (1 hour a week) in the 90's. So not really worth it. I taught myself to touch type as a teenager using a mavis beacon program. My mum, who went to secretarial college, was most put out when she discovered I could type faster than her . Definitely mound the most useful things I've ever learnt.

Mound? Should be 'one of'. Unfortunately I don't have a qwerty keyboard on my phone

I LOVE typing.

I am often found tapping "the quick brown fox...) On a table when day dreaming.

My parents bought me a HUGE heavy beast of a type writer, with a lovely "ker ching" return lever, for my 8th birthday, along with a learn to type book.

My best friend and I loved it. We learned to type with the book and wearing an apron which covered the keys so no cheating.

We didn't need a fancy web site.

Like the rest of you typing was a God send as I easily found typing work during my degree.

I LOVE typing.

I am often found tapping "the quick brown fox...) On a table when day dreaming.

My parents bought me a HUGE heavy beast of a type writer, with a lovely "ker ching" return lever, for my 8th birthday, along with a learn to type book.

My best friend and I loved it. We learned to type with the book and wearing an apron which covered the keys so no cheating.

We didn't need a fancy web site.

Like the rest of you typing was a God send as I easily found typing work during my degree.

Why does my phone double post? Grrrrr

Why does my phone double post? Grrrrr

I totally agree. Best thing I have ever done.

I had one year of learning touch typing on a good old fashioned typewriter, in secondary school. The next year, when I moved on to IT, I knew how to type, and was able to progress much faster and learnt SO MUCH. The year when I was 16, I had vacation work teaching Word Perfect to admin personell at small local businesses! Word Perfect was HOT and new and people wanted to learn, it revolutionized business letters!

Coursework during uni was a hoot, and I think I was the only person at uni carrying a small laptop around on occasion. People were STARING!

After uni, my typing speed got me various temping jobs while job hunting.

Yup.
Best skill ever to have learnt.

I have a rubbish typing style - I look at my fingers, not the screen, but I can always tell when I have made a spelling error.

I agree. My parents, among the many, many extra-curricular skills they paid for me to acquire, kindly paid for a three-month touch typing course for me. I loathed it at the time, but I am so glad to be able to type really fast.

I did touch typing at school (about 5 years ago) and got my 85 w.p.m certificate, was so proud until my Mum produced a certificate that she got at college 110 w.p.m (on a typewriter) how can anyones fingers go that fast???

Ok, so realistically, how long would it take to become a competent touch typist?

I learnt in year seven. (so 11)

I could touch type fluently and fastly by about 15, I suppose.

However, I was endlessly writing stories so I had miles and miles of practice. Which is the more important thing than the little exercises you do learning IMO.

fastly? quickly.

I used the programme that was available on the PCs at Uni and I maintain to this day that it was one of the most useful things that I learn there, even though I probably could be a lot better.

With the amount of keyboard use that there is these days I'd just assumed that it must be taught in schools.

The earlier you learn the better as you won't have to unlearn the way you have been doing it before.

Might be a problem for kids now as they will start to type at a time when their hands are too small to touchtype properly.

63wpm on the test for me (never learned properly)

I could never do it - had to take typing at high school & it was the only subject I ever failed

Now I'm 43 I can kind of nearly do it (after using keyboards all my life). Still a crap typist though. I'm in awe of people with flying fingers who are looking elsewhere.

It is very useful. I learned about 25 years ago at college. My fastest time was 80wpm, on a manual typewriter though.

Unfortunately I developed a habit at the same time of 'typing' sentences in my head and it's never left me. It can be extremely annoying.

Best I can do is about 80wpm, but I never learned to touch type properly annoyingly.. I do alright though..

Bloody useful skill when you've got bosses breathing down your neck and they need something typing urgently :)