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Comment by js2 | Hacker News Reader

I’ve been typing since I was maybe 10 (I’m 46 now). I’m self-taught and do not type properly. My fingers don’t rest on the home row correctly. I reach across with my hands on some keys and so can’t use a split keyboard. When typing English (as opposed to writing code) my error rate is not great so I’m often correcting my errors.

Despite that, I’ve never felt my typing speed slows me down when writing (code or English). I’m sure if my typing were purely mechanical (taking notes, copying), I’d feel different. But when what I’m typing is something that’s being synthesized in my head, I guess I feel that the typing paces my thought.

That said, I should probably try to retrain myself some day to type correctly. Maybe with faster speed and fewer errors I’d realize I’m wrong.

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I do recommend you give it a try. I was in a similar situation as you, although I made the conscious decision to teach myself "proper" typing when I was in my mid-20s. I don't think it has made my typing significantly faster -- maybe a little bit faster, with a bit fewer mistakes -- but I really felt the difference in how pleasant typing felt. Reducing my hand movements during typing has probably saved me from early joint / carpal tunnel / whatever problems.

I’ve probably been lucky in that I haven’t had any wrist pain and don’t really find typing uncomfortable but I’ll give it another try. I’ve tried twice before and didn’t stick with it.

How long did it take you to retrain yourself?

It didn't take long, but I really forced myself to do all typing in the "proper" way. I would say two weeks at most, maybe four until it really sank in indefinitely. Obviously this is with a lot of typing, and you do need the luxury to be able to suffer through a few slow days.

Typing "properly" isn't necessarily the best way to type.

Let's number the fingers as follows: pinky is 1, ring is 2, and so on to the thumb, which is 5. In the following, a letter followed by a number means you type that letter with the corresponding numbered finger. If there is a ' after the number, it means right hand, otherwise left hand.

In proper touch typing, the word "unsigned" is: u4' n4' s2 i3' g4 n4' e3 d3

I find this is faster and less stressful: u3' n4' s2 i3' g4 n4' (e2 d3 | e3 d4)

That was what I was probably most likely to do before I learned proper touch typing, and I'll still do it unless I'm purposefully trying to stick to "proper". I say "most likely" because my typing was not fixed. It was more that I had a mental map of the keyboard and where my hands and fingers currently were, and I'd figure out an optimum or near optimum way to type the next word or two given those initial conditions, with no constraint that I end up in any particular position. Repeat for the next couple of words starting from whatever position the prior optimum sequence ended in. So how I typed any particular word would depend on what had come before.

Typing that way probably uses more mental energy--I wasn't consciously aware of it but something in my brain had to be computing all those varying sequences, and that cannot have been free. I know that if I was pulling an all nighter my typing would get sloppier when I was really tired, and if I switched to strict "proper" touch typing I'd do better.

I still use a mix, largely because I'm a big, wide guy using an Apple keyboard. Trying to keep my rest position on home row makes me look like I'm doing a poor impersonation of a T-Rex having a stroke. My comfortable rest position is more along the lines of w1 e2 r3 f4 and 5 just below the space bar, and left actually on the "proper" home keys. (The asymmetry is because my second monitor is on the left, so I tend to be turned toward the left).

My recommendation: learn proper touch typing. It gives you something that won't use extra mental energy and works reasonably well on most keyboards. It gives a base you can always stand on.

Don't force yourself to always use it on all keyboards, though, if you find something else works better for you, especially on the keyboard you use the most.

I've also never found the "standard" fingering to be optimal either, and instead go for "closest finger that's available", which is similar but not exactly the same as "proper typing".

Typing that way probably uses more mental energy

I'm not sure about that, because it happens almost unconsciously; I never have to consciously think about where the keys are or what fingers to use, "it just comes naturally".

Until now I've not thought about my "rest position" either, because unless I'm actually typing something, my right hand is probably on the mouse and my left resting elsewhere. But now that you mention it, when I pause in the middle of typing and look down, my fingers are sitting on the key they last hit. If I prepare my hands like they're about to type something, then my fingers are not resting on any particular keys either --- with the exception of f and j, they're resting somewhere between keys. I think it's all "muscle memory"; it's become so ingrained through practice that whereever my hands are they'll automatically find the right key when I start typing...

>I’ve been typing since I was maybe 10 (I’m 46 now). I’m self-taught and do not type properly. My fingers don’t rest on the home row correctly.

I'm in the same exact circumstance, and use only about half of my fingers, and clock in at around 100 wpm.

I recommend you try it. Even if it’s just for the comfort and ergonomics. You can try the ratatype. It’s a free online course that teaches to type without moving your hands.

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