Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!nrl-cmf!ukma!gatech!udel!burdvax!emerald!dave
From: dave@emerald.PRC.Unisys.COM (David Lee Matuszek)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Real Time Handwriting Recognition
Keywords: Typing
Message-ID: <8801@burdvax.PRC.Unisys.COM>
Date: 5 Jan 89 19:55:42 GMT
References: <83242@sun.uucp> <7801@boring.cwi.nl> <1059@ns.UUCP> <3871@ece-csc.UUCP>
Sender: news@PRC.Unisys.COM
Organization: Unisys Corporation, Paoli Research Center; Paoli, PA
Lines: 52

In article <3871@ece-csc.UUCP> jnh@ece-csc.UUCP (Joseph Nathan Hall) writes:

>I am personally dismayed at the lack of typing competence in the younger
>generation of computer users.  I think it's inexcusable that elementary and
>high schools allow students to take computer courses without first passing
>SOME kind of rudimentary keyboard competence test--say, 25 wpm on a blank
>keyboard.  Typing will eventually replace handwriting of (virtually) all forms.

I think I have to disagree.  But only in part.

Typing is certainly a very useful skill.  I learned to touch-type in
high school, and have been programming for the intervening 25 years,
so I have made a lot of use of the skill.  However...

1)  I don't believe it's a good idea to put artificial barriers in the
way of using a computer.  A few years back everybody had to take
"computer math" before learning about computers (after all, computers
only understood 1's and 0's....).

2)  I'm not very dexterous, and even now I probably only type about
50wpm.  I wish I could type at 80 wpm--that would probably save me 5
or 10 minutes a day.  But what really slows me down is figuring out
what to type.

3)  My wife has never learned to touch-type, but IS dexterous, and can
hunt'n'peck with two fingers faster than I can touch-type.  She
shouldn't be allowed near a computer?

>It's not a difficult skill to master.

Compared to what?  I took a full year of typing in high school.
Besides, it's b-o-r-i-n-g.  Let's be realistic, here--learning to type
does require a significant investment of time.  It may not be
cost-effective for everyone.

My ten-year old has just started regularly doing her homework on the
Mac.  It would be nice if she could touch-type, but that's not going
to happen--like my wife, she'll get too good at hunt'n'peck to want to
go back to square one and start all over.

>It's going to be increasingly important in the future.

Yes.  (Voice input will not become common until 5 or 10 years after the
technical problems have been solved, and that still isn't happening.)
My guess is that in the near term, most people will learn to use a
keyboard effectively, but touch-typing will remain primarily a
secretarial skill.

-- Dave Matuszek (dave@prc.unisys.com)
-- Unisys Corp. / Paoli Research Center / PO Box 517 / Paoli PA  19301
-- Standard disclaimer:  Any resemblance between my opinions and those of my
   employer is strictly coincidental.