Learning to touch type was probably life changing for me. I write quite a lot of reports, business plans, proposals, grant applications etc. and I can type nearly as fast as I can verbalise what I am thinking, and it has made me super productive compared to when I couldn’t type.
Voice recognition will continue to improve but even for those situations where using it is appropriate, typing has a random access aspect with writing that you don't really have with voice. (Though, to be sure, I assume giving dictation will probably become a skill that many people acquire again.)
But, yes, typing properly is probably a worthwhile skill to have. It's something I'm a bit sorry I never learned properly. (Also shorthand.)
Voice typing will never be robust enough to handle the innumerable use cases of text input, even if the technology were significantly improved from where it is now. As a trivial example, inputting information that you don't want to be heard by whoever's around.
More concretely speaking, do you think their teachers & future employers would be OK with them not knowing a computing skill that's become fundamental to modern life?
Comments
I also have kids and am interested in the same question, but I would raise it up a level and ask: "Should I teach my kids to type?"
Right now they mostly use voice recognition and seem to be getting along pretty well...
Learning to touch type was probably life changing for me. I write quite a lot of reports, business plans, proposals, grant applications etc. and I can type nearly as fast as I can verbalise what I am thinking, and it has made me super productive compared to when I couldn’t type.
You can't take notes in a public / busy / quiet place using voice recognition. You can't do it at lectures and conferences either.
Voice recognition will continue to improve but even for those situations where using it is appropriate, typing has a random access aspect with writing that you don't really have with voice. (Though, to be sure, I assume giving dictation will probably become a skill that many people acquire again.)
But, yes, typing properly is probably a worthwhile skill to have. It's something I'm a bit sorry I never learned properly. (Also shorthand.)
Voice typing will never be robust enough to handle the innumerable use cases of text input, even if the technology were significantly improved from where it is now. As a trivial example, inputting information that you don't want to be heard by whoever's around.
More concretely speaking, do you think their teachers & future employers would be OK with them not knowing a computing skill that's become fundamental to modern life?
I can not imagine trying to use voice recognition for programming for one thing.
And I don't think COBOL or BASIC will suddenly have a huge comeback.