Not looking at the keyboard as you type is important for secretaries who have to copy text off a hard copy. For a programmer I'd say it makes little difference.
But hey, don't let that get in the way of smug superiority.
I switched from typing qwerty while looking at the keyboard (but definitely not hunt-and-peck; I knew where the keys were, I just needed a trigger) to touch-typing Dvorak. My typing speed went from 70 WPM to about 75-80. That's not all that much of a difference, and much of it may be attributable to Dvorak.
I really don't think it makes that much of a difference, as long as you're not hunt-and-peck.
Incidentally, my speed now is about 55 WPM because the T and M keys on my lapop are broken and often don't regiser. You can lose more with bad hardware than you gain wih good training.
Can you convince me that the quality of a programmer has anything to do with speed?
(At least, to the degree that keyboarding skills would make a measurable difference. I'm not arguing that it's ok to spend all week building a single function.)
Comments
Not looking at the keyboard as you type is important for secretaries who have to copy text off a hard copy. For a programmer I'd say it makes little difference.
But hey, don't let that get in the way of smug superiority.
Can you convince me you're just as fast if you have to look at the keyboard?
I bet you'd be faster if you didn't need to.
I switched from typing qwerty while looking at the keyboard (but definitely not hunt-and-peck; I knew where the keys were, I just needed a trigger) to touch-typing Dvorak. My typing speed went from 70 WPM to about 75-80. That's not all that much of a difference, and much of it may be attributable to Dvorak.
I really don't think it makes that much of a difference, as long as you're not hunt-and-peck.
Incidentally, my speed now is about 55 WPM because the T and M keys on my lapop are broken and often don't regiser. You can lose more with bad hardware than you gain wih good training.
Can you convince me that the quality of a programmer has anything to do with speed?
(At least, to the degree that keyboarding skills would make a measurable difference. I'm not arguing that it's ok to spend all week building a single function.)
When you don't have to think what you're typing, your mind is free to think about the code. The more you think about your code, the better you are.
Image if you had to stop and think to use the mouse.
Ok, but not thinking about typing comes much earlier than being proficient in typing to the degree mentioned here.
Besides, I don't really think about kicking a soccer ball, but I certainly look at it when I do.