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Comment by eludwig | Hacker News Reader

This is actually easier said than done. I'm 58 and been a hunt and peck typist (at this point a fairly effective and fast one) all my life. I've been a developer for 30 years. I've tried several times to learn to touch-type. I can do all of the exercises, play all of the games, but I have never been able to make the leap from looking to not looking at the keyboard.

It's the gap where you still have a full-time job to do along with those expectations that I fall down. :( Maybe it's to late for me?

That aside, I have never had any problem with productivity as a developer. As a "typist", yes, but not as an author of software. It just never comes up. Do I feel less "cool" when I am in a room with people looking at me type? Hell yes. But am I actually getting things done slower? Probably some things. Typing commands, yes. I could be faster there. Typing code? Maybe.

Just adding the perspective of a long time 6 fingered typist (occasionally 7).

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You can be a touch typist without using the strict home row and finger placement. I would actually argue that the home row concept isn't ideal for developers especially. My fingers actually rest between the keys, and I know I press keys with the "wrong" fingers (easy to notice on ergonomic keyboards), but I do not have to look at my keys and I type around 70 words per minute without feeling like I'm rushing.

I touch type around 90 WPM and never took a class on it. After years of video gaming my "home row" is resting my left hand on WASD and my right hand takes care of everything right of RFV. And like you said, ergonomic keyboards are basically unusable to me.

"I can do all of the exercises, play all of the games, but I have never been able to make the leap from looking to not looking at the keyboard."

Huh? Don't most of the exercises and games start with rule 1: "don't look at the keyboard"? "I can do all of the exercises, play all of the games, but I have never been able to make the leap from looking to not looking at the keyboard."

Huh? The exercises and games I did all start with "don't look at the keyboard"?

Find a method that starts with having you type nonsense sequences of letters on the home row (these typically start with repeats of "asdf jkl;", changing to random sequences once you got the hang of that), extends that by adding qwer and uiop, moves to words containing those letters (moving to words is essential as it trains you to do the common sequences faster), etc.

If you find you cannot not look at your fingers, place a tea towel or other light cloth over your keyboard and hands and try again.

Off topic, but it's not too late at all. What you need to do is force yourself to touch type. Typically the reason people don't make that transition is that they cannot accept the speed and accuracy loss short term to finish the training.

Resign yourself to typing with a cloth over your hands for a month or three. Plan for being a dog-slow typist. If you have been typing for 30 years, you have what you need cognitively. You just need to force yourself to perfect the final bits of the skill. You don't need more training, you don't need perfect Home Row Placement (I can do 110 and my form is a mess!), you just need to power through that horrible period.

Understood and thanks for the encouragement.

I haven't completely given up hope. I may still do it yet! :D

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