The hands truly are quicker than the eye. I know this to be true because of the way I type. I type by looking at the keys. There are times when my fingers go to the wrong key before my eye can reach it. Then my eyes catch up and I realize I have mispelled the word. I have to look at the keyboard to type anything. I vaguely remember taking a touch typing class one summer. Needless to say that just didn't work out. I enjoyed the company in that class, mostly girls, but didn't learn to type. The typewriter was electric, a selectric I believe. I just can't seem to gain enough trust to remove my eyes from the keys, it is just such an unnatural thing for me. I'm certain I will never change this and will always do my " sight " typing method. It does work just fine as long as you are only typing what you already know. Doesn't work well if you are copying anything. I don't expect that is as much an issue as it would have been in years past. Now, just copy and paste ! Do secretaries, opps, administrative assistants, still take dictation ? Do they use shorthand ? Now the kids do thumb typing. I've seen their thumbs as a blur over those virtual keyboards, texting they call it. I'm sending a text. We used to mail letters and cards now we just send a text ! Funny how we thought the telephone was such a great thing. You could just call someone and relay whatever information you wanted. No need to write it down and mail. Then we got mobile phones, even better. And now we have " smart phones " and what do we do ? Send a text ! Back to writing your message, hmm, and these kids think it is something new. I did see that Apple corporation is going to release a product they are calling the " watch. " Yes, it will tell you the time but it is so much more. It is basically a computer on your wrist. Buck Rogers would be jealous ! You can send a text message on it but you can't make a phone call. Maybe old Buck would just laugh about that. Captain Kirk and Spock didn't send text messages, they just taped their communicator. No dialing, well we don't dial anymore either, we do what ?, Is there a term for that ? Nothing comes to mind. I still "tape" the kids but no tape is involved. The other day I discovered that the telegram has been gone for some time now. The last telegram sent in the United States was in 1999, e-mail and now instagram has replaced that technology.
I have seen software that does the typing for you. I'm guessing that it doesn't work all that well. You can just speak and the computer does the rest. It sounds like a great idea. I do wonder though about punctuation. How would the program know if I wanted an exclamation point or a period. I mean, what about commas or colons ? The voice recognition devices I have had contact with didn't recognize me very well. The program just didn't seem to understand what I Was saying. I will say, in all fairness, I have had the same problem at the McDonalds drive through. It is not my fault, in either case. In the first instance it is faulty technology. In the latter case. those kids just don't understand plain english ! Probably need to wear my ball cap backwards and say yo or man more frequently. And these workers want fifteen an hour ! If they can't understand plain English what are the chances they could write, type or text it ? Just sayin'.
I guess I have always been just a little behind the times. I was still writing letters when I could have texted. I was still using a camera, with real film, long after we had digital. I still have records in my attic, although I admit no record player. I do wear a belt to keep my pants up and I don't think that will ever change. I can't see myself ever having a K-cup coffee maker either. I see the new technology and watch it's progress. We have made many improvements. I am not intimidated by the technology, just the price of that technology ! That has always been so with the average person. I remember being told, these Electric typewriters are expensive, take good care of them ! Where are those typewriters now ? Some are in a museum somewhere but most have long been recycled. In a way the same will happen to me. I may not end up in a museum but I'll be recycled. All technology is recycled in some fashion. From writing on a cave wall, to sending a text, the concept is the same only the method changes. The first person typing looked at the keys, I still do and it still works. Touch typing ? I don't think so.
I have seen software that does the typing for you. I'm guessing that it doesn't work all that well. You can just speak and the computer does the rest. It sounds like a great idea. I do wonder though about punctuation. How would the program know if I wanted an exclamation point or a period. I mean, what about commas or colons ? The voice recognition devices I have had contact with didn't recognize me very well. The program just didn't seem to understand what I Was saying. I will say, in all fairness, I have had the same problem at the McDonalds drive through. It is not my fault, in either case. In the first instance it is faulty technology. In the latter case. those kids just don't understand plain english ! Probably need to wear my ball cap backwards and say yo or man more frequently. And these workers want fifteen an hour ! If they can't understand plain English what are the chances they could write, type or text it ? Just sayin'.
I guess I have always been just a little behind the times. I was still writing letters when I could have texted. I was still using a camera, with real film, long after we had digital. I still have records in my attic, although I admit no record player. I do wear a belt to keep my pants up and I don't think that will ever change. I can't see myself ever having a K-cup coffee maker either. I see the new technology and watch it's progress. We have made many improvements. I am not intimidated by the technology, just the price of that technology ! That has always been so with the average person. I remember being told, these Electric typewriters are expensive, take good care of them ! Where are those typewriters now ? Some are in a museum somewhere but most have long been recycled. In a way the same will happen to me. I may not end up in a museum but I'll be recycled. All technology is recycled in some fashion. From writing on a cave wall, to sending a text, the concept is the same only the method changes. The first person typing looked at the keys, I still do and it still works. Touch typing ? I don't think so.
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