How do you type?

[Lazar]

An exercise in self-reflexion. I've developed my typing style intuitively, and I decided that I should map it out:



Pink areas are left hand, blue areas are right hand. Letters are I for index finger, M for middle finger, R for ring finger, P for pinky. Parentheses indicate that I may use a different finger based on neighboring keystrokes, and two colors indicate that I may use different hands. White areas either don't match my keyboard, or I don't use them often enough to have intuitive keystrokes for them.

In 6th grade they tried to teach me the standard touch typing method at school, but I found it inferior to my method: I felt that the standard method made me bunch up my fingers uncomfortably in the central row, and I found it strenuous to try to hit keys like Q with my very weak left pinky finger. Using my own method and completely ignoring what the teacher told me, I managed to be the fastest typer in my class of about 20 kids.

So... I'm right handed. I have all the key positions memorized. I start with my right hand resting a bit higher and more broadly extended than my left hand, and both hands tilted to the left. Most of the time when I'm typing, I don't have to move my palms off their resting positions. My left index finger gets the most use and moves around the most; I use my right pinky finger for Enter, Space and Delete, but I don't use my left pinky at all.

For A and Z, I switch from ring to middle finger if the preceding key hit by the left hand is Shift.

For S, I switch from middle to index finger if the preceding two keys hit by the left hand are Space and A.

For D, I switch from index to middle finger if the next key is going to use the left index finger.

For H, I switch from index to middle finger if the preceding key hit by the right hand is Space, unless the next key is going to be U, I, O or P.

For M, I switch from index to middle finger if the preceding key is Space, unless the next key is going to be hit by the left hand.

For 1, I switch from middle to ring finger if the following key is going to be 5 or 6.

For 2, I switch from middle to index finger if the preceding key is 1, and from middle to ring finger if the following key is going to be 5 or 6.

For 6, I switch from index to middle finger if the following key is going to be 7 or 8.

For 7, I switch from right middle to left index finger if the preceding key is 4, 5 or 6.

For 8, I switch from right middle to left index finger if the preceding key is 5, 6 or 7.

I just now wrote all this down, and I had to re-upload the diagram several times as I reconsidered things.

Here's a blank keyboard in case you want to make your own diagrams:

[Laughing Man]

Mine is pretty much the same, more index finger, usually if there's a 2/3 button combo on one hand i can manage but any more than that and i start typing gibberish. Not quite what mavis beacon would recommend but it works!

the number of fingers employed is usually inversely proportional to drinks Consumed/Hangover and on a Sunday i find I'm a one digit wonder!

[IanKennedy]

I type with all my fingers. Shift is usually with my little finger, space is always with one or other of my thumbs. Command key combos are with the thumb on command and either a finger from the same had or the other hand if the key is on the opposite side of the keyboard. For example Print (command-p) is left command and right hand P, whereas cut copy and paste are all left had command and X C V. Command-Tab (to switch applications) is all left handed. Command-` to switch between windows within the same application is all left handed. Items like volume up/down and mute are done using the fn key and the function key and is all right handed on my office machine with a full size keyboard and left hand fn + right had function key on my laptop. ? is done using the middle two fingers on the right hand to hold down the shift key and the right hand index finger on the right hand.

[stitch626]

As I am typing this right now, I notice that my left hand only types with the Index finger (except for holding down shift, thats ring). My left hand types the following keys regularly: a, z, q, w, s, x, e, d, c, r and f. Everything else (letterswise) falls to my right hand. I almost never use my thumbs. I never use mu pinkies. Of course, I also can't touch type, but I'm one very fast hunt-and-pecker.

For games, the style is very different, and varies depending on the game.

[Sionnach Glic]

I type much the same as Lazar.

[sunnyside]

My typing is more "standard" with the same preference for the left for special actions that Ian seems to have. I figured it was because I was left handed, but maybe it's more common.

Though I'm also developing something of a one handed type method when holding a baby with the other arm. In that case usually my right hand drifts over the board and tries to stretch to hit the keys as needed.