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Show HN: I automated half of my typing

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Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#291

Post by yterdy »

NateEag wrote: post #73
sosodev wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the universal version of this stenotype?

More or less, yeah. There are different stenography systems, each with their own shortcuts and abbreviations, but at core they're all about producing large volumes of text with minimal physical effort at very high speeds. Those interested should check out http://www.openstenoproject.org/ . A good mechanical keyboard (e.g. the ErgoDox EZ) and Plover mean the only thing standing between you and >200 WPM typing is the t…

It would be nice to be able to find a keyboard that was comfortable to learn how to steno type with that didn't cost $100-$300. $50 would be a sweet spot. It doesn't need to be a premium kit with expensive switches and LEDs and whatnot. It just needs to be the right form factor. It feels like the people selling kits are taking advantage of its niche nature. (Though, it really shouldn't be niche; being able to type at the speed of speech/thought is more of a "bicycle for the mind" than any AI.)

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#292

Post by Exuma »

the_af wrote: post #289
Exuma wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are a 2 finger typist and also think people are "obsessing over WPM" because they're wanting to utilize their own tools to the fullest advantage, that sounds like some mental block kind of thing. If you can type at least 80 consistently then thats probably would I imagine the dividing line is between "flow/concentration not breaking" and "breaks constantly" Try a 50 word monkeytype https://monkeytype.com/

> If you are a 2 finger typist and also think people are "obsessing over WPM" because they're wanting to utilize their own tools to the fullest advantage, that sounds like some mental block kind of thing. I get frustrated by this kind of replies on HN. Please don't try to "fix" me. I'm telling you my WPM are not limiting, because -- like almost ALL coders and engineers -- I spend most of my time elsewhere, and that 2…

I'm not trying to fix it, just engaging in a dialog, and I said it "sounds like", because your first thought when reading about people using their tools effectively is that they're "obsessing" about it. A lot of people care greatly about efficiency (me), and having someone who can't actually type fast or seem to care about efficiency then tells you you're obsessing about it seems like the hallmark "I cant do X thing so I will criticize it instead"

Are you at least over 60 WPM? I think I said in another comment that I think 60 WPM is probably the lowest I can imagine not constantly breaking your focus while trying to hold ideas in your mind, especially if you do data engineering and youre going multiple layers deep.

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#293

Post by pizzafeelsright »

tikkun wrote: post #21

Idea for extending this: keylogger (yeah, that's a downside...) that'll watch what you type, learn common phrases, identify common ones, then come up with shortcuts, then each time you type the full phrase it gently reminds you of the shortcut. Then anyone can install it, no friction, and over time it'll slowly start making you gently more productive.

I went down the rabbithole trying to prototype something like this.

Bluetooth Keyboard -> ESP32 as a keyboard host -> Send keystrokes to USB & File

If you have cash there is a USB/PS2 keyboard logger that will capture data to disk.

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#294

Post by the_af »

Exuma wrote: post #290
lycopodiopsida wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is either an objective fact, or something you experience , but it cannot be both. Having said it, have you actually measured how much time you spend typing, to claim a huge boost in productivity? Developers very often overstate the amount they type p.d. I can imagine, that going from pecking on keyboard to 10 fingers is actually huge - it is just a bump disappearing. But going from 80 wpm to 160 should have dimini…

I was saying an "objective fact" for me, not globally. I was responding to the idea of "fetishizing" WPM when I'm saying, no, with 100% certainty, WPM is extremely beneficial to me with no grey area. Also I did say in another comment 80 WPM would be where I'd put the barrier of not having to constantly break mental focus. BUT ALSO.. I'll take this a step further... Have you ever gone from a 60hz monitor to 120? Have…

Counterpoint: the best engineers I've worked with had beat up, old crappy laptops with low res screens.

I'm thinking of 2-3 guys I really admire, and they had this in common: when asked "but don't you need the latest Mac with a retina screen!?" they looked puzzled. Like, the common answer was, give or take: "yeah, I guess, if there's one to spare, but don't other people need it more? I do most of my thinking away from the screen anyway, and I run my stuff on a server".

The fetishization of hardware is yet another thing that puzzles me. Yeah, better hardware makes our lives easier and nobody will deny that, but (barring some obvious stuff like "this will take 1 hour to run vs 1 week") does it really impact how effective you are at completing tasks in your job? To some degree it does, but programmers tend to overemphasize it because it's easier to obsess about getting better hardware than about solving harder problems ;)

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#295

Post by Exuma »

penteract wrote: post #192
Exuma wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want my unsolicited 2 cents to help speed up (if you care!) 1. put your fingers on home row keys with pointer fingers feeling the bumps on F and J 2. DONT move your wrists all around, try to keep them still and let your fingers do all the work. try to keep your entire palms as still as possible, they really shouldnt move. I rest mine on my laptop surface. 3. dont look at the keys. use https://www.typing.com to…

Thanks for the advice - I do 1 & 3 and I think I do 2 & 4 although that's less true when writing things with symbols (such as code), or when navigating text (I don't use vim). According to monkeytype.com, my typing speed is ~40wpm, which is apparently around average (not average for monkeytype users). Thinking time definitely dominates, I'm hesitant to write something unless I'm confident in it, which I feel serves m…

You definitely hit the nail on something you said, which is when I'm forced to type on my phone, my replies are always MUCH more succinct, clear, as I can only type like 30 WPM probably on my phone.

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#296

Post by Exuma »

spindle wrote: post #195
Exuma wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Typing fast is one of the greatest strengths for programming for me personally, especially when compared with Vim. It's that that it's a limiting factor, but rather I max out typing quite often, and also I have always wanted to hit 200 just for fun, but it currently feels not attainable. Some people say they spend more time than they do typing, but I definitely don't find that to be the case very often.

> It's that that Made me laugh, given the topic!

Yes that's hilarious, I noticed that.

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#297

Post by yterdy »

coldblues wrote: post #246
edanm wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this is you need specialized hardware, you can't really use this on a standard Macbook, at least last time I checked. Also, the learning curve and everything.

You don't need specialized hardware. You can use your regular keyboard. Although specialized hardware would be more ergonomic.

I've tried using it on a regular keyboard. You need specialized hardware (starting at $100 if you don't want to solder the thing together yourself).

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#298

Post by the_af »

Exuma wrote: post #292
the_af wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you are a 2 finger typist and also think people are "obsessing over WPM" because they're wanting to utilize their own tools to the fullest advantage, that sounds like some mental block kind of thing. I get frustrated by this kind of replies on HN. Please don't try to "fix" me. I'm telling you my WPM are not limiting, because -- like almost ALL coders and engineers -- I spend most of my time elsewhere, and that 2…

I'm not trying to fix it, just engaging in a dialog, and I said it "sounds like", because your first thought when reading about people using their tools effectively is that they're "obsessing" about it. A lot of people care greatly about efficiency (me), and having someone who can't actually type fast or seem to care about efficiency then tells you you're obsessing about it seems like the hallmark "I cant do X thing…

I can guarantee you it's not a case of "I can't do this, so I'll criticize it". I'm actually a decent 2-finger typist, and this has never limited me when troubleshooting a problem or designing a solution. Engineering problems are seldom solved by typing really fast.

I'm fine with you improving your WPM, I just don't think it's a worthwhile endeavor -- it's not making you more efficient where it matters. Likewise, I could improve my WPM, this is not rocket science and anyone can do it with training. It's not even hard training.

But why? I could also train to run faster, but would it help me do my job better?

edit: out of curiosity, and this proves nothing either way, I tried your monkeytype link and got 90 WPM with 97% ACC.

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#299

Post by Exuma »

dotancohen wrote: post #259
Exuma wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Typing fast is one of the greatest strengths for programming for me personally, especially when compared with Vim. It's that that it's a limiting factor, but rather I max out typing quite often, and also I have always wanted to hit 200 just for fun, but it currently feels not attainable. Some people say they spend more time than they do typing, but I definitely don't find that to be the case very often.

What keyboard are you using? If you have a good, ergonomic desk (required prerequisite), then try the Matias Ergo Pro. It is the most comfortable keyboard I've ever typed on, and I've owned literally dozens of mechanical, ergonomic, split, and specialty keyboards. Just be aware that the build quality is terrible. I had two Matias keyboards, neither lasted a year... And I type lightly, preferring 35 gram keys. At $250…

I'm using the latest MBP keyboard which is an insane upgrade over the previous. For some reason I think working on a 16" laptop is much better for speed and efficiency than huge desktops, it's like the keyboard and screen is a direct extension of my mind rather than the feeling of writing while holding a pen with gloves on.

Re: Show HN: I automated half of my typing

#300

Post by Exuma »

the_af wrote: post #298
Exuma wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not trying to fix it, just engaging in a dialog, and I said it "sounds like", because your first thought when reading about people using their tools effectively is that they're "obsessing" about it. A lot of people care greatly about efficiency (me), and having someone who can't actually type fast or seem to care about efficiency then tells you you're obsessing about it seems like the hallmark "I cant do X thing…

I can guarantee you it's not a case of "I can't do this, so I'll criticize it". I'm actually a decent 2-finger typist, and this has never limited me when troubleshooting a problem or designing a solution. Engineering problems are seldom solved by typing really fast . I'm fine with you improving your WPM, I just don't think it's a worthwhile endeavor -- it's not making you more efficient where it matters. Likewise, I…

Are you sure about that? I trust you if you are truly, TRULY sure...

Imagine you had a tool similar to those ChatGPT IDE auto-complete plugins, except instead of doing chat GPT it typed what was in your mind.

Imagine you start work in the morning, and there is a 0ms response time from what you think, and huge blocks of code would appear instantly.

Is your work such that you TRULY only type 300 words per day? Or, do you also... write tests, write boilerplate, write for loops you've written thousands of times, write and read files, call/build APIs, write command line tools.

If you can imagine some kind of "instant feedback" typing thing quite literally not improving your quality of life whatsoever, then I guess you are just in a rare boat. I can't visualize any circumstance where 80WPM typing would not benefit them, but I suppose there might be a world of developers out there who truly live in a vaccuum like one of my other comments said... they just come in to work, dont communicate with anyone, dont write anything other than a 50 line file with a few hundred words in it, and leave after 8 hours)

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