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Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

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Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#31

Post by cachvico »

inclemnet wrote: post #18
xwowsersx wrote: post #16

I have tried several times to relearn typing, but each time I've fallen back to my old ways. Has anyone actually been successful in learning how to type correctly from scratch? If so, how did you do it?

I've known people say that they found it "easier" combining learning touch typing with learning a new keyboard layout. It's harder moment by moment, but there's no bad muscle memory to fall back on.

I had that experience. I learned Dvorak and my touch-typing form got a lot better (as you would expect..) I then went back to Qwerty (it took a little while to switch back..) and retained the better form.

Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#33

Post by doctorbuttes »

kuehle wrote: post #8
Acen wrote: post #4

Feels like it needs some sort of feedback when you type too slowly to get the next word. Plus maybe making it a bit more obvious that you can select a target speed for the WPM.

Do you have any ideas for the feedback when your speed is to low? I am not a designer and struggle to find ideas that keep the UI as minimal as it is right now while improving the user experience.

I think just a brief "too slow" underneath the input would suffice.

Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#34

Post by xwowsersx »

invalidator wrote: post #22
xwowsersx wrote: post #16

I have tried several times to relearn typing, but each time I've fallen back to my old ways. Has anyone actually been successful in learning how to type correctly from scratch? If so, how did you do it?

I used to type with my right hand too far to the right so it could cover the arrow keys and mouse. My home position would have my index finger somewhere around the L. I had okay speed but terrible accuracy because I had to cover so much territory with too few fingers. Learning to navigate with hjkl in vi was the turning point for me. I quit treating the bumps on F and J as "some weird thing that touch typists use" an…

Thanks for the thorough reply, this is helpful.

Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#35

Post by xwowsersx »

toyg wrote: post #24
xwowsersx wrote: post #16

I have tried several times to relearn typing, but each time I've fallen back to my old ways. Has anyone actually been successful in learning how to type correctly from scratch? If so, how did you do it?

Split keyboard, a key map printed out and placed under the monitor (so you Don't Look Down), and moving to colemak (without changing keycaps, that is the important bit - if you want to stick with Qwerty, just use blank caps). Plus a lot of practice with programs like GNU Typist, keybr, typeracer, ratatype, speedcoder, keyzen-colemak, typelit.io ... This said, some things will remain hard probably forever, if you have…

Thanks. I do use a split keyboard now and it helps a bit, but I'm still pretty limited with one hand and on both hands tends to stretch my fingers to uncomfortable positions rather than use all my fingers.

Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#36

Post by xwowsersx »

sva_ wrote: post #21
xwowsersx wrote: post #16

I have tried several times to relearn typing, but each time I've fallen back to my old ways. Has anyone actually been successful in learning how to type correctly from scratch? If so, how did you do it?

I relearned touch typing using https://www.keybr.com several years ago. It looks a bit different now, but seems to be the same concept as before.

I'll check this out. Thanks a lot.

Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#38

Post by stevesimmons »

xwowsersx wrote: post #16

I have tried several times to relearn typing, but each time I've fallen back to my old ways. Has anyone actually been successful in learning how to type correctly from scratch? If so, how did you do it?

Maybe try http://www.typingtom.com/.

I found it broke up touch typing into just the right size chunks to engage me.

At the start of Covid, I spent a week doing half an hour a day. My typing speed and accuracy improved out of sight. The whole process of acquiring muscle memory is quite magical. I highly recommend it.

This is the companion site to http://www.speedcoder.net/, which is for coding, and presumes you start with reasonable touch typing skills on normal text.

Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#39

Post by lordgrenville »

invalidator wrote: post #22
xwowsersx wrote: post #16

I have tried several times to relearn typing, but each time I've fallen back to my old ways. Has anyone actually been successful in learning how to type correctly from scratch? If so, how did you do it?

I used to type with my right hand too far to the right so it could cover the arrow keys and mouse. My home position would have my index finger somewhere around the L. I had okay speed but terrible accuracy because I had to cover so much territory with too few fingers. Learning to navigate with hjkl in vi was the turning point for me. I quit treating the bumps on F and J as "some weird thing that touch typists use" an…

> the bumps on F and J

Been learning touch-typing and struggling with returning my hands to the right spot. I can't believe I never noticed these!

Re: Show HN: Keyboard Drill – Minimalist Typing Drill to fix common mistakes

#40

Post by kuehle »

smingo wrote: post #37

It's good stuff. It might be good to have an option to have a time threshold based on when the typing starts, not when the word appears. In that way, the time taken to recognise the word becomes irrelevant.

That is actually the way it works. If you turn on logs (bottom right) you will see the time measured in ms for each attempt. The measuring starts on the keydown of the fist key and stops on the keydown of the space to complete the word. The time er only continues in case you start typing the word delete it and retype it. That counts as one attempt.
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