Typing the most imporant skill of the century.

I'm still typing away and using various programs and web sites.  The way I see it is my WPM is variable depending on how I feel at the time.  I may be getting faster but it is bloody hard work.  My fingers hurt, my eyes begin to stream and I'm getting both back and neck ache at different times.  There was I thinking typing was a girl's thing.  It's hard work, no doubt about it.  When I was growing up some few years back, typing was not an option boys were allowed to take up.  Only girls did it.  The machines were big things, and it wasn't until computing began to take off that it began to be evident how important typing skills are.  Amazingly there are still many people who type poorly.  Even though all the girls took up typing lessons as I see them type in the Fish Factory quiet a large number are not actually touch typing.  They will say they learnt how to touch type, but they don't.  Eyes check out the keyboard every few seconds or they are constantly looking at their keyboards as the type.  They are cheating.  I so wish I had been given to opportunity to learn how to type at an earlier age.  Then made to do it.  it's twice as difficult now I am a few years older.

So it is in my mind the most important skill of the century, typing.  Especially touch typing.  Knowing where the home row is and exactly every key, how to shift from lower to upper case and hardest of all how to get those symbol keys.  Which may also involve the use of a shift.  Today it is more common to have typing speeds in excess of 60 wpm, and a good typing speed would be about 90 wpm.  The average Joe should be hitting at least 40 wpm if they are using a keyboard all the time.  If not then they should be given free lessons until they do.  Compulsory lessons.  Every ten words faster you become is adding an additional year of real work time till the day you retire. Children should even be taught.

In one day I can use up to three different keyboards, and each one has it's own feel to it.  Sometimes it may be more.  There is always variations in how responsive keys are, how srpingy they are or if there are certain ones which stick.  But of all things the keys are all in the same place.  This is the one constant factor, unless your name happens to be Dvorak, then they might not.