1)Is there any typing software (preferably windows or web based) that you would recommend? Most I have seen are designed for children (although maybe I deserve to be treated like a child at this point)
2) Is it too late for me/is this a worthwhile pursuit? I am pretty quick at hunting and pecking but I have definitely hit the upper bound of my possible typing speed with this method. Also, I haven't heard of anyone re-learning to type after using a computer for so long.
Any and all suggestion/advice/shame is welcome
And yes, it's extremely useful for developers of software. Not all developers use an IDE by the way, and even if they did, autocomplete is not same as knowing how to type properly.
I find OPs consternation a little bit odd though. When I realized I was still hunt-and-peck typing at a point where it was a little bit embarrassing as well as being a hindrance to my daily activities, I just stopped looking at the keyboard. Problem solved in about two weeks.
Fumble around slowly and have to press backspace constantly until you learn where the keys are.
>Also, I haven't heard of anyone re-learning to type after using a computer for so long.
It happens when you want to switch keyboard layouts, more common than you might think. I switched from QWERTY to Dvorak and very quickly from Dvorak to Colemak. I now use Colemak at home and QWERTY virtually everywhere else. So I've had to learn to type three times!
If you can't see your keys - you can't hunt and peck. You can also paint your current keys, scrape off the white paint, or buy a keyboard that lacks the characters.
I'd look for a cheaper model (if one exists) but the idea is to get a keyboard like this:
http://shop.daskeyboard.com/collections/products/products/da...
Some caveats: 1) I've no idea if it's appropriate to your current skill level.
2) Works much better with an ordinary desktop keyboard than a laptop or funky ergonomic thing.
3) Leave the F and J keys in their original position, so you can find home.
If you want to play around with this, it might be worth buying an extra external keyboard to mix up, so you have something to go back to when you need to get work done in a hurry while you're still learning.
While not a MUD, I played a lot of EverQuest back in its heyday. I went from hunt-and-peck to 60+ wpm.
Though admittedly, typing lessons would have taken a lot less time.
http://www.typing.com/typingtutor
This is the site I used. I went through the entire program in a month or so without skipping any of the core program. After just a few months, I could type around 70-80wpm. After a few more months, I was able to type around 100wpm.
Once I was able to type reasonably well (30-40wpm), I started using the following two sites for practice/fun. These are the sites that helped me build the majority of my speed.
http://10fastfingers.com/ http://play.typeracer.com/
I strongly encourage you to see this through. When you can type without thinking about what you are doing, your productivity will go through the roof.
The only tool I used was http://phoboslab.org/ztype/ which is a pretty fun typing game.
I found the trick is to spell words out in your head. So when typing necessary you'd go 'n-e-c-e-s-s-a-r-y' internally. This forces your brain to better associate a character with a finger movement; the better you get the less you have to do this. Remember it's about building muscle memory so practice is the only thing that is going to turn you into a touch typist. Another trick is making sure you always use the same finger for each key.
Writing documents is really good for getting to learn the character keys really well. Whereas coding will get you to learn grammar, capitalization, special character, and number keys.
When I learnt touch typing, I had a game with words falling from the sky which you shoot down by typing them. And the words got longer and fell faster the farther into the game you progressed. I can't remember what it was called, but it improved my typing skills a lot as I was trying to beat my friends high scores. :) I think any game like that, like http://play.typeracer.com/ is very good to practice with.
EDIT sorry, forgot the link! http://www.typingmaster.com/
Cover your hands with a tea-towel or other small lightweight cloth. This prevents you looking at the keyboard.
Learn the homekeys. Start slow but with steady rhythm. Some people find using a metronome useful. Work on slow steady accuracy, then build up speed.
Be careful -- some people find that touch typing starts to hurt. RSI is not trivial. Make sure you have the ergonomics worked out and stop and change things if it starts hurting.
It is totally definitely possible!
As for whether it is a worthwhile pursuit, I think the main advantage is that you can type without having to look away from the screen. You can focus on getting your thoughts into the machine without the distraction of looking away from the screen. Increasing your typing speed is also useful because you can type as fast as you can think. Imagine if you had to dictate your code to someone else who was a hunt and peck typist. Image how frustrating it would be to wait for them to type your thoughts.
I think the notion that touch typing is adult is fucking stupid and condescending. I glance at the keyboard while typing, but I don't search and peck. I use all fingers and type fast enough. It's not typing speed that dictates how much code I write. I fail to see what is wrong with looking at what you're doing.
Mavis Beacon