typing

**John Dirks Jr** · 01-23-2017, 07:46 PM

I'm a poor typist.

My final product looks alright but I spent too much time editing and correcting errors. I type with my index fingers and spend too much time looking at the keyboard. For a long time I've been telling myself I suck at typing. I've been telling myself, the best thing I could do to improve my business is learn to type with all fingers, and without looking at the keyboard. Man I wish I could accomplish this.

Anyone else fell the same as I do about this?

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**ROBERT YOUNG** · 01-23-2017, 08:04 PM

I am a two finger typist.
Build up your narratives. You should not have to type that much.
Short narratives and build off them.
Reversed slope. Obsolete remote panel. grounded outlets.
Takes me 4 to 5 hours to complete a report.

**Welmoed Sisson** · 01-24-2017, 05:52 AM

Touch-typing is such an important skill. I'm lucky I learned back in high school when they still had classes (learning on an IBM Selectric II). Now I can type between 80-100wpm; the only thing that slows me down is numbers. For some reason I never caught on to those.

It's worth taking the time to learn; there are many websites and programs out there to teach you. It takes a lot of practice and can be really, really boring, but think of the time you'll save when you finally master it and can reduce your report writing time.

I do my reports on a mobile device, and make use of an extensive comment library, but when I am finalizing the report I use a bluetooth keyboard rather than try to type everything with my thumbs.

**Jerry Peck** · 01-24-2017, 07:04 AM

As Welmoed said, full hand typing (or whatever it is called) is a very helpful skill to have - I learned it injunior high where it was taught as a mandatory class.

Manual typewriters were all that were available at the time as the IBM Selectric was still 'new and expensive' at the time as it had only been on the market a couple of years - lucky Welmoed!

I used very few 'canned comments' as I found that I could type and end with a specifically applicable comment almost as fast as revising and editing a canned comment (my canned comments were created by me, but there are few canned comments which are actually completely applicable to multiple houses ... unless the canned comments are simple ... which means I could type it in the time it took to select it and enter it).

Most reports which use canned comments are easy to spot because they are to general in comment ... which is why they are written that way - so they can be used for multiple similar but different conditions.

My recommendation is to take a typing class. I suspect typing classes are still taught, but they are likely taught in beginning computer classes using keyboards instead of typewriters.

**Jerry Peck** · 01-24-2017, 10:20 AM

Just wanted to add: I have been told that the newer Dragon Naturally Speaking software is quite good.

If it does not require much editing for corrections (I have been told that it does not) then that may be faster than typing. Nonetheless, learning to type is a very good skill to have (and, no, I do not type as fast as Welmoed, maybe back in typing class I was able to do 70 wpm, but I doubt I am anywhere near that now - but I could also take a typewriter apart and put it back together during class too ...

... but the teacher didn't think that was as funny as I did ...

).

Doug Cossar · 01-24-2017, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by John Dirks Jr

I'm a poor typist.

My final product looks alright but I spent too much time editing and correcting errors. I type with my index fingers and spend too much time looking at the keyboard. For a long time I've been telling myself I suck at typing. I've been telling myself, the best thing I could do to improve my business is learn to type with all fingers, and without looking at the keyboard. Man I wish I could accomplish this.

Anyone else fell the same as I do about this?

John:

There are tons of software programs that convert speech to text. You don't have to type anything any more. Check them out.

Cheers

**ROBERT YOUNG** · 01-24-2017, 03:17 PM

I am training on Dragon v.14. Been through several versions.
Good mic and headset are highly recommended. You must build up the vocabulary, and it is browser sensitive.

Anyone using Windows 10 Cortana?

**Garry Sorrells** · 01-24-2017, 03:22 PM

John,
Learn to type (Touch-typing). The only problem with learning is that the process is repetitive to the point of mind numbing boring, but that is what it takes. You end up not thinking about the keys, just what the words are as would speak. Much like learning an musical instrument, hours of running scales to the point that you no longer think about what you are reading you just play. Also Morse code is learned the same way. You learn to do and not think.

I learned to type to get away from using the chisel on stone tablets. Wanted to get instep technology back in the dark ages.

**Jerry Peck** · 01-24-2017, 04:49 PM

Get a piece of blue painters tape and cut it to fit over the center row of keys on the qwerty keyboard (then it will look like my keyboards where I wear the letters off the keys) then start typing ... you will look down and have to use the rows above and below to figure out which taped over key is what, but that will help you learn much faster.

Then tape over the center 6 or so keys on the bottom row, and continue typing, learning those keys.

Then tape over the center 8 or so key on the row above (the qwerty row) ... and your keyboard will look like mine (with the missing letters), and continue typing, learning those keys.

I am on my second keyboard in my notebook, and the letters on it are worn out.

On my desktop, I go through multiple keyboards before I replace a computer ... my fingers just wear the letters off the keys.

**John Dirks Jr** · 01-24-2017, 06:14 PM

I agree that searching boiler plate libraries and editing can take time. If I could type really good I could do it just as fast. I did the Dragon thing for a while and it was ok.

My report writing time averages 2hrs. I bet I could knock at least 30 mins off if I could type good.

**Lon Henderson** · 01-27-2017, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Just wanted to add: I have been told that the newer Dragon Naturally Speaking software is quite good.

My experience with Dragon is bad. I did all the training with it and found it just short of worthless. It's easier to be a bad typist, than go back and edit all the mistakes that Dragon inserts.

**Jerry Peck** · 01-27-2017, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by Lon Henderson

My experience with Dragon is bad. I did all the training with it and found it just short of worthless. It's easier to be a bad typist, than go back and edit all the mistakes that Dragon inserts.

That was my experience too, but my experience with Dragon was when it first came out 20 years ago or so.

I've been told that the newer versions are quite good, when did you try Dragon?

**Jim Robinson** · 01-27-2017, 07:44 AM

I guess I'm glad I learned to touch type in high school. I can fly at 60-70. I even made a post on FB last year about how I never though being able to type fast would be so important to my life style. Some day Dragon or a similar program will probably work.

**Gunnar Alquist** · 01-27-2017, 11:07 AM

John,

If you use an Android device at the inspection to gather your information, you can use the voice to text feature. Google has nailed it down pretty well and recognizes the vast majority of words. It does have some problem with some construction terms, but it does learn as you use it. It is necessary to speak clearly though. Punctuation is handled by actually saying the type of punctuation. Saying period gives you a period. Saying comma gives you a comma.

This response was done entirely with Google Voice to Text on my Android phone. However, it was necessary to edit the punctuation since it actually put in the punctuation rather than using the word for the punctuation. It is necessary to thoroughly proof read the report though. Sometimes, it will put in something that is incorrect or even inappropriate. You also need to compose your sentences carefully rather than stutter while you're talking. Otherwise it just comes out like gobbledygook.

**John Dirks Jr** · 01-27-2017, 07:07 PM

Lots of good responses so thanks to everyone.

When I used Dragon I had to banish myself to an area where I wouldn't bother anybody with my out loud dictating. Also, I found myself having to think out entire sentences before speaking them out. It was an adjustment but I did ok with it. I was using Dragon when I was writing reports in Word.

Eventually I got HI software that let me organize boiler plate much better. So now, 50% of my entries are selected from boiler and the rest edited or typed out custom. I think being a really good typist in conjunction with well organized and easily accessible boiler plate would be the best total package for me.