Typing Errors Versus Speed

[@captainkeyboard1007]

Pleasant Morning, Joe Van Cleave! Today is Monday, April 15, 2024. You touched my part of the subject of accurate keyboarding, nicely. Once I bought my first microcomputer in 2002, I foregone the keyboarding speed, to be free to enjoy my keyboarding, and the speed did not help me succeed in gaining employment at job interviews. The IBM Selectric typewriter was my first favorite typewriter. The keys have a nice touch for all typists, regardless of keystrokes that are applied. My keyboarding accuracy was high during my employment tenure. Personally, I am still striving to raise my keyboarding accuracy, so that I may do what I feel, and feel what I do. At one employment interview at an employment agency, I demonstrated 108 accurately-typed text and 3 incorrect mistyped characters to a full total of 111 words. In spite of the high speed of 108 words per minute, I did not get a job, even though I did not have a corporate appearance, but my attitude was corporate. I depended on my keyboarding skill to do all the "talking" I would need.

[@AtelierDBurgoyne]

Excellent thoughts! I spent 38 years typing while looking at my fingers, and I was still making mistakes. In a professional environment, the writing had to be perfect and tight. I can now touch-type without looking at my fingers, not error free, but I enjoy typing more than before and, I don't have to worry as much about typos because it is for pleasure. Daniel

[@christurnbull4957]

I agree with just about all of this: it’s a matter of where your comfort zone is and the purpose/audience for which it is intended. I am slow enough at typing on my manual machine I typically just backspace and type the correct letter overtop of the mistype. What I have found is the eye sees the word even if one letter is a little blacked and unclear. On the other hand, on my Selectric 2 (even with the correcting function) I just blow past it and don’t even worry about going back…getting the idea to paper ,for me, is more important than making it right. Great content; I love the channel!

[@Dahrenhorst]

I spent two years in trade school and after that two years in trade college in Germany in the 70s. In trade school, we had mandatory four hours each week typing class (and another four hours each week shorthand, but I forgot all of that), in trade college two hours each week. In my life, these typing classes was one of the most useful training I got in all of school. Today, it is actually a huge advantage when you can blind type with 10 fingers and surprisingly few people I know/knew who had to type each and every day a lot could do that or bothered to learn that. I was significantly faster and more efficient with lots of my work just because of that. During my best times my typing speed was around 220 per min, btw., with approx one error per 1,000 strokes. On the other hand, I loved it when computerized typing systems and later PCs with word processing software became available and I hadn't to bother with typing error corrections anymore. Obviously, with that I too got much more sloppy, what actually slowed me down quite a bit, because I started to use the backspace key quite often. This has gotten better recently, fortunately, but I'm by far not that good anymore as I was four decades ago.

[@danieldeary9344]

If you are dyslexic like I am, you are very self conscious and that slows you down considerably. A lot of my errors are misspellings. I never was good at touch typing and that's why I am a committed two finger typist. At the age of 75, I now can accept some errors but if it looks really bad I feel I have to correct it. Another great video.

[@hyun-shik7327]

If I need accuracy, I get out my computer. When I'm using a typewriter, it's almost always for something creative, and coming up with the words to write takes usually longer than writing them.

[@_landro_1092]

To me, the fun _is_ to create a (close to) perfect letter without a computer and printer. Exactly as JVC describes the situation. When I made too many errors, I retype the page. Let's say with more than five very obious repairs on a single letter size page.

[@kaimcbride1553]

I don't own any correction fluid. I like doing the XXXX mark-out technique and after the fact when re-reading if I see an error (like a missed letter or transposition) I'll use my pen to make corrections with proofreading symbols/marks like a carat ^. I like the feel of these corrections on the page. Feels more like a transcription of the performance of writing the letter/text than the creation of a perfect document. Sometimes, when typing out a chart for example, if I bungle it up too much I just start again. I can't bring myself to do the two-finger technique. Part of the joy is the home row touch typing experience.

[@Selectrolux]

The " ^ " mark is called a "carat." Darn homonyms!!! ;-)

[@kaimcbride1553]

@@Selectrolux D'oh! Totally. That's what happens when you dash out a comment at the end of the night. Those homonyms come out to bite you. Thanks!

[@rosvw3517]

Sounds like we’re the exact same age, Joe. When I learned in 1972, we had big standard machines with no characters on the key caps so we were forced to type correctly. Typing came easily to me, as did speed. I was very fast - not boasting, just telling the truth - during typing tests and yes, you’re correct: We were also deducted wpm for errors. lol. You are also spot on when using the Selectrics - super fast made possible by exactly what you said in the video. (Then along came the Xerox 860 system, and the entire line of Olivetti electronic typewriters, the ETV300, and ETS systems.) Likewise, on manual typewriters you have that brief moment not to hit the wrong key. I loved typing so much I taught for Olivetti in the 1980s, and taught word processing systems and eventually computer software on micro PCs. Back then we were telling (adult) students to forget how they used typewriters; this new era was electronic typewriters, word processors and eventually micro computers (PCs). Now I sell typewriters to the younger set who are often totally unfamiliar with a manual machine. I get a kick out of seeing machines I grew up with mystify those who were born during the computer era, but enjoy showing them exactly how they work. Great video!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Thank you!

[@aliensector]

Thanks Joe; one of your best! But then there have been so many. All the best. A.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Thanks!

[@karstenkuhlmann7763]

Wonderful and inspiring. it's all about value.

[@snax_4820]

Many times the text had to be rewritten anyway. Therefore, in the first version errors do not matter.

[@edulimaabreu]

If im writing a letter, must to be perfect, no errors... But writing to myself, i almost never correct them. As you said, corrections are almost visible anyways.... I'm interesting in who are your favorite bloggers... Maybe you could make a video on this topic someday, or just share here :)... thank you.

[@mikequinlan9585]

This is a great topic and one that I experience often. I am trying to slowdown and increase accuracy. Thanks for the blunt discussion on this topic.😊

[@Selectrolux]

Your comment about starting a page and getting halfway through without making an error, and then making the first error which tends to beget more errors, is so true of my experience. As someone who regularly uses a Selectric, a computer keyboard, and a manual machine...I find my most accurate typing is on the manual machine because I can "catch" the tactile sensation of one of my fingers starting to hit the wrong key before I fully depress it. I am much less likely to correct errors I type on the manual machine as well--I just overstrike the errors (which I think is due to the fact that the output of manual typewriters is much less sophisticated than that of an electric machine to begin with). When using my carbon film ribbon Selectric, I use lift-off tapes to correct errors so I can produce a letter-quality page.

[@JillR805]

I just got a Gregg typing manual, which is fascinating. It has lots of exercises for accuracy and learning typing. I’m wondering if you would consider reviewing a book like this on the channel! And for errors, I just type a line through them and keep going, and I put a note at the end of my letters that says please excuse the typos I’ve typed this on a vintage machine!❤

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I have several typing instruction manuals. I’ve been thinking of a long term project of working through one of them and documenting my progress. Also, great idea about striking through the errors!

[@sprucemoose3000]

I usually just line out the part of a word I get wrong with a dash. nice and neat and not too messy. If I’m typing a final piece I take my time.

[@lorensims4846]

If you're going to go to the trouble of using a typewriter to put your words on paper, it really should be accurate. Typewriters are uniquely unforgiving of errors. When I was writing notes in health class, basically transcribing the filmstrip captions, I found that when I wrote in cursive in the dark, as fast as I could, I couldn't read the results later. This is when I decided to switch to printing instead of cursive. I can read sloppy printing more easily than I can read sloppy cursive. xxx'ed out text might help the text look "handcrafted," but it interrupts the process of reading. I've always been somewhat intimidated by electric typewriters. I've alway felt they could help me make mistakes much faster. To my mind, accuracy it paramount. If you're making mistakes because you're typing too fast, you need to slow down. Speed might be important to get your first draft down on the page. If it's strictly for your own use, you can choose to not sweat the mistakes. But for any kind of presentation, for something you are going to show to other people, mistakes just look bad. Touch typing relies on muscle memory and for that reason alone, accuracy should be first. If it's not going to be accurate, why put it on the page at all? Speed will come with practice. But you must practice accuracy.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

This video is certainly to me.

[@rbruce63]

Joe, having flunked in typing class in highschool in 1977 and later self-teaching me typing to survive paper writing both in highschool and college, learning to type from the mind rather than writing script on paper and then typing, earlier on adopting the Macintosh SE computer and now in my 59th year of age studying the typing course, doing the practice exercises in dad’s SCM Corsair; I believe that speed and accuracy are paramount to enjoying the manual or electric typewriter! So, keep on practicing as para time makes perfect!

[@GR8FLMD3AD]

Joe would it be possible to make a video about the return/express backspace modification you made to your Selectric 712?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

The mod was done by local IBM trained tech Steve Marshall. I’ll ask him about what he did.

[@tsherbs1309]

I'm retired. Nearly all of my typing is personal, and the x key is more correction method. I don't care about errors. I don't type well, so I can't be bothered about corrections. Too late in life for that. I no longer comb my hair 8n the morning either. I don't even fix my errors on KZbin comments ;)

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I like the freedom of your attitude!

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

Typewriting errors matter. Too.

[@douglasjackson9058]

My errors have a tendency to do with the typewewriter,for instance I make more mistakes because of keytops and there set ups. I agree with once an error occurs it knocks me out of "the zone" and I seem to make mistakes again till back into the zone.

[@tmunk]

You need new correction sheets, you're trying to correct with cheesecloth! :D

[@Joe_VanCleave]

There is that too!

[@tcwyse]

Yes! I thought that, too! What patern do you use on correction sheets? Like how different people eat corn on the cob; there's the typewriter, back and forth, spiral, random, etc. I tend to go back and forth to the vertical center, then flip and repeat. I don't try for the maximum number of corrections per sheet, but I like to follow a pattern.

[@ThomasFasano]

Joe, is that artisan type ball available for the Selectric III? Beautiful font!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Check out Austin Selectric Rescue’s website, but I don’t think they’re doing Selectric 3 type elements yet.

[@douglasjackson9058]

Also for errors I either backspace and type over the letter or will #out the word and retype the word and keep going. I'm not a perfect person so I have no expectation of creating a perfect document. 😂

[@pwood5733]

"That incredibly neat hand writing of the illiterate" 1984