…and other pompous comparisons I make.
After the ‘epiphany’ described in “What developers can learn from Speedrunners?” I began examining my routines, tasks, and general stuff I do, the first and most obvious thing to improve was my typing speed. I wasn’t a slow hunt-and-peck typer by any means, but I wasn’t the fastest either despite typing every day, whether writing e-mails, sending chats, or coding. Yet, I had gotten too far purely on autocompletion and copy and pasting. That largely served everything that I ever typed as part of building software. The second and matching ‘}’, ‘]’ and/or ‘)’ would be inserted any time the first one was typed by the IDE of choice for whatever language I was writing that day. However, when I really looked at how I was doing it, I realized that my brain worked faster than my fingers; therefore, my fingers were holding back my thoughts whether it was writing code, Slack messages, or documentations.
When I measured my typing speed via Epistory(a game I had owned, but hadn’t consistently played much recently) I was rated at about 23 WPM. It may not be the best or most accurate way to measure my WPM via a game. Nevertheless, as anyone who is a typist knows, that is pathetic. So, I began typing every morning and before bed, mostly playing Epistory at that point. I started improving, but I was tripping over my fingers using techniques and fingering that has mostly been the same since the days of typing messages into MSN messenger. Mind you, I have written an entire novel of roughly 120,000 words. It was finished in 2011; if it was not for a bored friend and a scanner, I would still be typing it to this day! Jokes aside, I found a “proper” typing chart. Making a conscious effort to hit the keys with the fingers prescribed by this chart. For a few rounds, I lost significant speed typing, but once the new muscle memory started taking hold, I started seeing the numbers rise. 23WPM became 27WPM and 32WPM. I saw a few spikes and dips, but, generally, my WPM was trending upward. Can you guess what also increased with my WPM? Wrist pain.
Unfortunately, I am a broad-shouldered individual and proper typing hand position requires my hands to be turned outward not allowing my wrists and arms to be aligned even with elbows pressed firmly against my sides. I had previously tried to solve this with a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, but after having a third failure—I’ve been told they’re prone to moisture problems— I switched to my first mechanical keyboard and just dealt with it. As I said before, I was not typing as much before so the occasional soreness was completely bearable especially as someone who experienced years of it working in commercial kitchens. When I realized my desk layout was limiting my ability for my now old mechanical full-sized keyboard to be centered, I switched to a 10-keyless keyboard. I never used the number pad and suddenly, it felt like an acre of room on my desk for my keyboard, mouse, and multiple notepads.
It was at this point that, by chance, a random Facebook posting warning for a scam ad for an interesting-looking(and not a scam) keyboard called a Dygma Raise. It was mechanical, RGB, and it SPLIT IN HALF. The cherry on top was that it was available with Cherry MX brown key switches. For the uninitiated, Cherry MX switches come in a variety of colors with differing feel, and browns are the keys that click when they register without everyone within half a mile hearing your typing. I have seen several permutations of these, but no keyboard had the option for “All ofthe above.”. It seemed like it was perfectly what I needed, but at an eye-watering price of $289.00 when configured with my lovely brown key switches, I balked, partially due to our saving for a house and partially on principle. I had just bought a $100 tenkeyless keyboard; I don’t need this. However, I kept pining for something that could remove the pain, and my wonderful wife convinced me to take the plunge, saying “it is for your health.”
I have had my Dygma Raise for a few months now, and I love it. Not only did it banish the pain, but it is also highly customizable— the Steam Controller of mechanical keyboards. With it, I have continued practicing. Typing of the Dead, Epistory, and Nanotale have been ways to both have fun as well as practice typing. TypingTest.com has also become a regular resource. After persistence and consistent practice, I tested my typing speed to see I had reached 52 WPM— over double my original typing speed. I have reached the point that the limit of my typing speed during regular activities is my thoughts. It is fantastic to be unhindered by my fingers. My general productivity along with my daily output has substantially improved, and I no longer experience the regular soreness that was in my wrists.
Resources
http://www.ergovancouver.net/wrist_movements.htm
Typing games
The Typing of The Dead: Overkill on Steam
JD Lowe 