My Mother and Aunt grew up using typwriters at work,..

[Roon]

I remember them telling each other how many hundred+ words they could type a minute. I also remember watching them as their fingers flew across the keyboard.

Now, when I instant message them, their typing is really, really slow. I'll write something and I can see that they are typing something in response, but after what seems like a long time they only come back with one sentence.

Why do you think this is?

[Richardo]

1. I've got some theories:

1) They are older and the technology is new, buttons smaller, process unfamiliar.
2) They won't abbreviate anything
3) I'll bet dollars to donuts they go back and correct or edit as they go. God knows I do. I can't help it.

[Roon]

2. Yeah, I correct myself too

You are probably correct on your theories too. I just couldn't think of any on my own. Thanks for your input!!

[DarkTirade]

3. If you can type 90+ WPM, you can skip abbreviations, go back and edit mistakes and whatnot

and still type faster than most people. :P

[Richardo]

4. Not on those teeny tiny buttons

Whippersnapper. :P

[DarkTirade]

8. Well I can.

:P But I grew up with keyboards rather than typewriters. And I learned how to type properly in 3rd grade and kept doing it on a regular basis ever since.

Only reason I'm not typing at full speed right now is 'cause I've got a guitar pick on my thumb and it's getting in the way.

[zanne]

22. Yep. Buttons smaller.

I grew up with typewriters, too. I was a speedfreak on mine, but today I have trouble with a cell phone because somehow, my fingers are suddenly too large for the buttons! Also, I'm more careful with my spelling and I hate to abbreviate. I don't want grammar to disappear altogether!

[DainBramaged]

23. Yup, agree, I took typing in the 60's in my "Grammar" school

and I could type a whole 65 words a manute without misteaks, but the keybordes were huge and my fangers were much stronger thans.

Of corse, we also didn't have White Out or Correct-O-Type. And copiers were "Mimeograph" machines. Ah, the smell of the Mimeograph masters, I can still small it today.

(errors left in for old age effect).

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. If they grew up with typewriters, they're probably of the age that they aren't as fast any more.

People slow down when they get older.

It could also be that, since you notice this while they're IMing you, that they're watching TV, listening to the radio, or IMing other people or, in some way, are multitasking and your IM window is not the sole focus of their lives at that moment.

[Roon]

9. Nope

It says in the window "bla bla is typing" i can see that they are typing.

[Breeze54]

16. Ah hem... I grew up with manual typewriters & learned to type on one.

I typed 95 wpm, at one point but as they say, 'If you don't use it? You lose it.'

I don't type 95 wpm anymore but that's because I don't care and have no need to type that fast.
I do a lot of mouse work instead and keyboard shortcuts. It's easier. I suspect these ladies are
older and out of practice, that's all. They probably aren't aware of spell check and other little
niceties that come with keyboarding. Also I'm missing some of the lettering on my keyboard and
screw up the 'u' 'i' & 'o' group all the time. :P Then I have to fix it. That's why I have a lot of 'edits'.
These ladies may also have arthritis in their hands and can't move as fast as they used to.
Just because the body is slower, doesn't mean the brain is at all. 'Never judge a book by it's cover.'

Patience, grasshopper. Some of the best things in life are worth waiting for...

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. Jesus - all I said is that people slow down when they get older.

I don't any person over 65 who would disagree with me on that one.

I never said old people are worthless crap or that their slowing down is some sort of moral failure.

Merely pointed out a fact. Which, eventually, you agreed with me on.

Patience? I said nothing that warrants you telling me to be patient.

[ashling]

6. Wow, they must be like rally, really old

:sarcasm:
When I started practicing law I had a state of the art selectric with a self correcting tape. It was really cool. I wish I still had one of those.

My Dad, however, typed his thesis on a state of the art 1934 Royal portable with a cloth ribbon.

His dad didn't type. He was a farmer who purchased a state of the art Model T (black)

His father was a populist.

[grannylib]

7. I think it's the smaller buttons, for sure, at least in part. My mom used to

type very well, but she had a hard time even getting used to a PC keyboard, let alone a cell phone or anything else. And she had the hardest time understanding she didn't have to connect to the internet to type a letter she intended to print and snail-mail! She would always open e-mail and type a letter to someone and then want help printing it, or she'd lose it, or something...so I finally put the Word icon on her desktop and renamed it "typing paper" and that helped her a lot.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. I can type just fine on a regular keyboard, but I hate typing on laptops.

[grannylib]

11. Oh you and me both...I have to use laptops often for training presentations

at work, and I feel so inept on the damn things.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Too sqeezed together, and I hate thumb pads thingies

x(

[grannylib]

13. They do indeed suck...What a stupid idea those little pads were

It's damn near impossible to tell whether or not you've double-clicked on something, so you do it again, but then it does whatever it was TWICE and it slows the blasted thing down and it gets all fucked up and yeah... I hate them.

[boppers]

14. Talking speed versus writing speed?

People pause a *lot* when they talk, maybe because IM is "conversational" in nature they're using thier chit-chat communication speeds?

[TrogL]

15. Computer keyboards feel wrong

I grew up on manual typewriters.

I wreck at least one computer keyboard a year.

[SeattleGirl]

17. I learned to type on an old manual typewriter (state of the art back

in the day). When the electric typewriters came out, I had a difficult time initially, because the keys were very touchy compared to the manual keyboard keys.

(And no, I'm not as old as Methuselah. :P )

[Lasher]

18. Maybe their cat is trying to bite their cursor.

That's giving me problems right now. And it doesn't help when he decides to walk across the keyboard.

[murielm99]

19. My cat attacks the printer.

Or, she stands in front of the monitor when I am not giving her the attention she feels is her right as a cat.

[Orsino]

20. NSA-induced latency.

Agent Mike can't read very fast.