It's a signaling mechanism more than anything, as you can see from the other responses here.

"I can touch type" == "I spend enough time writing things on the computer every day that I have invested in the fluidity and comfort of my own hands" == "I'm enough of a nerd to actually be good at my job".

But it's also worth it from an ergonomics standpoint. I learned to touch type over the space of a few weeks of practice, meant years ago, and it's the reason I can use a split ortho keyboard today, which is much nicer on my wrists than the alternatives. I can also keep a notebook between the two keyboard halves which is much nicer to scribble on than having it to the side somewhere.

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FirmwareBurner a day ago | parent [-]

>"I have invested in the fluidity and comfort of my own hands"

That's exactly why I don't touch type.

Forcing my hands in the optimal "home-row" positioning for touch typing gives me wrist pain. Moving my hands towards my most comfortable position disables the ability to touch type.

>It's a signaling mechanism more than anything, as you can see from the other responses here.

Firstly, what if that type of signaling is flawed and might even be discriminatory if applied to screening people for an actual job, especially that SW devs conder themselves highly liberal and open minded to diversity.

Secondly, I also can't fathom how keeping my eyes focused on one screen continuously for long periods is healthy for them versus exercising them having to occasionally refocus towards the keyboard and back.

Thirdly, even if I would touch type, my job needs me to take my eyes of the "IDE screen" occasionally to look at other things like datasheets, PCBs, notes, etc. Then the amount of distractions in the office far outpace any supposed efficiency gains from not having to take my eyes off the screen, so there's no benefit to it anyway as the job has many other bottlenecks.

Reading the comments on this thread, makes me feel like I'm watching that scene from American Psycho where they're all in their bubble flaunting and judging each others' business card designs when they're all the same design. Glad I don't work with such judgmental individuals who scrutinize such pointless details like the way you type, as if their way is the only right way. Must be a nightmare.

>"I'm enough of a nerd to actually be good at my job".

Well then, I guess I'm lucky to be good at my engineering job without the way I type being an issue.

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bjornasm 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

>Thirdly, even if I would touch type, my job needs me to take my eyes of the "IDE screen" occasionally to look at other things like datasheets, PCBs, notes, etc.

What if I told you that touch typing means you could do that while you are typing.

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skydhash a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Let me start by stating that touch typing is orthogonal to coding well.

The nice thing about touch type is to not think about typing. One quick glance to position your hands on the home row (there’s helper on F and J), and then whatever you want to write just flow out. While I use two thumbs to type this on mobile, I’m mostly using my peripheral vision. Typing on a real keyboard is better as I have better feedback and can use all my fingers.

It’s only one reason: No need to think about typing, it’s all muscle memory.

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FirmwareBurner a day ago | parent [-]

Not sure why you assume people who don't touch type actually need to think about typing.

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icedchai a day ago | parent | next [-]

Yes. I don't "touch type" in the traditional way. I have my own technique I developed when I was a teenager. I don't look at the keyboard and I don't "hunt and peck". I basically use index/middle/ring fingers on each hand for most of the keyboard, thumbs mostly handle the spacebar and alt keys, left pinky is mostly for shift, control, tab, right pinky is mostly for return, backspace, arrow keys, etc.

	▲	cdash a day ago \| parent [-]
		Same here. Whatever I do could not be defined as traditional touch typing but it kind of works. I definitely do not look at the keyboard at all but my fingers kind of just hover over the keyboard instead of resting on the home row.

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wredcoll a day ago | parent | prev [-]

Because that's the definition of touch typing. What did you think it meant?

Also signals are heuristics and thus important because it's impossible to evaluate everything from first principles every time.

	▲	FirmwareBurner a day ago \| parent [-]
		>Because that's the definition of touch typing Touch typing means not looking at the keyboard while typing, not not-thinking about typing. >What did you think it meant? What do YOU think it means? Can't you not touch type while still not thinking about typing? Am I the only human capable of doing an activity while not thinking about it?

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hiAndrewQuinn a day ago | parent | prev [-]

I never said I thought it was a good signal. Please don't go around shooting the messenger like that.

	▲	FirmwareBurner a day ago \| parent [-]
		I think you misunderstood me or I made myself misunderstood. I wasn't "shooting" you, I know what you were saying, I have no issue with your PoV. I chose to reply to you while addressing the rest of the comments since yours distills them, so it makes sense to reply to all in one comment than to each individually. Apologies for the misunderstanding.