Well, I sort of learned (as one does) in about 1986 or so, on an Atari of some sort or an IBM clone or just one of those computers that used to be around back then. Not my own.
I’ve naturally been going on that and probably typed countless lines in Usenet, IRC, web, notes, code, configs and whatever files. But it always bugged me that it’s just kind of ballistic hammering with any and all fingers that happen to be near the next key.
So, I went and got a very minimal split keyboard to see if I can learn something new. The setup and layers and all that has not really been dull, but I’ve been pecking away slowly at typing.com and trying to keep my hands on the home row like it’s 1989. I thought that might balance it out.
I just got the first unit certificate at 25 wpm. And, hey, I managed to type this post. Maybe I’ll get better with time.
Funnily enough, I was given typing tutor games as a kid, didn’t really spend much time with them, never really developed proficiency because as a 10 year old I didn’t have a reason to type in my life and Magic School Bus was more fun.
Fast forward a few years and MSN messenger was a major tool of teen social interaction. You could use it to hit on girls. Knowing what I knew from that typing tutor game, I started IMing friends. I can now touch type at 100WPM.