Odd thought . . .

[gwynhefar]

I realised when typing an answer to a comment earlier that I type nearly as fast as I can talk. It's not quite there yet, but it's *very* close. And I don't think about it much. I don't plan where my fingers are going to go -- most of the time I'm barely aware that there is typing involved at all. I think what I want to say and it appears on the screen.

Could typing then be considered to be a foreign language, in the same way that American Sign Language is considered a foreign language? And if so, is typing not (like ASL) a performance language - based on movement, rather than sound?

Not entirely sure where I'm going with this, but as I've just taken my meds, that is understandable. It may make sense in the morning . . . or it may not. Until then, I'm just throwing it out there.

Communication without sound . . . real time . . . and not just limited to a tiny portion of the population. In fact, for many people, email or chat is probably their primary means of communication. Which means they type more than they speak.

That's got to have some sort of sociopsychological impact on human culture.

Comments

[chorus-of-chaos.livejournal.com]

I'm there with you on the typing thing. The rare times I go into chat peopl have often asked me "what the hell, do you have all kinds of stuff set up on macros"? No, I type close to 200 WPM. I can't type worth a damn when being tested, but when typing something straight from my mind, as opposed to copying already written text, I can smoke a keyboard. I used to do data entry in a place where even once they'd given me thier fastest computer I'd lock up the system because I went to fast....I'd be filling out data two screens ahead of where the computer actually was.

I will often be making a post and bob will come in blabbering about some stupid shit I don't care about and I will look away from the computer and stare at him, listening to what he is saying and yet still be typing 90 miles a minute finishing off the paragraph I had started. I do make some typos now and then, and anymore I need my split keyboard because that's what I've gotten used to. If you've seen any of my postings from the new laptop recently you'll die over all the stupid typos because I can't get used to that weeny keyboard!!! But yes, I can type faster than I can talk, and more coherently sometimes. I had one boss who LOVED the fact that I though I couldn't take shorthand, if he wanted a letter done all he had to do was call me, I'd put on the headset and type it up as fast as he dictated it. Was a real time saver.

And there have been times when my cognitive function has been shot to hell by pain or exhaustion and sleep dep and I can't think of a word but my hands will subconciously move and type the word I'm grasping for. (gives bob the heebies.)