[ismarc]

I'm one of those folks who is on the top-end of crazy-stupid-fast typing, but hadn't ever seen a typing test that actually had typing code, so this is absolutely awesome for seeing the difference in speed between prose and code. However, the fading in and out cursor makes it extremely difficult to track where I am, particularly when going back to correct a mistake I made (I know I hit the wrong key, and depending on where in the typing I hit it, I'll need to see how far back to go). It's also exceedingly annoying when it blurs across multiple characters.

I personally would prefer a side-by-side text entry, rather than typing on top of existing code, so it's easy to see progress and mistakes (even if you don't highlight mistakes in the text).

EDIT: It looks like about 50 words per minute, maybe 55, is the max speed you can type and have the cursor actually be visible enough to be a guide of where you are in the text.

[RegEx]

Are you one of those 170wpm-ers that ruin my win streak on TypeRacer?

[ismarc]

Only if I'm on my preferred keyboard, I top out at 120 to 130 on laptop/netbook keyboards.. For a stint in high school, I typed medical reports from dictation for a friend's mom, eventually having the cassette player on the fastest speed and keeping up without issue. I have no idea how people can be very productive as hunt and peck typists when writing code.

[RegEx]

Would you also happen to be a fast reader? I can't seem to break the 120 barrier, and I'm wondering if the habit of mentally "saying" the words as I read them is a significant reason why I can't improve.

[dbarlett]

That's known as "subvocalization" [1]. Look at a basic speed reading book for tips on avoiding it.

[1] https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Speed_Reading#Subvocalization

[ismarc]

As dbarlett pointed out, the sub-vocalization is a big part of it, but once that's gone, there's still a long way to go to read quickly and effectively. I learned to read exceptionally fast, but had a very low retention rate of what I read (I use those techniques when typing), it's symbol recognition/word recognition, not real comprehension. I eventually slowed down my reading, but followging a rhythm (per-word rate) and process/think about/determine application for what I've read up to that point. In the end, reading quickly hadn't been as beneficial as being able to have a strong working knowledge of what I've read after only the first read through. However, I dislike reading fiction and don't prefer reading stories, an in depth whitepaper or textbook is my enjoyment reading, so learning as I read was more of a priority than just getting the high level view or enjoying the story construction.