Re:Typing 118 WPM Broke My Brain in the Right Ways
by fn-mote on Monday June 02, 2025 @08:54PM
(#44165086)
Instead of just disagreeing, I find I actually agree! At least with the premise of the I/O bound system.
At some point I realized that linear writing (typing or writing on lined paper) does not have the flexibility to express the thought processes that I want to commit to writing.
Now I write on blank paper (or an iPad if the thinking needs to be active for a long period of time).
I might be I/O bound but at least this way I don't need Serializable thoughts.
Yes, developing complex systems is about thinking, not typing. But human head only fits so much, and once you pick up a tool to externalize your thinking, be it pen and paper, or text editor, or a whiteboard, you're limited by I/O. Reading is by far the fastest part, but if you're typing (or sketching) slower than you think, your entire thought process is now I/O bound.
There are many ways to improve this - with editors, you can use shortcuts, compose complex commands, use autocomplete, etc. - but the nice thing is, most of these improvements are purely additive. So it really doesn't hurt to learn to type faster than you think, and it'll definitely help some.