I'm one of the few people that use all my fingers to type (like the way they show you in school) and also not stare at the darn keyboard.

Most people I know use 2-3 fingers, while staring at the keyboard the entire time. I guess that is why they type around 30-40mph.

I can't watch my dad type, and I can't wait for him to type anything. More often than not I end up ripping the keyboard away from him and forcing him to dictate to me because it drives me that crazy.

My mom used to do the same thing to him, although she was quicker on a number pad (being a CPA will do that to ya) than she was on a QWERTY keyboard.

When my dad was here over Christmas and was annoying me with his laptop, I grabbed it and typed the e-mail that he was trying to send. He said "You know for the last 15 years of her life your mom used to do this to me, and I always asked her 'how am I'm supposed to get better at this if you never let me do it myself?' Now I'm glad that you've picked up her bad habits as well as her good, because to be honest I've been annoying myself with my inability to type."

It's really sad when your typing style is so bad that it annoys you. He doesn't even use the 2-3 fingers method. One finger on the left hand, one finger on the right. Drives. Me. Crazy.

I'm not sure there'd be any advantage in typing or music.

You'd think the kid should play the piano, but I think that'd be a tough challenge for teachers who, for their entire careers have been considering technique and fingering in terms of 8 fingers/two thumbs. Anyone who has ever had to suffer through learning a Bach piece knows exactly what I'm talking about.

As someone who plays the violin, I think a 6th digit would come in really handy, at least on the left hand. As far as the bow hand, I'm not really sure what I'd do with the extra finger.

Wind instruments, I think would be out of the question for the most part.

30-40 wpm? I don't know how I would deluge GC with my posts if I only typed at 30-40 wpm.

I don't know how anyone survives at work using the hunt-and-peck method. I can't imagine how long it'd take you to type up a report or just get through your emails in the morning.

But think about how good the kid will be at Guitar Hero! I often wish I had an extra finger!

It would be unfair.

Damned orange button.

I do it exactly like I was taught in high school. I was the fastest typer in my class and I still type faster than anyone I know.** I'm actually annoyed by slow typers who look at their keyboards--I want to type for them.

** Except for one of my Sorors. She and I used to have typing competitions...she's like 1000000000 wpm. :)

hahaha...I think i'm the fastest typer of anyone I know as well. Except when I took my keyboarding class, I would cheat. Instead of typing 10 of the exact same sentence, I'd just copy & paste it. lol. My teacher never caught on.

I never knew it was so difficult for people to type, but apparently it is for some people. Although my aunt (who is the one that types with only 2-3 fingers) can go like 1 billion mph on a number pad w/o looking at the numbers. I'm sooo slow on that.

I challenge thee to a duel. :) Noooo cheating!!!

Some people say their fingers are too big for the keyboard. Some people haven't memorized the keys.

I type fast, but it's from memory...sorta. I can only type quickly the words I know how to spell. When I'm copying a document, if I get to a word for which I'm not confident on the spelling, I slow down a little to make sure it's right. Then again, my brain is weird and I actually "see" words when people are speaking.

I definitely type the fastest out of my coworkers and people often ask me to type up documents for them so they can get on with their business.

Maybe for a viola (which are sized to the individual), but it would be way to cramped for him to play a violin.

I'm just thinking how it'd pretty much obviate the need for even-numbered positions which have always been my bane.

Man! I just thought of this, and then scrolled down....voila! There was the comment for the win! (Sorry, I'm a little exclamation point crazy apparently.)

The kid wouldn't be that different! My uncle (and several other memebers of my family) were born with the digit for a sixth finger. Some of them were removed at the hospital, but most just turned out to be little bumps or little stumps. In the reality of the world, no body really even notices it. It tends to be a genetic thing.

Oh God do I understand that! I cannot stand to see my mom play Pac-Man on the computer because she uses the 1-2 finger method. AAAAGGGGHHHH! It drives me batty, but when she types, good God, that woman is fast!
I learned how to type in school and know that I can go pretty fast and I have been asked to type things for other people because of the quickness of it all.