Poor Mr. Yegge

Is there one skill that all professional programmers share ? Yep, its the ability to touch type.

This post on Steve Yegge's Blog argues that you can spot those who can't. He says

If you are a programmer, or an IT professional working with computers in any capacity, you need to learn to type

but frankly I've never come across anyone in the industry that can't touch type. Support, QA, trainers, heck even the newbie graduate in the little startup (the one who does all the work) can touch type on his first day.

The problem with Mr. Yegge's argument here is that non touch typers quickly become touch typers. I'd argue that

If you are a programmer, or an IT professional working with computers in any capacity, you will learn to type. You cant avoid it.

I spent a year on a ZX81 when I was 11 , then 6 years on ZX Spectrums after that. I could touch type on the ZX81's keyboard within 6 months - not fast mind you but I could type without looking at the keyboard (yes I'm being generous calling it a keyboard). You should have seen the speed of me (and my contemporaries) on the Spectrums old rubber keyboard. And today anybody using a computer for more than six months can touch type - even my parents can do it. The point is there is no way to use a keyboard day in and day out without becoming good at it.

Mr. Yegge then goes on to talk about programmers who cannot read. He's met or worked with programmers who couldn't read ? Sorry Mr. Yegge but no you haven't . You've met or worked with people who were hired as programmers but weren't - frauds in other words. No way, no how can you program a computer or any device without being able to read . (The only exception I know of is programming a Big-Trak and possibly the Lego Mindstorms brick with some child centric GUI). These people are bad hires, probably with CVs cooked up by agencies from the dirtier end of the agency curve ( and that's not a clean curve to start with).

You can see it in his post - Mr Yegge has had to work with ( and take up the slack for ) for someone who can't type, can't read and thus cannot code. Compensating for someone elses bad decisions.

Poor Mr. Yegge .