In elementary school we used some software that thought teaching, but IIRC it was for some special program and it also was mostly for fun (we had access to LogoWriter and some other software). We quickly figured out you could type nonsense, delete it, then type out the required text and the software would measure ~350 wpm. Learned nothing else. : )
I took typing as an elective one semester in high school because I couldn't stand hunt and pecking when I was trying to get things done. We'd get done early and just type out lyrics to House of the Rising Sun. We'd also replace homonyms or type nonsense lyrics. A few years later internet chat rooms were big and I'd be in half a dozen of them plus various private chats. My wpm ended up being such that people who saw me in real life would notice the speed. Easily over 100 wpm (not 350 though!).
These days I very quickly adapt to macros, function keys, and remappings. I type nearly as fast as I can think of the words. I thumb-type on the phone noticeably fast (lead singer of a bar band called me out on my speed one NYE). And I memorize my passwords physically. I lay that all at learning to touch type in the first place.
| Mavis Beacon | |
|---|---|
| Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing character | |
| First appearance | 1987 |
| Portrayed by | Renée L'Espérance (1987) |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Typing instructor |
Mavis Beacon is a fictional character created for the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing line of computer software.[1][2]
Get involved with Mavis Beacon again — this time as the developer and publisher of a new generation of Mavis Beacon software for Mac OS® X. Now we are very pleased and proud to be bringing the kind of quality you've come to expect from the creative labs of Software MacKiev to this edition — Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing for Windows®! Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 11. Software Software for Students Small Business Software Best Sellers New Releases Deals Your Software Library Customer Support Software › Education & Reference › Typing Share. Currently unavailable.
New Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
History[edit]
Developed to be a personification of a The Software Toolworks instructional typing program, Mavis Beacon debuted as simply a photo of a model on the software's packaging in 1987. The model chosen to be the face of Mavis was Haitian-born Renée L'Espérance, who was discovered working behind the perfume counter at Saks Fifth AvenueBeverly Hills by one of the software developers in 1985. Mavis's name comes from a combination of Mavis Staples (one of the software developer's favorite singers) and the word beacon (an allusion to her role as a guide to typing).[1][3]
There have been several models chosen to represent the confident efficiency of Mavis Beacon; her image changes to represent a 'modern professional typing instructor.'[3][4]
Due to Mavis Beacon being portrayed by a black woman, some retailers were initially reluctant to display the product. However, once the popularity of the program became evident, many distributors reversed their decision and began to display the line of software bearing Mavis Beacon's image.[3]
Since its introduction, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing has been the best-selling instructional typing software.[5]
Fame[edit]
Mavis Beacon has been seen as groundbreaking for being one of the first computer instruction characters and for being a female African-American embodiment of computer software. Throughout the 1990s, Mavis Beacon served as the virtual typing instructor at numerous U.S. schools. As of 1998, she had instructed 6,000,000 school children.[3] Mavis has been compared to U.S. cultural iconBetty Crocker and has been called 'the Betty Crocker of cyberspace'.[1][6]
Confusion[edit]
Mavis Beacon is often thought to be a living or historical figure by the public. This confusion has led many to contact the software developers seeking to speak to, interview, or book Mavis for an event. Furthermore, as a result of Mavis Beacon's continuous use in computer typing software, and her image on millions of software boxes, many consumers have reported confabulations (i.e. false memories) of Mavis Beacon winning typing contests or appearing on talk shows.[1][3]
New Mavis Beacon
References[edit]
- ^ abcdMacklan, William (November 19, 1995). 'Supertypist Mavis Beacon Is A Creation Of Marketing'. Seattle Times. Washington. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^'What's Mavis Beacon Up To These Days? Nothing. She's Fake'. Vice. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ abcdeBiersdorfer, J. D. (December 31, 1998). 'Next They'll Say Betty Crocker Isn't Real, Either'. The New York Times. New York. p. 2. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^'Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Platinum 20'. Broderbund. Archived from the original on May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
- ^According to NPD Group data
- ^'Mavis Beacon: Typing Teacher Who Never Was Turning 30'. Mental Floss. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
Mavis Beacon New Version
