Re: Cloud Date Entry

Peter;

I'm going to have to go with Bill on this one, although you have some
valid points.

When I was first using windows I wondered why it always wanted a <Tab>
between fields. Then one day I was at my Dad's office because his
computer had broken down. While I was trying to get it working someone
needed a BOL immediately so the data entry clerk/AR clerk/receptionist
(it wasn't a big office) did it on the typewriter - like they did
before the computer. Every field on the BOL was setup with a tab in
the typewriter even though it was a multi-line form (she did have to
do the CR/LF at the end of the line). Watching here work was a big ah-
ha moment.

Since then I've felt that Windows uses the <tab> because there were a
lot of people in offices all over the place using their new Windows
computer to replace typewriters and pre-printed forms. Of course, my
kids have never seen a typewriter - but they sure know to <tab>
between fields.

You do make some very good observations about increasing efficiency
that I wish more people followed. In fact, it was my first really
proud moments of this job when I did something similar. I just think
you are looking at the wrong "target" market.

Regards,
Colin Alfke
Calgary Canada

P.S. have you ever noticed how many people don't actually realize the
numbers on a key pad are in a different order than those on a phone??

On Aug 24, 9:20 pm, "Peter McMurray" wrote:
Hi Bill
Obviously I did not explain clearly enough.
TAB is a typist's key it was never ever used by data entry operators until
confused programmers introduced it recently.  It is useless for data entry.
I stated that typists use both hands on the keyboard, data entry operators
do not.
Your experience is with a typewriter and I definitely agree that as far as
typewriters go the Selectric Golfball was the greatest and the proportional
the worst ever.
However we are talking about modern keyboards which invariably have a
numeric keypad used by data entry operators and a Typewriter keypad be it
QWERTY or AZERTY used by typists.

The jobs are different and require different techniques and actually
different types of people.  Unfortunately inept programmers and analysts
have screwed this up.

Peter McMurray"Bill_H" wrote in message

news:y-2dnbpPY8Bdjy_VnZ2dnUVZ_uWdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Peter:

I hate to mention this but, again, your statements are not compatible with
my experience as a typist.  You state, "It (the [Tab] key) requires the
use of the left hand which is otherwise engaged running down a list or the
like."  My experience indicates a typist would rarely remove either of
their hands from the keyboard (especially if they could help it).  My
accountant friends would, more than likely, only use a single hand when
using a 10-key, but a 10-key is different in operation and usefulness than
a keyboard.  For a typist the [Tab] key is just another key their pinky
can hit, like 'q', '1', 'z', [Shift], etc.

A older typist would normally press the [Return] key to execute a CR/LF
because there was never a concept (in typewriter days) of multi-line text
(a piece of paper had well-defined dimensions).  In fact, the [Tab] key
was usually used for indentation and jumping from one field to another on
a form.  I can still remember the U.S. Army "Morning Reports" (DA Form 1,
if I recall correctly), where most of my entry was with both hands on the
keyboard, my eyes somewhere else, and using the [Tab] key to manage my
location within the grid on the form.

We can agree that keyboards vary from the "standard" IBM selectric
keyboard design (the best that ever was), and can agree the QWERTY
keyboard is an anachronism designed to slow down typing so the metal
letters didn't jam together when typing too fast.  But I must reject your
statement that the use of the [Tab] key is a recent development.

So, I have to note that your observations, backed by thousand's of hours
of study and your expert typist skills and experience, don't match mine,
megerly backed by my experience.

I only mention this because your disdain for the [Tab] key, and subsequent
declaration that its use is only a recent development, is contrary to my
experience as an army typist; which makes me wonder...

Bill
.

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