A post from redcub caused me to wonder about something.
Back in the dark ages, I took a high school typing class. It was, in fact, the only class that my parents ever absolutely required me to take.1They actually demanded a year. After one quarter, the kind teacher explained that I was already well over 80 wpm and had all the forms down, so two more quarters would be a waste of my time.
Formatting various documents was part of the class. Block style, modified block, indented, etc. Of course, we also did envelopes2I’d still rather use a typewriter than a word processor and printer for envelopes, but it isn’t practical to keep a typewriter around solely for that purpose. I lust after a dedicated label printer, but can’t justify the purchase. and memos.
Now that typing classes probably aren’t even taught, and most people I know learn “keyboarding” by using computers from an early age, how do they learn those things? Osmosis?
I’ve run into lots of professionals who can’t format letters or memos, much less envelopes, without using Word templates. I suppose they planned on having secretaries, but of course, very few people rate administrative support staff in most organizations these days.
