[Big Mac]

TypeRacer

Great site, I've become addicted. Right now my all-time registered high is 113 WPM. The high scores during the day are amazing - I imagine they're Dvorak typists. (In case you think the top scorers are cheating, the site does captcha-based speed verification tests when previous personal records are broken.)

[brassplayersrock²]

I like the site; but it has obvious flaws



or am I simply missing something?

[Big Mac]

Interesting, never seen that before. Whenever it flags a typo it does so correctly, in my experience.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

TypeRacer

Great site, I've become addicted. Right now my all-time registered high is 113 WPM. The high scores during the day are amazing - I imagine they're Dvorak typists. (In case you think the top scorers are cheating, the site does captcha-based speed verification tests when previous personal records are broken.)

Hmm, but you could easily get around that captcha test by actually sitting in front of the computer while your script 'types' and then doing the captcha yourself.

[Doofy]

40 wpm.

I think I'll stick to shredding.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

Hmm, but you could easily get around that captcha test by actually sitting in front of the computer while your script 'types' and then doing the captcha yourself.

You get two attempts at the captcha to type at the same speed you just typed your last fastest race at. If you fail the score isn't recorded. Of course I know the captcha could be defeated by someone clever enough to design a script to type the races, but I have to believe few people are that pathetic as to cheat at this game.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

You get two attempts at the captcha to type at the same speed you just typed your last fastest race at. If you fail the score isn't recorded. Of course I know the captcha could be defeated by someone clever enough to design a script to type the races, but I have to believe few people are that pathetic as to cheat at this game.

Ah, that seems like a much better test then.

I don't think that cheating would be pathetic, really. Personally I find it tempting simply because it would be a challenge to my coding abilities. Though since I spend all day coding at work, I'd much rather go home and have dinner and a glass of wine with my wife. If I were single and/or still in school though, there's a good chance that I might spend some time just trying to solve this problem.

[Oisín]

I find it extremely difficult to type in that thing. It’s very distracting that I have to keep an eye on the text I’m typing while it changes colour, has a car going past above it, and while the text I’m typing out shows up right underneath it.

I’d much prefer it if I could do it from a piece of paper, I’m a much faster typer that way; or if it were just a non-moving block of text and my own text showed up far underneath it or something.

Edit: Hah, would you look at that—how backwards (I got 102 wpm in the race, and 111 wpm in the captcha test—just goes to show that typing is much easier without distractions):

[Laminar]

My best was 98, my average was usually in the mid-80s after about five tries.

[imitchellg5]

It kept on saying that I spelled "happens" incorrectly, even though I got it right...

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I find it extremely difficult to type in that thing. It’s very distracting that I have to keep an eye on the text I’m typing while it changes colour, has a car going past above it, and while the text I’m typing out shows up right underneath it.

I’d much prefer it if I could do it from a piece of paper, I’m a much faster typer that way; or if it were just a non-moving block of text and my own text showed up far underneath it or something.

Edit: Hah, would you look at that—how backwards (I got 102 wpm in the race, and 111 wpm in the captcha test—just goes to show that typing is much easier without distractions):

That's funny that you prefer typing from a piece of paper. I absolutely hate those tests because I hate having to take my eye off the screen and focus on where I am on the page. You did pretty well for not liking the entertainment elements/distractions of the site. The entertainment value of racing others online makes it fun for me.

I think it definitely improving my typing dexterity. When I started doing it I averaged in the 80s and rarely got above the 90s. Now I'm averaging 108 in my last 10 races and recently got a new high of 116, although I cheat a bit by dropping out if I don't like the exam text or if I get bogged down in the middle.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

That's funny that you prefer typing from a piece of paper. I absolutely hate those tests because I hate having to take my eye off the screen and focus on where I am on the page.

Interesting. I find even having to keep up with what I’m typing on the screen (as in regularly, like in this text field—not just at the test site there) to be a distraction. If I’m just looking at a piece of paper with a block of text on it, my eyes sort of tell my fingers what to type next and I can type very accurately, and quite fast. When I have to look at what I’m typing, it slows me down and distracts me, meaning more typos and slower speed.

You did pretty well for not liking the entertainment elements/distractions of the site. The entertainment value of racing others online makes it fun for me.

Ah, I didn’t race any others, just went to the practice thingamajig.

[slugslugslug]

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock² 

I like the site; but it has obvious flaws



or am I simply missing something?

You have Smart Quotes turned on in Snow Leopard’s Text Substitutions for Safari text areas, don’t you? The characters you typed are curly open quote and real apostrophe, while the ones in the sample are straight double and single quotes. Since they’re not exactly the same character, it’s calling it a typo.

Given how many SL installations are out there by now, they ought to be looking out for that.

[Macfreak7]

Good stuff and mad addicting!
Have a question: anyone know what happens to stats of racers that don't complete the race? I've noticed some racers not completing the race and it seems intentional cause at other times the same racers complete it as long as they know they're going to win.

[Big Mac]

If you leave the race early by clicking to return to the main menu, the race isn't recorded at all. That's what I do now if I'm having a bad race.

[Macfreak7]

just wasted my entire work day because of this. you suck big mac!@

[andi*pandi]

78. Not bad considering my hands aren't working properly these days.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Macfreak7 

just wasted my entire work day because of this. you suck big mac!@

Haha, I guess technically my brother's to blame for showing the site to me.

I broke 120 this morning.

[Atheist]

How many of you are professional coders? I'm finding I suck at this.... I'm only getting in the 60's and 70's. I spend all day every day writing code so I'm not really practiced at typing complete sentences... it's more short bursts of text.

I think Oisín has a point. Staring at what I'm typing on the screen, along with the word being highlighted is a distraction. I do type faster if I'm just looking down at a sheet of paper.