Handwriting

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I try very hard to write neatly, but my handwriting is horrid:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zovrtssz5yaxmoi/RandomThoughts-March27.jpg (I had to kill time for an hour)

I've been told that it's due to my combination of both Asperger's and ADHD, though I suspect it is mostly the ADHD. I don't have dyslexia, but if while writing I start to think of the later letters in a word or the next word, I'll write those letters instead of the ones I intend.

I recall a stereotype that doctors have bad handwriting, and I was wondering if it was a similar scenario for programmers - what is the status of your handwriting?
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been told mines girly but its round and find that swirly swirls of same width and hieght make it tidier, I have dyslexia and adhd but find relaxing and flowing with writing carefreely is beter for spelling and handwriting
My handwritten is terrible, and I am fairly certain I have no medical reason for it. Its probably because I'm just lazy, and when writing I want to do it at the same speed as my thoughts, and end up racing and then notice spelling mistakes and cross it out and keep going. It gets a bit crazy.
closed account (iAk3T05o)
Doctor's hand writings are horribly horrifying.
It's like a sketched line with bumps.
My handwriting is fine (as in cute/pretty as told by outside sources) and little. It's sometimes mistaken for that of a girl's. It changes with condition (haste, inventive idea, normal situation etc.) but never to the level of the horror that is a doctor's handwritting.
closed account (N36fSL3A)
My handwriting is overall neat and cursive-ey (Sometimes called girly), but sometimes it can get a bit sloppy if I'm trying to write abnormally fast.
Depends on what I'm writing. If I'm signing my name to something I do it sloppy so no one can forge it. If I'm writing something that others will read, I usually take the time to type it up so I don't hear they can't read it. My writing is okay, but last I recall reading they were going to stop teaching handwriting to students due to electronics becoming so dominant. In a few years they may not want you to sign for anything, but have something you just swipe or scan.
@BHX: Yeah, my signature is very sloppy for that exact reason.

Also, did they teach you (BHX and everyone else) cursive in school? They only briefly covered it for me in elementary school but then stopped, however we have to copy an oath in cursive on the SAT. One of my SAT proctors sympathized with us and told us tricks to making it look cursive.
Yeah they did cover it, and we usually only typed if we had to do reports. Otherwise everything was hand written in cursive.
Ouch! I have classes where we're not allowed to turn in hand-written papers. How times have changed!
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Mine is pretty bad, but usually I am trying to write quickly and I am too lazy to actually write neatly. Sometimes I manage to write cleanly and quickly but apparently it's just a fluke or something, lol.

Usually I just type my stuff because I can type quicker than I can write usually.
@LB
Well I was in school from 1987 to 2000 (K-Senior year) so computers were mainly viewed as resources for word processing, internet research, and emails.
Your handwriting's better than mine. A lot better. At least you actually write most of the words (my "the"s merge the h into the e, don't fully loop the e, and are only recognizable due to the t). I'll see if I can't drum up a picture.
firedraco wrote:
Mine is pretty bad, but usually I am trying to write quickly and I am too lazy to actually write neatly.
Yeah, I try hard to write neatly when I know others need to read what I have written, but I have to go very slow for that. When I am just writing so that only I need to read it, I can go fast but the quality degrades dramatically.
firedraco wrote:
Usually I just type my stuff because I can type quicker than I can write usually.
Writing by hand makes my hand start to ache, I would love to be able to type. However, it is inconsistent as to whether my professors allow computers in class or not or via special permission, etc. and the only laptop have is a 1600x900 Toshiba Satellite which is a pain to carry around in my backpack. Additionally, it's nice to be able to draw pictures in notes and that's hard to do with software. A drawing pad circumvents the whole point.
I think that my hand writing is as beautiful as helvetica, but I keep receiving complains about its size (3mm), supposedly a reminiscence of the time when I had perfect vision.

> Also, did they teach you (BHX and everyone else) cursive in school?
we used cursive in elementary school.
switched to non-cursive (¿what's it name?) around year 11 of school, principally for legibility.


@LB: ¿what kind of pencil are you using? the stroke seems too thick
¿have you considered sharpen it, using a smaller pencil lead (like .5mm) or a pen?

by the way, `Random thoughts ----' ¿what's the third word?
My handwriting is awful. Not quite as bad your's LB ha, but pretty close. It's always been pretty sloppy. I think I'm just lazy and want to be finished writing as soon as possible.

As far as cursive, we learned it in grade school (5th - 6th grade), and was told we would be using it throughout middle and high school. Never touched it since grade school, so I've forgotten most of it. My signature is basically two swiggles that I call my first and last name. I switched credit unions recently, and the lady didn't believe that it was my signature -_-
My handwriting is quite ugly, but it's readable. I must admit - your handwriting looks quite bad. If you want to change it, you can try some exercises.
When I was younger, my handwriting also was not only ugly, but non-readable. I went to some special place where they diagnose you with dyslexia and such. They told me that I should do these exercises. I also had additional exercises lesson at school, so eventually I improved a bit.
The problem is that you've probably never cared much for how your handwriting looks, and didn't focuse on improving it. If you want to, then as I said - there are many books or such. You mostly just write some lines, or just write letters like they do in preschool - but it does help.
ne555 wrote:
switched to non-cursive (¿what's it name?)
"Print", I believe.
ne555 wrote:
@LB: ¿what kind of pencil are you using? the stroke seems too thick
¿have you considered sharpen it, using a smaller pencil lead (like .5mm) or a pen?
I have a bad habit of forgetting to sharpen my pencils before leaving my dorm. I just use regular #2 pencils.
ne555 wrote:
by the way, `Random thoughts ----' ¿what's the third word?
"March 27"

@MatthewRock: I've tried exercises before, but I think it's too late for me to change my handwriting. I just have to go slow if I want it to be neat.
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I thought my handwriting was bad but if we're speaking in relative terms here LB then you win this round. Sharpening the pencil would help a bit, you're also pressing way too hard on those lines or you're using too soft of a lead.

@ ne555: It says "March 27". It's probably the combination of the format and the handwriting that is making it difficult for you.

On a related note, has anyone else noticed that people who draw amazingly well don't necessarily have the best handwriting?
I've noticed that people are either artsy or mathy. My sister and I are perfect examples - she's an amazing artist, but struggles with math constantly, whereas I can't draw a straight line but I really enjoyed Calculus. Neither of us has good handwriting, but mine is worse of course.

I've also wondered, is handwriting-discrimination common at all?
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Not so much discrimination but if you don't take the time to make your job application legible I know that you get shoved to the bottom of the pile.
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