The People v. Loud-Typers

Andrew Michaelson
Volume 3, Issue 7, (Originally Published on Monday 22nd April)
 
If I were to guess I’d say about 4 in 5 law students would use laptops to take notes in class. These days you’ll often struggle to find anyone writing in a notebook at all. Now I’m not bemoaning the shunning of the classic ink and quill; no I see laptops as infinitely superior to writing hand notes – for one it makes checking Facebook a lot easier.
 
But I do have one issue with the spread of laptops throughout the Law School:
 
Loud-Typers. People who are so enthusiastic about noting something down they feel it’s necessary to hammer on the keyboard with the weight of a thousand suns every keystroke. In doing so, they echo the sound of a jackhammer to anyone sitting around them.
 
There’s at least one loud-typer in every class, and if you can’t immediately say who it is, then it’s probably you. I’ll accept that one never actively intends to be a loud-typer, no one could be that cruel. It’s something that happens by accident, an unconscious habit.
 
But it has to stop. Seriously. The thrashing and crashing of someone typing loudly is up there with some of the most annoying and distracting noises known to humanity (the others of course being someone chewing with their mouth open and the sound of chip-packets crinkling).
 
While writing this column I conducted a little experiment. I sat down at a table in the Level 3 study area, and bashed away at some Property notes as loud as a I could, to gage the reaction of those around me. Needless to say, the amount of poison in the death stares I received would down a dinosaur and it was starting to look like my keyboard wasn’t the only thing that was about to get bashed. So I know I’m not alone with this peeve.
 
So next time you’re taking some notes on a laptop, take note of how loud you’re hitting the keys - you’ll be doing yourself, and those sitting next to you a mighty big favour.
 
Andrew Michaelson indeed sees the irony in typing this column on a type-writer.
 
 
Andrew Michaelson