Why are we taught to type with our fingers kept on the ASDF and JKL; buttons?

Question

I was taught to type that way when I was younger, but it never caught on to me. It make typing much more difficult. Why does it matter how we type?

Answer 1

It was a standard devised to keep the keys from jamming on the newly invented typewriters of the late 19th century.  It is called the QWERTY keyboard.  Below is a link that explains it very well.  

Answer 2

Most of these answers are correct. The historical answer goes back to the invention of the typewriter. The keys were scrambled because early typists typed so fast that the shafts that the letter was on got tangled. So they scrambled them to slow the typist down.

Answer 3

This is the way all good typist do it...the letters are laid out on the keyboard the same on every typewriter in North America.  With the letters where they are and your fingers where they are supposed to be one does not have to look at the keyboard when typing.  I quite often type in the dark so it comes in handy.  It does not matter how you type if you don't care...go a head hunt and peck it makes no difference to us.  However if your job depends on how fast that you can type and get things done on a Keyboard, you may care then.  

Answer 4

The idea behind the "home keys" is to help everyone learn to "touch type" (type without looking at the keyboard)

The "Home keys" are supposed to make every key easily reached by the normal human hand.

That being said, I'm a hunt and peck typer myself and I write stories and news articles all the time, it just takes me a bit longer than some touch typers.