4 ms·

I don't doubt the report that Wrona is using caps lock instead of shift, but it baffles me. How did he manage to make that faster? I only use left shift, whic

by Timpy 7y ago

I don't doubt the report that Wrona is using caps lock instead of shift, but it baffles me. How did he manage to make that faster? I only use left shift, which is pretty similar except he has to hit twice as many keys to accomplish the same thing.

falcolas 7y ago
I've mucked around with it, so speaking only from that mucking it offers two things: Your hand is not anchored to the shift button. You can use one finger for the first press of capslock, and another for the second, based on where the previous and next letters are (this is a reference to the typist using any finger to hit any letter). Using shift is still three actions: for the shift button it's a press and hold followed by a timed release, plus a press of the target letter. Given this, the "press press press" rhythm matches the rest of the typing flow better than "hold press release".
- clarry 7y ago
  Better compromise is sticky shift for when you just need to capitalize one letter. Then it's just press press.
  - falcolas 7y ago
    I would agree, but that's not a feature available by default on most (any?) keyboards. You'd have to enable it via driver software. Since we're looking at competitive typists (what a world, eh?), they're probably not allowed such things when being measured.
- Timpy 7y ago
  I don't buy this answer. If the shift button is three actions then the capslock is four. Shift: Press -> hold -> release Lock: Press -> release -> press -> release Both cases require timing. I'm not convinced he's faster because of capslock, he seems to be faster in spite of it. I also use a hybrid typing style. For example, the word "server". The first time I strike the "e" with my middle finger and the second "e" is with my ring finger, freeing my middle finger to type the final "r" because my index finger is still at the lower row after typing "v". Surely he uses this style of non-traditional touch typing for words like "Azure, Qatar, Zaire," but I think the flexibility of finger choice is the secret to success, not the capslock key.
  - falcolas 7y ago
    So, I think the bigger difference is that there is no timing required on the release (short of "don't trigger auto-repeat"). Just as we (assumption alert) don't care about the timing of releasing the letter or number keys while typing, they don't worry about the release timing of the "shift/capslock" key when they're typing. To them, it's just like typing 'wow' or anything else with a repeating letter. I also imagine it makes typing out acroynyms a lot simpler as well. For example, I hold down left shift when I type NASA (left shift since I hit the 'n' with my right hand), and contort my left hand while being sure not to release shift to finish the word. In any case, it's mostly my own conjecture - day-to-day I can't type very accurately without relying on coming back to home; without using the same fingers for the same letters all the time.

by Timpy 7y ago

falcolas 7y ago

I've mucked around with it, so speaking only from that mucking it offers two things: Your hand is not anchored to the shift button. You can use one finger for the first press of capslock, and another for the second, based on where the previous and next letters are (this is a reference to the typist using any finger to hit any letter). Using shift is still three actions: for the shift button it's a press and hold followed by a timed release, plus a press of the target letter. Given this, the "press press press" rhythm matches the rest of the typing flow better than "hold press release".

clarry 7y ago
Better compromise is sticky shift for when you just need to capitalize one letter. Then it's just press press.
- falcolas 7y ago
  I would agree, but that's not a feature available by default on most (any?) keyboards. You'd have to enable it via driver software. Since we're looking at competitive typists (what a world, eh?), they're probably not allowed such things when being measured.
Timpy 7y ago
I don't buy this answer. If the shift button is three actions then the capslock is four. Shift: Press -> hold -> release Lock: Press -> release -> press -> release Both cases require timing. I'm not convinced he's faster because of capslock, he seems to be faster in spite of it. I also use a hybrid typing style. For example, the word "server". The first time I strike the "e" with my middle finger and the second "e" is with my ring finger, freeing my middle finger to type the final "r" because my index finger is still at the lower row after typing "v". Surely he uses this style of non-traditional touch typing for words like "Azure, Qatar, Zaire," but I think the flexibility of finger choice is the secret to success, not the capslock key.
- falcolas 7y ago
  So, I think the bigger difference is that there is no timing required on the release (short of "don't trigger auto-repeat"). Just as we (assumption alert) don't care about the timing of releasing the letter or number keys while typing, they don't worry about the release timing of the "shift/capslock" key when they're typing. To them, it's just like typing 'wow' or anything else with a repeating letter. I also imagine it makes typing out acroynyms a lot simpler as well. For example, I hold down left shift when I type NASA (left shift since I hit the 'n' with my right hand), and contort my left hand while being sure not to release shift to finish the word. In any case, it's mostly my own conjecture - day-to-day I can't type very accurately without relying on coming back to home; without using the same fingers for the same letters all the time.