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> I’ve always found chords difficult. Doing lots of chords starts to strain after a while. I agree that on a non-programmable, standard layout keyboard, chords

by least 4y ago

> I’ve always found chords difficult. Doing lots of chords starts to strain after a while. I agree that on a non-programmable, standard layout keyboard, chords are going to be uncomfortable. The most strain I use for chording currently is with the shift key, though. I can access the other layers and even modifiers on much easier to access keys. My keyboard also has a thumb cluster which vastly improves the chording experience. I can activate layers using my thumb so there is no additional strain on accessing them. For example, to access navigation arrows, I hold the "backspace" key down, which is a key on my left thumb cluster, and then press hjkl with my right hand. There's another layer that converts the right side of my keyboard into a number pad. I also have modifier keys sitting on my home row keys (shift, alt/option, cmd/super, ctrl has its own dedicated key in my left thumb cluster, though it also sits on the home row). What is the "caps lock" key on most keyboards serves as an "escape" key when tapped and when I hold it down it activates all four modifier keys, colloquially known as the "hyper" key, which I use for global shortcuts. There's a ton of functionality that makes using the computer itself easier and reduces the need to use the mouse. > I much prefer modal solutions and sensible use of navigation keys when the right hand isn’t doing much typing (my work is not just typing/programming, and I do a tremendous amount of number entry, so both the navigation cluster and numpad see a lot of use). I am a vim user after all. I've been using weird split keyboard layouts for a long time now. I don't do a ton of number entry. I think if you are then it does make sense to use a number pad, but I also think that the number of people that think they need a number pad is much greater than the number of people that actually do. Not suggesting that's the case for you, it's just been my personal observation. I would prefer a modal solution as well, but that would require a complete rethinking at the operating system level, which is more than I personally am capable of taking on. You can assign a key to toggle a layer in QMK/ZMK, though, so you could actually get that more closely analogs vim. But to create a very good experience, you'd need a keyboard that is talking to the computer and is aware of states all over the computer. > I think I am also more sensitive to strain as I prefer trackballs over mice and trackpads. Laptops are particular rough for me. I can’t imagine sitting on a couch with just a Macbook Pro all day. Many of my colleagues are fine with that! In my experience, ergonomics is more about balancing wear, like rotating tires, than it is to stop strain entirely. I like finger trackballs a lot, but thumb trackballs put too much strain in the wrong place. I can't sit on a couch and use a macbook pro at all, either, so I can certainly empathize. I envy those people a lot.

anikom15 4y ago
I think you’re just fundamentally misunderstanding me. Remembering how to do something like ‘hold one of the many keys your left thumb can reach down’ followed by hjkl is more difficult for me than just hjkl or moving my right hand a little bit. Remembering keyboard chords is almost like a dyslexia for me. I get them mixed up all the time and it doesn’t work for me (I know this because I tried to use Emacs before using vi). I can only memorize a few of the most important combinations for applications I use. Everything else is through the GUI. Not everyone has the capacity to think in the same way you do.
- least 4y ago
  I'm not trying to be prescriptive, here. Do what works for you; it does not bother me one bit that someone uses the computer differently from me. I'm simply trying to explain my point of view. I would say, however, that it's not really about capacity to think a certain way. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you learned vi after learning some other editing paradigm, which you also had to learn how to do. In both cases, it's not a matter of capacity to think in a certain way, it's simply a matter of learning and then practicing. Again, I am not suggesting that you should even do that. I would not suggest learning vi to most people, either, even though I think it's a better way to edit text. But I do think it's a better way to use a keyboard, so I will say so.
  - anikom15 4y ago
    I gave a good faith effort to learn MS-DOS (my first operating system). I am proficient in DOS. I gave a good faith effort to learn UNIX. I am proficient in UNIX. I gave a good faith effort to learn vi. I am proficient in vi. I gave a good faith effort to learn C. I am proficient in C. I gave a good faith effort in to learn Java. I am not good at Java. I gave a good faith effort to learn how to use tablets. I am not good with tablets. I gave a good faith effort to learn how to use Emacs. I am not good with Emacs. It's tempting to blame the tools, but it's more rational to blame myself. I'm not certain how to describe what the problem is, but I think capacity to think in whatever paradigm the application expects is good enough to express the point.

by least 4y ago

anikom15 4y ago

I think you’re just fundamentally misunderstanding me. Remembering how to do something like ‘hold one of the many keys your left thumb can reach down’ followed by hjkl is more difficult for me than just hjkl or moving my right hand a little bit. Remembering keyboard chords is almost like a dyslexia for me. I get them mixed up all the time and it doesn’t work for me (I know this because I tried to use Emacs before using vi). I can only memorize a few of the most important combinations for applications I use. Everything else is through the GUI. Not everyone has the capacity to think in the same way you do.

least 4y ago
I'm not trying to be prescriptive, here. Do what works for you; it does not bother me one bit that someone uses the computer differently from me. I'm simply trying to explain my point of view. I would say, however, that it's not really about capacity to think a certain way. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you learned vi after learning some other editing paradigm, which you also had to learn how to do. In both cases, it's not a matter of capacity to think in a certain way, it's simply a matter of learning and then practicing. Again, I am not suggesting that you should even do that. I would not suggest learning vi to most people, either, even though I think it's a better way to edit text. But I do think it's a better way to use a keyboard, so I will say so.
- anikom15 4y ago
  I gave a good faith effort to learn MS-DOS (my first operating system). I am proficient in DOS. I gave a good faith effort to learn UNIX. I am proficient in UNIX. I gave a good faith effort to learn vi. I am proficient in vi. I gave a good faith effort to learn C. I am proficient in C. I gave a good faith effort in to learn Java. I am not good at Java. I gave a good faith effort to learn how to use tablets. I am not good with tablets. I gave a good faith effort to learn how to use Emacs. I am not good with Emacs. It's tempting to blame the tools, but it's more rational to blame myself. I'm not certain how to describe what the problem is, but I think capacity to think in whatever paradigm the application expects is good enough to express the point.