I use a homemade non-split "ortholinear" variant. You can make all sorts of changes in the name of optimization, but the truth is most optimizations have very l

I use a homemade non-split "ortholinear" variant. You can make all sorts of changes in the name of optimization, but the truth is most optimizations have very little chance of catching on because they are opaque and confusing to normal people. I have some of my own principles for making a keyboard that embraces change while still being usable to someone passing by. Yes they might hate it, but at least they could use it in a pinch. 1. Label your keys. Yes it's nice to have your layout memorized, but they have labels for a reason. That reason being that not everyone who approaches a keyboard has the layout memorized. And this is especially important for mission-critical keypresses. (And guess what's difficult to label? A chord.) 2. Don't replace mission-critical keys with a chord. Function keys (like F5) can do bad things when pressed accidentally. Requiring a chord for such a key is asking for accidental presses. 3. Try to keep your keys generally where they are with a standard keyboard. I bend my slanted columns into vertical ones, but for the most part the keys can be found near where you'd normally find them. I also question whether some of the optimizations claimed by people are truly optimizations. Were you really getting carpal tunnel by occasionally holding the Ctrl key with your pinky? Probably not. Most of the strain I observe comes from simple overuse. The only times I've ever felt fatigue were when doing typing tests repeatedly. I'm not trying to "yuck" anyone's "yum"; I just think we should be honest and admit that most of the keyboard changes we make are more about having fun, and less about practicality. I use some chords and I have fun in doing so. But I also know that all of that nonsense will be completely rejected by most people sitting down to actually use my keyboard, unless they happen to be slightly adventurous like myself. I like to imagine keyboards that could perhaps (however fantastical) eventually catch on with the general public, given enough time and attrition. Those are the kinds of keyboards I build and use.