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Articles like this validate my decision to just use a standard QWERTY keyboard. I learned to type at age 10 and type an average of 142 WPM with a max of 163 WPM

by 300bps 11y ago

Articles like this validate my decision to just use a standard QWERTY keyboard. I learned to type at age 10 and type an average of 142 WPM with a max of 163 WPM. OP doesn't say what kind of speed he is getting on these alternate keyboards with alternate layouts but I have to believe it is nowhere near justifying the hobbling you'll get when using a regular keyboard.

knodi123 11y ago
If your job is typing lots of words in minimal time, then that certainly makes the most sense. However, in my experience, very few information professionals are truly limited by their typing speed, no matter what that speed is.
mrspeaker 11y ago
These articles aren't about speed though, right? I've just started getting the first signs of physical hobbling in my hands from 25 years of programming. I'm worried what will happen to me in another 25 years.
- 300bps 11y ago
  I started having symptoms of RSI about 10 years ago after 22 years of 8+ hours of daily computer use. This went on about a year when a comment on Slashdot.org back then pointed me to an alternative theory of what causes RSI. Anyway, cured me. Cost $0, took little time and I didn't have to change anything I was doing. http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/mb_what_is.html http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/mb_what_is.html https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vsR4wydiIBI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vsR4wydiIBI
  - melling 11y ago
    From watching the video, the theory says that your mind is restricting blood flow to other parts of your body to deal with stress, for instance. Just the fact that people learn this is usually enough for them to stop their minds from doing this. Sounds a little hard to believe. We need a few hundred people on HN to try it to get some anecdotal evidence.
    - 300bps 11y ago
      the theory says that your mind is restricting blood flow to other parts of your body to deal with stress...Sounds a little hard to believe. It is 100% fact that emotional states can impact blood flow. For example, your face getting red when you become embarrassed. Another example, having an upset stomach or even diarrhea or vomiting when you are nervous since your body is in a fight-or-flight mode and turns off blood flow to non-essentials such as your digestive system. It isn't a big leap that it could be doing this as well in response to repressed rage and fear. I've seen it in my own personal life as well as the lives of many others... an ailment followed by extensive research and figuring out physical cures for the ailment followed by the symptom imperative causing the pain to move to another area, rinse, repeat.
      - melling 11y ago
        Would it be possible to increase blood flow to the hand, for example, through some sort of exercise?
        300bps 11y ago
        Sure. In fact, a heating pad is often used to treat the physical symptoms of this syndrome especially with back pain. A heating pad draws blood to the area. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_pad http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_pad It is important to note though that physically treating the physical symptoms like that 1) serves to validate them and 2) through the symptom imperative causes the pain to move elsewhere. The true treatment is to realize the psychogenic nature of the pain and identify and acknowledge the mental issues at the root of the problem.
CyberShadow 11y ago
OP here. keybr says that my speed is 97 on average and 150 max. IIRC my average was below 90 a year ago, but that was measured through some other method. I type a lot more code than English prose, though, and English is my third language. That switching away from QWERTY will give you a massive speed boost is a myth. Although the world's fastest typists do not use QWERTY, the main benefit of alternate keyboard layouts is not speed, it's comfort (and, well, ergonomics). The question is polarizing - you can find testimonials of people who tried Dvorak/Colemak/Workman/etc. and either liked or hated it (so be careful to not fall prey to confirmation bias). I don't mind the "hobbling" as I very rarely use others' computers.
- arafa 11y ago
  As somebody who has typed in Dvorak continuously for the last 13 years, I agree one hundred percent with this post. I find that I type about the same (a little slower maybe) than in my QWERTY days, anywhere from 70-100 WPM on average. It's all about comfort, since my wrist pain basically went away for me (and my brother) since the switch. It's not for everyone. But you can remap (and set a key to go back and forth) easily on most computers these days. I find myself mostly on my own devices too. Some people (myself included) can also switch back to QWERTY and be functional. It feels so wrong, though, that I avoid it whenever possible. Never felt hobbled after that first few weeks learning, which were terrible. That's where a natural curiosity for learning new things really helps.

by 300bps 11y ago

knodi123 11y ago

If your job is typing lots of words in minimal time, then that certainly makes the most sense. However, in my experience, very few information professionals are truly limited by their typing speed, no matter what that speed is.

mrspeaker 11y ago

These articles aren't about speed though, right? I've just started getting the first signs of physical hobbling in my hands from 25 years of programming. I'm worried what will happen to me in another 25 years.

300bps 11y ago
I started having symptoms of RSI about 10 years ago after 22 years of 8+ hours of daily computer use. This went on about a year when a comment on Slashdot.org back then pointed me to an alternative theory of what causes RSI. Anyway, cured me. Cost $0, took little time and I didn't have to change anything I was doing. http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/mb_what_is.html http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/mb_what_is.html https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vsR4wydiIBI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vsR4wydiIBI
- melling 11y ago
  From watching the video, the theory says that your mind is restricting blood flow to other parts of your body to deal with stress, for instance. Just the fact that people learn this is usually enough for them to stop their minds from doing this. Sounds a little hard to believe. We need a few hundred people on HN to try it to get some anecdotal evidence.
  - 300bps 11y ago
    the theory says that your mind is restricting blood flow to other parts of your body to deal with stress...Sounds a little hard to believe. It is 100% fact that emotional states can impact blood flow. For example, your face getting red when you become embarrassed. Another example, having an upset stomach or even diarrhea or vomiting when you are nervous since your body is in a fight-or-flight mode and turns off blood flow to non-essentials such as your digestive system. It isn't a big leap that it could be doing this as well in response to repressed rage and fear. I've seen it in my own personal life as well as the lives of many others... an ailment followed by extensive research and figuring out physical cures for the ailment followed by the symptom imperative causing the pain to move to another area, rinse, repeat.
    - melling 11y ago
      Would it be possible to increase blood flow to the hand, for example, through some sort of exercise?
      - 300bps 11y ago
        Sure. In fact, a heating pad is often used to treat the physical symptoms of this syndrome especially with back pain. A heating pad draws blood to the area. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_pad http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_pad It is important to note though that physically treating the physical symptoms like that 1) serves to validate them and 2) through the symptom imperative causes the pain to move elsewhere. The true treatment is to realize the psychogenic nature of the pain and identify and acknowledge the mental issues at the root of the problem.

CyberShadow 11y ago

OP here. keybr says that my speed is 97 on average and 150 max. IIRC my average was below 90 a year ago, but that was measured through some other method. I type a lot more code than English prose, though, and English is my third language. That switching away from QWERTY will give you a massive speed boost is a myth. Although the world's fastest typists do not use QWERTY, the main benefit of alternate keyboard layouts is not speed, it's comfort (and, well, ergonomics). The question is polarizing - you can find testimonials of people who tried Dvorak/Colemak/Workman/etc. and either liked or hated it (so be careful to not fall prey to confirmation bias). I don't mind the "hobbling" as I very rarely use others' computers.

arafa 11y ago
As somebody who has typed in Dvorak continuously for the last 13 years, I agree one hundred percent with this post. I find that I type about the same (a little slower maybe) than in my QWERTY days, anywhere from 70-100 WPM on average. It's all about comfort, since my wrist pain basically went away for me (and my brother) since the switch. It's not for everyone. But you can remap (and set a key to go back and forth) easily on most computers these days. I find myself mostly on my own devices too. Some people (myself included) can also switch back to QWERTY and be functional. It feels so wrong, though, that I avoid it whenever possible. Never felt hobbled after that first few weeks learning, which were terrible. That's where a natural curiosity for learning new things really helps.