Re: Taking the Dvorak issue into our own hands. No Pun Intended.

I am a Web Architect by trade, and spend much of my time in SQL and C#
programming.
However, a few years ago (3 I think) I took a 4 day weekend (was a three day
already and I took a Friday with it to make it longer) and changed my
arrangement at that time to Dvorak. I played video games that weekend, but
forced myself to play them and type in the new arrangement. I was playing an
MMO and as I'm a chatty person online still had plenty of opportunity to
type to the people there.

I think my first sentence went something like "Everyone, I just changed my
keyboard layout and will be responding very slowly today. I am learning."
and that sentence probably took 3 to 4 minutes to type in itself.

I allowed myself to look at the keyboard for the first two days and then I
changed to a printout of the arrangement so that I could look at the
printout instead when I needed help with key positions, so that I'd learn to
touch type better.

Then, when I returned to work, I was the subject of much jest and elbowing
for a couple of months. I would write some very jumbled sentences and
replies to AIM messages. It was quite an interesting time indeed.

But I stuck with it. And today, I can safely say it's one of the best
decisions I have ever made. (Leaving my ex beats it, but that's a tale for
another time.) And I still program.

Some aspects of programming are harder now. Most especially the new location
of the curly braces are rough even now as they have moved further from the
fingers and in C# programming, you use curly braces all the time - probably
about every third line on average.

However, most things are easier - especially the location of the semicolon
which is used on every line! And the period being at the disposal of my
index finger. Mmmmmm. Much love.

As a programmer, you also copy and paste a lot. Fortunately, you don't
really use CTRL + semicolon or CTRL + Q for pretty much anything. At all.

Thus, AutoHotKey to the rescue and I have remapped them to copy and paste.
I'll even share the script for it:
#o::#s
^;::^c
^q::^v
^`::^q

(Also maps Windows + O to Windows + S which is helpful for OneNote.)

So there's my rebuttal against a programmer changing. This programmer did.
And it was worth it's weight in Adamantium!

Before I changed, I went home with sore forearms - sometimes to the point I
couldn't grip a coffee mug. Now, that never happens, even after a full day
of typing.

What about that printout I mentioned? I created it - as I use a TypeMatrix
keyboard. And I still have it.

You can get it here:

http://keithratliff.com/transfer/typematrixdvorak.png


--Keith Ratliff


On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 07:09, <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> Watching a programmer friend do his thing in QWERTY like a crazed spider
> suggests to me there would be no benefit to switching layouts for someone
> who is already skilled at QWERTY, whatever advantage Dvorak may have had
> to offer. I have a Chinese friend who types QWERTY and I have a heck of
> a time keeping up with her whilst chatting online and she's not even a
> native English speaker. I haven't mentioned Dvorak to her, no need.
>
> I remain a convinced Dvorak typist, and have no intention of ever going
> back to Mr. Sholes awkward fantasy, and concur that at the moment the
> decision to learn to type is made, a valid option for something better
> should be there. Dvorak is one such option, perhaps the best option --
> all things considered.
>
> I still have a CD of Mavis Beacon 5, from back when Mavis was hip, rather
> than the stodgy QWERTY shill she later became. Mavis taught me Dvorak.
> Now I notice, and I say this with some hesitation, but looking at the
> Broderbund site today I see that Mavis is looking quite pale. Whatever
> led to this odd, complected decision by her maker, this fly on the wall
> would surely like to know.
>
> > I hope the word "mandatory" refers to allowing access to the keyboard
> > layout setting for anybody who uses a computer, and perhaps a mandate
> > for educators to introduce the Dvorak option to new typists.
> > Mandating access removes the most valid objection to teaching Dvorak
> > to students: that they might someday be forced to use QWERTY anyway.
> >
> > Current QWERTY typists should not be forced to switch. The GSA study
> > that is commonly cited to denounce Dvorak advised against switching,
> > and many people will choose to believe it. Fortunately, even if you
> > ignore that study's flaws, it is a real stretch to apply it to new
> > typists. Mandating that both layouts are allowed in all work and
> > school environments should be enough to encourage voluntary adoption.
> >
> > Any suggestion of forcing current typists to switch will doom the
> > effort. There is a cost to retraining. Although the Navy study in
> > 1941 showed the cost of retraining could be recouped in ten days
> > (after training ended), the Navy had the luxury of assigning subjects
> > to non-typing duties during the training period. Indeed, for best
> > results it is important to avoid or at least minimize typing work
> > outside of actual training sessions, and to not use QWERTY at all
> > until the Dvorak pattern is fully learned.
> >
> > People who make their living at a keyboard might not be able to
> > afford even two or three weeks of lost work. If the change were a
> > mandate, more switchers would try to rush the process, risking
> > failures that in turn would be blamed on the layout, not poor training.
> >
> > Good luck,
> > Marcus
> >
> > On Oct 12, 2009, at 8:56 PM, Gregory G wrote:
> >
> > > I am sick and tired of seeing all of the money that is being wasted
> > > by people's ignorance and resistance to change. So, I've finally
> > > decided to take matters into my own hands. I've decided to lobby
> > > Congress directly to ask President Obama to lead the way on the
> > > Dvorak issue. I've created an Internet page concerning how it's
> > > going to work and invite you all to take part. If only seven of
> > > you decide to read the message and do what it says we can have the
> > > Dvorak Keyboard Layout made into a public law in no time. Even if
> > > not, by simply alerting your friends of this page everyone on the
> > > Internet will be have enough information to make their own informed
> > > choice.
> > >
> > > Please click on the link below for more information.
> > >
> > > http://dynamicreflections.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1591481%
> > > 3ABlogPost%3A4330
> > >
>
>  
>


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