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2scoops
USA
386 Posts |
 Posted - 05/22/2006 : 06:18:31
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http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/devlin/404
Qwerty Query: Why Do We Still Type This Way?
Fri May 19, 2006 8:03PM EDT
I went to our town's middle school last night to hear Willard Daggett, an education consultant, talk about the dismal job we are doing educating our kids for a global economy they will be hard-pressed to compete in. Big issues, but one small one caught my ear.
The Qwerty keyboard. We've been using it since the 1870s, when typewriter inventor C.L. Sholes moved letters around the keyboard so typewriter keys would stop jamming.
Well, we don't use typewriters anymore. Technology has caught up with human dexterity. Jamming keys are no longer a problem. And the gymnastics our fingers do on the Qwerty keyboard can exacerbate repetitive stress problems.
In the 1930s, Washington State University Professor August Dvorak came up with a more common-sense design that placed some of the most commonly typed letters, including vowels, on the home row. (Pictured above) A typist can type about 400 of the most common words in the English language on the Dvorak keyboard, compared with about 100 on the Qwerty keyboard.
"Why," Daggett asked, "aren't my grandchildren learning to type on a keyboard that is 28 percent faster and won't lead to carpal tunnel syndrome?"
He asks a good question. One, I have to admit, I have never given much thought since the Qwerty keyboard is all I've known. Anyone can change the keyboard layout to Dvorak settings in Windows. And many who are battling RSI (repetitive stress injuries) have done so. But, as this Forbes article suggests, isn't it time for a new universal keyboard design that can help speed typing without mangling a new generation of hands?
Let me know what you think.
http://f3.yahoofs.com/ymg/devlin/devlin-350189441-1148011408.jpg?ymReto7CwLiySHl9
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2006 : 11:55:35
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Well after more than 10 years of RSI I’m now back to using a keyboard (Qwerty – I’ve never tried any other type) without any problems.
So I’m not sure I’d agree that the type of keyboard would affect the hands, now that I know the cause of my RSI was TMS.
Of course I can’t comment on whether the Dvorak keyboard is quicker than Qwerty – but if one wants speed then much better to use speech recognition software than go to all the effort and loss of productivity involved in learning a new keyboard layout.
Just my thoughts.
Hilary N |
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Michele
249 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2006 : 15:58:56
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I've been typing for 33 years, all with the Qwerty keyboard. I have never had RSI, and never had so much as an ache in my arms. I type about 130 wpm, and the last 25 years I have worked in law offices, which require alot of typing.
It really doesn't matter what type of keyboard you use. If you don't like your job, or don't like to type, your arms will start aching if you start typing.  |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2006 : 16:18:39
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Yes, I agree QWERTY is stupid and legacy but likely not a significant cause of RSI. You'd probably get more RSI relief from regular exercise and stress management than you would from a DVORAK keyboard.
Take care, -Styder |
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2scoops
USA
386 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2006 : 22:25:42
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| I posted a comment to the article and said, keyboards don't cause RSI, articles like these do. Needless to say they deleted it. |
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ndb
209 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2006 : 07:51:06
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quote:
Originally posted by 2scoops
I posted a comment to the article and said, keyboards don't cause RSI, articles like these do. Needless to say they deleted it.
2scoops, just a thought, maybe post less aggressively/emotionally (i don't mean to be nitpicky or critical)? there is no point not being able to get the message across because they delete stuff. maybe they think you're just trying to be a nuisance because you said "articles like these do" without explaining?
ndb |
Edited by - ndb on 05/24/2006 09:32:12 |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2006 : 14:57:22
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Hilary, have you really found that speech recognition is faster? My experience was that it was usable but still slower than a keyboard, so I'm pleased to be back typing.
I do use Dvorak, and on a Kinesis to boot, but I don't know if they are really better or faster because I have many more years of experience on qwerty/flat keyboards, so my speed on it is still faster. I do like Dvorak in concept and have heard that it can be faster for English text. (Not so much for programming.)
At any rate, I am done blaming RSIs on keyboards, mice, or key layouts! :) |
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Programming Article
