parahuman: switching to Dvorak and relearning to type

this journal entry is sure to take much longer to write than any other i've written ~ or will write, for that matter. it's not because i'm distracted, or even depressed (although the soundtrack to Braveheart is playing right now...). it's because i'm relearning to type after switching to the Dvorak keyboard layout.

it all started when i read the hilariously funny and informative web comic at DVzine.org about the early history of typewriter design and the innovations proposed by August Dvorak, an educational psychologist and professor of education. yes, it really was funny! it turns out that Dvorak really did his research ~ his keyboard layout is faster, more accurate, and safer than the standard QWERTY layout. (i mean safer by how the Dvorak keyboard layout minimizes the distance the fingers travel and therefore reduces repetitive stress injury.) i recommend that anyone who is in front of the computer a lot (or is raising kids who are) look into it.

my typing speed so far has much to be desired, but i'm faster than i was a few days ago. from what i've read, it takes anywhere from a week and a half to a month to type faster than before with QWERTY. i keep telling myself "it can only get better from here!"

of course, within a few days of switching ~ and enthusiastically rearranging the physical keys on my PowerBook's keyboard ~ i landed my first professional writing job in years. writing after switching to Dvorak felt like writing after recovering from a stroke.

as an aside, i'm referring to the onscreen Keyboard Viewer (found in the Localization status menu) extensively during my transition to Dvorak. i find that this is a much better solution for me than the physical hard copy recommended by DVzine.org.

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mungojelly wrote...: welcome to the club! we'll beat qwerty yet! <3; 18 November, 2005 23:18
Tad wrote...: I've always wanted to switch as well, but I've heard once you've learned Dvorak, you don't want to go back to the old school layout. That's a pain unless you carry a Dvorak keyboard around with you everywhere.; 23 November, 2005 00:45
Christefano wrote...: Tad, there very well may be physical Dvorak keyboards available somewhere but i haven't seen any. although i rearranged the keys on my PowerBook, all that's necessary to use Dvorak is enabling it in software. there's help documentation at Microsoft that says, "you do not need to modify your hardware keyboard to use these layouts, but you will need to change your keyboard settings to use the Dvorak layouts."

i switch back and forth between Dvorak and QWERTY now with no problem on almost a daily basis, and i prefer using Dvorak at this point. i'd say that using Dvorak when communicating with a computer is quite similar to how one might prefer to speak one language over another depending on the group or situation (like preferring French for conversation and German for business). i feel my muscles moving differently and my fingers flowing over the keys differently than when I used QWERTY ~ and it feels easier and less constricting.

the only problem i've had since switching to Dvorak is when i've forgotten to re-enable the previous keyboard layout when using someone else's machine. people sit down and start to type and all that comes out is "a cfmnpd sy fldbrdikdh iaoaikdo;e!" oops.; 23 November, 2005 01:07
Alan Coman wrote...: I switched to Dvorak 2 years ago.
Now I type roughly 4 times faster than previously. I also taught my gf and my sister. I wouldn't go back to Qwerty under no circumstances.
There is no need to carry a keyboard with you, it is easy to change the system preferences. Dvorak rocks.; 30 January, 2007 18:05