Dvorak is A,d;smd!
I am typing this post in Dvorak. Dvorak is a simplified keyboard layout that I have been using to type off and on for the last few weeks. I have now become proficient enough to use it without feeling like a complete asshole.
I would encourage every one of you to read the The Dvorak Zine (also found here in Webcomic form). This lays out the dubious history of the QWERTY keyboard and the reasons for creating the Dvorak Simplified Layout. It’s a great and short read.
Dvorak studied letter frequencies and the physiology of people’s hands and created a layout to adhere to these principles:
- Letters should be typed by alternating between hands.
- For maximum speed and efficiency, the most common letters and digraphs should be the easiest to type. This means that they should be on the home row, which is where the fingers rest, and under the strongest fingers.
- The least common letters should be on the bottom row, which is the hardest row to reach.
- The right hand should do more of the typing, because most people are right-handed.
- Digraphs should not be typed with adjacent fingers.
- Stroking should generally move from the edges of the board to the middle. An observation of this principle is that, for many people, when tapping fingers on a table, it is easier going from little finger to index than vice versa. This motion on a keyboard is called inboard stroke flow.
After I decided that I really wanted to learn Dvorak I bought some keyboard stickers. There are cheaper alternatives or you could just print out a Printout for Dvorak Keyboard!
You will need to make some minor changes to your keyboard setup to get this up and running. This information is in the zine. If it feels weird at first that is OK, give it a chance. I think anyone can find benefit from a more efficient keyboard setup.