Usability for touch typers: Keeping fingers on F and J

[Chow Loong Jin]

On Thu, Nov 20, 2014 at 02:34:11PM +0100, Thomas Güttler wrote:
> Am 19.11.2014 um 10:07 schrieb Chow Loong Jin:
> > 
> > I'm happily touch-typing on a QWERTY keyboard (Thinkpad X230 user here) at
> > 120WPM. I don't really have much of a problem hitting backspace or return/enter.
> > I'm also an Emacs user, and the only thing that really bothered me was the
> > location of the Ctrl key, which my CapsLock key has become. For backspace and
> > return, I usually flick my wrist clockwise and back. Pinky goes on the Enter
> > key, and fourth finger goes on the Backspace key. It doesn't seem to affect my
> > wrist too much when I do that.
> > 
> > I get RSI pains occasionally, but they stopped being much of a problem after I
> > found this useful video[1] on stretching your muscles when they ache. I believe
> > that in my case at least, the RSI pains are just muscle fatigue in the same way
> > your calves burn after a strenuous run.
> > 
> >> What could the current situation be improved?
> > 
> > Nothing that wouldn't break the collective muscle memories of Ubuntu users
> > unfortunately. Remapping the backspace and enter keys aren't really an option if
> > you want to keep things usable for end-users.
> > 
> 
> Usability is on my mind. That's why don't want to use alternative keyboard layouts like neo or colemak.
> 
> I want an extension, not a replacement.
> 
> Creating a new layer with the CapsLock key could be an solution.

Which would then break things for the CapsLock as Control people.

> I hope I have time to create a table of my requirements before 2015.
> 
> I will post a link here.
> 
> Emacs was my favorite editor until I switched to pyCharm. Emacs works
> good for touch typers. Copy+Paste with ctrl-k ctrl-y feels like flying.
> I started to configure pyCharm .... but then I realised: Why modify this single
> program for ergonomic touch typing? I want ergonomic touch typing everywhere!

Gtk+ has emacs keybindings if you wish set it somewhere in gsettings, but as we
all know, emacs keybindings aren't really very standard, so we can't use that as
default without confusing everyone.

-- 
Kind regards,
Loong Jin
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