Map some other function to the insert key

[Eric Dunbar]

On 4/18/05, Scott James Remnant <scott at ubuntu.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 2005-04-18 at 00:28 -0400, Yuan Qi wrote:
> 
> > One of the usability problems the author have mentioned in his article
> > is the fact that the insert key is mapped to the overwrite mode. Since
> > most computer users (even intermediate users) are not aware of this
> > mode, they will be confused and frustrated by the software's "buggy"
> > behaviour. Therefore, I suggest that we either map a different function
> > to this key or just disable it. Personally, I think the Paste function
> > is the most sensible function to be mapped to the insert key.
> >
> Keys should do what the label on top of them says, anything else is a
> ridiculous default.
> 
> Insert should toggle between Insert and Overwrite modes.
> Caps Lock should LOCK CAPS ON or turn the lock off.

Insert means "to put or introduce into the body of something", does it
not? Insert != overwrite, unless my thesaurus is failing me ;-).

> Doing otherwise would be akin to having a big button that says "turn
> lights on" that, when pushed, electricutes the user because that's "more
> usable".
> 
> On the other hand, I don't see any problem with adding Layout Options to
> Keyboard Preferences for people who wish to modify their keyboard from
> the long-established behaviours.

"Just because" is a bad idea for *anything*. Having the insert key
behave now as it did in the 1970s is a pointless exercise -- I have a
suspicious feeling that many more people are hindered by the
"overwrite" mode than are helped by having that key do what it does on
Windows and Linux. I know I virtually NEVER use the overwrite mode,
and usually (probably 99%+ of the time) when overwrite is activated I
end up losing text and having to waste time figuring out what happened
(you don't notice until it's too late... I'm a touch typist so I often
don't even look at the screen when I'm typing... I'm sure it's even
worse for hunt-and-peckers).

It's high time "insert" do something useful. Normal users should be
PROTECTED from having over-write mode a single key stroke away. I'm
sure even pros would appreciate having overwrite mode activated by a
more esoteric key stroke (I don't see people using it... and I work in
an environment where our data entry clerks have to use Smartterm...).

Eric.