Ask HN: Is Dvorak worth it?

I switched about fifteen years ago. After around four weeks of struggling I was bit faster than before (and as a COBOL programmer I was blazing fast on qwerty).

You won't be using Dvorak on mobile devices, but this is no big deal. If you're proficient with qwerty, you'll always retain the ability to use the qwerty layouts in a non-touch-typing manner just as well as before.

Since switching, I've avoided doing touch-typing on a full qwerty keyboard because I'm worried that going both ways could dull my Dvorak edge. I can tell I'm even faster than before, and it does feel more natural.

On the rare times I need to use someone else's keyboard, I can do it--but I'm clumsy and observers will be entertained by the spectacle of a tech wiz who "can't type on a normal keyboard". However, If I use a full qwerty keyboard for more than about thirty seconds the old qwerty-fu starts returning. I have never used a qwerty keyboard much longer than that because I just don't want to go back. I don't know, but I'd bet you if I wanted to go back to qwerty I'd be programmer-level proficient again in a week or two. Maybe even less.

It would be interesting to see if I could get proficient on both keyboards like bilingual people can switch between languages. I'm not curious enough about it to risk slowing down my cruising speed, though.

One more thought: I learned Dvorak without the benefit of a keyboard overlay. The first few days would probably be much easier if you use one.

Oh, and one more one more thought: I switched while self-employed. There were no jeering coworkers or impatient bosses to contend with.

And a final one more thought: be prepared to be asked about it. Most muggles have never heard of Dvorak.