Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
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Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#2I like this guys content generally, but it's worth noting in this instance he's unknowingly echo-ing free-market libertarian dogma.
> You might hear comments from time to time about studies showing Dvorak is "no better than QWERTY," or words to that effect. All such comments that I've heard seem to echo an article, "The Fable of the Keys," by S. J. Liebowitz and Stephen E. Margolis, published in the Journal of Law & Economics, vol. XXXIII (April 1990).
> Note the word "economics." Liebowitz and Margolis are economists opposed to an "excessive inertia" theory, for which QWERTY is often cited as an example. Rather than try to prove their point with a generally valid argument, they simply attack Dvorak as a dubious replacement for QWERTY. As the article's last footnote explains, there are a number of other possible reasons for Dvorak's failure to replace QWERTY, besides a perceived lack of value. The article ignores those reasons, however, and perpetrates that false perception in a nicely self-fulfilling way.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050204023432/http://www.mwbroo...
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#3I like this guys content generally, but it's worth noting in this instance he's unknowingly echo-ing free-market libertarian dogma. > You might hear comments from time to time about studies showing Dvorak is "no better than QWERTY," or words to that effect. All such comments that I've heard seem to echo an article, "The Fable of the Keys," by S. J. Liebowitz and Stephen E. Margolis, published in the Journal of Law &…
I haven't looked in a few years, but "The Fable of the Keys" was not available on the web. I had to slip into CU's library to find it on microfiche. Unimpressive paper, no original research, just pot shots at old Navy and Dvorak experiments.
Economists call "excessive inertia" "path dependence".
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#4I like this guys content generally, but it's worth noting in this instance he's unknowingly echo-ing free-market libertarian dogma. > You might hear comments from time to time about studies showing Dvorak is "no better than QWERTY," or words to that effect. All such comments that I've heard seem to echo an article, "The Fable of the Keys," by S. J. Liebowitz and Stephen E. Margolis, published in the Journal of Law &…
What makes that libertarian dogma?
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#5As a dvorak user: in a way that's kinda great that dvorak didn't make it. It's terrible for mobile.
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#6One YouTube comment echoed my experience with Dvorak:
> Often overlooked is that the main reason for switching to dvorak isn't speed for most users. The dvorak layout is layed out for minimal movement while maintaining a roughly even split between hands. This reduces strain on a typists hands and helps a great deal with comfort when typing for longer periods of time.
I may not type faster than if I had stuck with qwerty, but I definitely don't have the wrist problems I keep hearing coworkers complain about.
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#7I like this guys content generally, but it's worth noting in this instance he's unknowingly echo-ing free-market libertarian dogma. > You might hear comments from time to time about studies showing Dvorak is "no better than QWERTY," or words to that effect. All such comments that I've heard seem to echo an article, "The Fable of the Keys," by S. J. Liebowitz and Stephen E. Margolis, published in the Journal of Law &…
What makes that libertarian dogma?
Path dependence is a kind of market failure. Libertarians like to pretend that market failure does not exist in free markets because market failure implies market intervention.
The authors of "The Fable of the Keys" have frequently argued against the existence of path dependence. https://eh.net/encyclopedia/path-dependence/
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#8One YouTube comment echoed my experience with Dvorak: > Often overlooked is that the main reason for switching to dvorak isn't speed for most users. The dvorak layout is layed out for minimal movement while maintaining a roughly even split between hands. This reduces strain on a typists hands and helps a great deal with comfort when typing for longer periods of time. I may not type faster than if I had stuck with qwe…
Split keyboards is my recommendation
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#9As a dvorak user, whatever increase in typing speed is mostly irrelevant, for most of us, our output isn't limited by how fast we can type, but how fast we can think. That being said, a long time ago I took an analysis of one of our code bases, mapped every character onto dvorak and qwerty keyboards to produce heatmaps, and it's startling how much less the fingers have to move on a dvorak keyboard. So if you're lazy, dvorak might be something to consider.
Overall, I've been using dvorak for >10 years and I like it. Going back to Qwerty is like going back to sleeping on a twin mattress. It gets the job done, but once you've become accustomed to sleeping on a queen, it's hard to justify going back to a twin.
Re: Why the Dvorak keyboard didn't take over the world (2014) [video]
#10You dont need to type fast to be productive imho