Do you switch the Ctrl & Caps Lock on your keyboard?

[ideus]

On Windows Caps Lock is Control and on Mac I map it to command. I'm a space-bar flipper as well, just feels weird using it any other way.

+1

[asgeirtj]

Caps lock as ctrl really is the best thing since sliced bread.  It take a while to get used to but it's totally worth it to do it, it's BEAUTIFUL.  Also doing this makes you able to put winkey in a more easy to reach place = the old ctrl key, making the winkey useless which makes you ready for a winkeyless masterrace board in the future!  About the flipped spacebars I don't get them at all, when you have the spacebar flipped your thumb is pressing the edge of the key, hurting your finger.  Also it looks like ****, and it looks wrong, like a mistake.

[bueller]

About the flipped spacebars I don't get them at all, when you have the spacebar flipped your thumb is pressing the edge of the key, hurting your finger.

For you maybe. When I hit the spacebar my thumb perfectly rests on the slope, much more comfortable.

[sth]

About the flipped spacebars I don't get them at all, when you have the spacebar flipped your thumb is pressing the edge of the key, hurting your finger.  Also it looks like ****, and it looks wrong, like a mistake.

bad posture leads to spacebar flipping

#liftyourwrists2012

[tofgerl]

Of course I do!

First of all, I don't use Caps Lock since I don't spend all day on Facebook.
Second of all I DO use Ctrl, since I spend all day in either Atom or Sublime Text, not to mention iTerm and PuTTy (depending on platform).

Third of all, my finger doesn't bend that way, so if I want to use the far left bottom key I have to move my hand, which takes time, effort, and leads to RSI according to people who know about those things.

[swimmingbird]

Of course I do!

First of all, I don't use Caps Lock since I don't spend all day on Facebook.

Made me laugh

[asgeirtj]

About the flipped spacebars I don't get them at all, when you have the spacebar flipped your thumb is pressing the edge of the key, hurting your finger.

For you maybe. When I hit the spacebar my thumb perfectly rests on the slope, much more comfortable.

Are we talking about non wrist rest user vs a wrist rest user maybe? I use a wrist rest.

[Macsmasher]

About the flipped spacebars I don't get them at all, when you have the spacebar flipped your thumb is pressing the edge of the key, hurting your finger.  Also it looks like ****, and it looks wrong, like a mistake.

bad posture leads to spacebar flipping

#liftyourwrists2012

This is spot on. The people who flip their spacebar are using wrist rests while they type. Good luck with that in 20+ years of full-time keyboard use.

[daerid]

This is spot on. The people who flip their spacebar are using wrist rests while they type. Good luck with that in 20+ years of full-time keyboard use.

I'm at the computer up to 12+ hrs a day. I absolutely cannot keep my wrists elevated for that long without some sort of support. It would be hell on my arms/shoulders.

(and I'm almost at 20 years of full time computer use )

[keshley]

I'm over 20 years full time and don't lift my wrists. Everybody's body is different. I don't flip my spacebar, FWIW. Then again, currently using SA, so flipping is exactly the same as not flipped...

I fully believe in ergonomics. I also believe that ergonomics is highly personal. If they weren't, then everybody could wear the same kind of running shoes, or the same chair, etc etc. Wrists aren't any different; what's good for one person isn't for another.

[Macsmasher]

To each his own on the wrist rest thing. I put my feet up on my desk and keyboard on my lap at least once through the day so I'd hardly consider myself a typing posture purist. But unless you're transcribing documents all day, you're not typing all day and that's especially true for coders. I have a nice EK leather wrist rest that always sit in front of my keyboard. When I'm not typing, my wrists are on it. When I type, I lift my wrists. When I pause typing to think, they're back on the wrist rest. It works for me.

[Altis]

I don't particularly like having the Control key left of A in the traditional CapsLock position. I find it awkward for use with Z X C V.

I think I'd most like Control to be where the Windows key is traditionally found.

[Macsmasher]

I don't particularly like having the Control key left of A in the traditional CapsLock position. I find it awkward for use with Z X C V.

I think I'd most like Control to be where the Windows key is traditionally found.

That's precisely why I like Control on home row. But it only works better if you touch type your keyboard shortcuts. Otherwise, your hand remains over those keys. However, learning them without looking is easy enough. And looking down at your keyboard is something you shouldn't be doing for this stuff anyway.


For me, I use:
Control + Z: ring finger
Control + X: middle finger
Control + C: index finger
Control + V: index finger (it just slides over a bit)


Give it a try. You'll have it down in a day or so.

[Altis]

I don't particularly like having the Control key left of A in the traditional CapsLock position. I find it awkward for use with Z X C V.

I think I'd most like Control to be where the Windows key is traditionally found.

That's precisely why I like Control on home row. But it only works better if you touch type your keyboard shortcuts. Otherwise, your hand remains over those keys. However, learning them without looking is easy enough. And looking down at your keyboard is something you shouldn't be doing for this stuff anyway.


For me, I use:
Control + Z: ring finger
Control + X: middle finger
Control + C: index finger
Control + V: index finger (it just slides over a bit)


Give it a try. You'll have it down in a day or so.

For those combinations, you're still using your pinky finger for Control (next to 'A')?

When I place my ring, middle, and index fingers on Z, X, and C, my pinky naturally falls on the Windows key. It's actually quite an uncomfortable stretch to make it next to the 'A' with my pinky, and involves arching my other fingers to allow the reach.

[Macsmasher]

Yes, pinky finger ALWAYS actuates Control beside A for me. I should've noted that, but assumed that would be understood because it's the only finger not used in my examples haha.

[suicidal_orange]

I have to use other people's keyboards at work so it makes no sense to get used to a helpfully positioned Control key, instead my main board has a cap designed to mock how infrequently it gets used

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[Macsmasher]

I have to use other people's keyboards at work so it makes no sense to get used to a helpfully positioned Control key, instead my main board has a cap designed to mock how infrequently it gets used

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lmao, mocking the Caps Lock key. I like that! I use other keyboards all the time as well and don't have any problem switching. Must be the years of muscle memory helping out.

[Altis]

Yes, pinky finger ALWAYS actuates Control beside A for me. I should've noted that, but assumed that would be understood because it's the only finger not used in my examples haha.

I figured as much, but I still can't see how that's very comfortable. With my pinky next to A, my ring finger on Z is bent sharper than a right-angle.

[opensecret]

Of course Ctrl should be to the left of A, and Alt should be below Left Shift.  This was one of the dipswitch options 25 years ago on Northgate Omnikey boards as represented in the image below; it was the option that WordPerfect recommended back in the day.  I have always figured that this is the arrangement that God intended for anyone who is a serious typist, and I regularly revamp my boards to that layout.  The Omnikeys came with extra keycaps for that layout; unfortunately, not all modern boards are so equipped.

[Steezus]

I like keeping Caps Lock whenever I have a board with the MX Lock switch for it, I rarely use it but it's fun to use haha. I got one on my RS96 but I'll probably pass on my board because I'll be using Zealios.

[tararais]

Look at all these people who can have wrist rests! 
Meanwhile my vision is crap without glasses so I have to put the laptop screen as close as possible (i.e. keyboard on top on the edge of the table). I don't have a problem floating, due to some nice adjustable arm rests on my 'gaming chair'.

[ideus]

I put my space bar in its normal orientation yesterday and I confirmed again that keep i flipped makes sense. The space bar in its flipped position allows you to keep its top surface in parallel to your thumb, in its normal orientation you hit its angle, and that feels uncomfortable. This morning I just rotated it again, and I felt at home, again.

[Steezus]

I put my space bar in its normal orientation yesterday and I confirmed again that keep i flipped makes sense. The space bar in its flipped position allows you to keep its top surface in parallel to your thumb, in its normal orientation you hit its angle, and that feels uncomfortable. This morning I just rotated it again, and I felt at home, again.

Just lift your wrists more and then the space bar wouldn't need flipped. It's all personal preference but if you have good posture and lift your wrists or use a wrist rest then there should be no need to flip the space bar.

[tofgerl]

How high are your wrist rests?!?