What keys do you type incorrectly?

[roadblock2thesun]

I'm having a really hard time learning the number row. I keep pressing the keys with different fingers. It got me to thinking about what other keys I use the "wrong" finger for.

I always type c with my left index finger rather than middle finger as is commonly accepted... what quirks exist in your typing style?

[bigpook]

Not so much as  quirk in typing style; more of how I am feeling at that particular moment.
Some days I am just off and I have issues with backspace and pipe. I guess that could be a quirk. Annoying it is though.
When I am on and 'one with the keyboard' I do pretty well.
Typing is a mental state.

[timw4mail]

I also type c with the my left index finger. In addition, I type m with my right index finger.

[hyperlinked]

I also type c with the my left index finger. In addition, I type m with my right index finger.

Right index finger on the "M" key is correct if we're talking QWERTY.

I use the index finger on the C key conditionally. I only use it when I need my right thumb to hold down the alt key. It hurts my thumb too much to contort my hand to hit it with my left middle finger.

[ds26gte]

I corrected some of my flagrant misfingering of the bottom row (c with index, m with middle finger, etc) when I switched to Colemak and learned for the first time what the standard fingering was, but I have retained my old barbarian ways for the punctuation characters.

I tend to use the ring finger rather than the prescribed pinky for many of the punctuation characters and backspace.  I use the right pinky only for Enter and backslash.  In addition, I type left-paren with the right index, and right-paren with the right middle finger.  I use parens a lot as I use Lisp fairly frequently, so I've unconsciously dedicated my strongest fingers to them and can sense them pretty easily if non-standardly.

I don't use right-shift.  I thought it was just bad habit, but I was surprised and heartened to discover a valid justification for avoiding right-shift:  it is measurably farther away from the center of the keyboard than left-shift is.   When upcasing q, a, z, letters that normally require the left pinky, I hit left-shift with the pinky and the character itself with the ring finger.  I've never found this confusing, although it seems like I should.

I try to type the numbers with standard fingering, but since typos are unacceptable here, I slow down considerably, sometimes to the extent of using the right index for everything when the document is very important.  In typing tests, numbers are my downfall.

All my "incorrect" keyings were learned without any intent to do so, and now it's too late or too painful to unlearn.

[timw4mail]

I corrected some of my flagrant misfingering of the bottom row (c with index, m with middle finger, etc) when I switched to Colemak and learned for the first time what the standard fingering was, but I have retained my old barbarian ways for the punctuation characters.

With using the index finger for c, I find that I can hit c a lot more on-center. In this case, I think I'm better off with the slight anomaly.  The fact that the middle finger is longer than the index finger certainly doesn't help.

I don't use right-shift.  I thought it was just bad habit, but I was surprised and heartened to discover a valid justification for avoiding right-shift:  it is measurably farther away from the center of the keyboard than left-shift is.   When upcasing q, a, z, letters that normally require the left pinky, I hit left-shift with the pinky and the character itself with the ring finger.  I've never found this confusing, although it seems like I should.

I do the same thing with the left shift, meaning I stick to just using the left shift on the keyboard, and have never bothered to correct that habit.

I try to type the numbers with standard fingering, but since typos are unacceptable here, I slow down considerably, sometimes to the extent of using the right index for everything when the document is very important.  In typing tests, numbers are my downfall.

Numbers are my downfall as well.

[hyperlinked]

I don't use right-shift.  I thought it was just bad habit, but I was surprised and heartened to discover a valid justification for avoiding right-shift:  it is measurably farther away from the center of the keyboard than left-shift is.

Lemme ruin your happy home week. You should use right shift unless you plan on going e.e. cummings

in which case
you wont
need capitals
nor punc
tuation

You left hand already gets a disproportionate amount of the keyboarding load. Most keyboard shortcuts work off of your left hand. You reach for your mouse with your right hand (unless you're left handed). Your left hand has less of an opportunity to rest between keypresses as it is.

The health effects of bottoming out could be debated, but it's pretty safe to say that it's not a good thing. If you're holding down the left shift and reaching for for a capital letter or punctuation mark, my bet's that you're putting a lot more force into that shift than you think.

Holding shift and keying with the same hand is also a more complex hand movement, which can also be bad for your hand if you're doing it too much.

All this is relative as always though. If you type only a few hours a day or under 50wpm you'll probably be fine.

[Viett]

I pretty much do everything by the book, including right shift and CAPS.

e.g., (Left shift) United, (Right shift) States, (Right shfit) America

and

(Caps)U.S.A.(Uncaps)

Only caveat would be that I type words like "mart" and "dart" by hitting r with the middle finger. It's actually more efficient sometimes, but it's mostly out of habit.

I've gotten pretty good with numbers now that I have an 87 keyboard. It drives me nuts that the split MS boards have 6 on the left. It's just plain incorrect.

[timw4mail]

You left hand already gets a disproportionate amount of the keyboarding load. Most keyboard shortcuts work off of your left hand. You reach for your mouse with your right hand (unless you're left handed). Your left hand has less of an opportunity to rest between keypresses as it is.

[...]

Holding shift and keying with the same hand is also a more complex hand movement, which can also be bad for your hand if you're doing it too much.

I could argue that the pinky finger is the same way for both hands. I mean, compared to the pinky and index fingers, all the other fingers are underutilized on a keyboard.

(Just considering the four rows that are alphanumeric, including modifiers)
Each index finger has 8 keys assigned to it in the normal system, the left pinky has far less than the right, the left pinky has 8 keys, the right 13 keys.

I tend to overuse my left pinky, sure. But I also put more bias onto my stronger ring finger at the same time.

(Actually, come to think of it, woodwind instruments also tend to have more keys for the pinky, too)

My point is that, ideally, the index, middle fingers, and thumbs would get the brunt of the keystrokes in an ideal world.

[hyperlinked]

I could argue that the pinky finger is the same way for both hands. I mean, compared to the pinky and index fingers, all the other fingers are underutilized on a keyboard.

It's certainly an awkward movement regardless of the hand you're using, but it's a lot more awkard if you leave your fingers on the home row. I believe you're supposed to move your hands.

the left pinky has far less than the right, the left pinky has 8 keys, the right 13 keys.

He's using COLEMAK. I'm not sure how that applies to him though. Gotta take into account that a few of those keys on the right pinky (QWERTY) are not often used though.

I tend to overuse my left pinky, sure. But I also put more bias onto my stronger ring finger at the same time.

Fun anatomy lesson time. Your pinkie is surprisingly agile and actually stronger than your ring finger when making lateral movements. Try putting your hand flat on a table and put a heavy book next to it. Push it away with your pinkie finger. Now try to do the same with your ring finger.

Your pinkie has one extra muscle and tendon allowing it to move laterally away. Your ring and middle finger are dumb muscular trolls. The index finger and pinkie have special accessory musculature to give it additional mobility.

(Actually, come to think of it, woodwind instruments also tend to have more keys for the pinky, too)

Likely for the exact reason I just mentioned above.

My point is that, ideally, the index, middle fingers, and thumbs would get the brunt of the keystrokes in an ideal world.

It may not make as much of a difference as you think if you're thinking of carpal tunnel or general tendinitis. Do a strength test on yourself with your fingers. Make a claw shape with your hand and use your other hand to bend the fingers backwards one at a time while resisting the force. Notice how the tendons in your wrist all pop out no matter which finger you stress?

The muscles responsible for gross strength in your fingers activate as a unit.  Now your hand has plenty of other muscles to give you isolated movements, but when you press a key with your middle finger, several muscles activated when pressing with your other three fingers are not getting a rest.

Now you can certainly also cause injury to these accessory muscles that give your hand so much agility and you can always cause arthritic injury to any of your joints, but the most problematic inflammatory disorders won't be avoided if you try to spare your pinkie finger.

[hyperlinked]

That's OLD SKOOL!  Then they invented the mouse.  Why stress the right hand any more than the disproportionate amount it's getting now.

LOL, but mousing is a different motion that stresses the musculature in a different way. Even if your right hand is actually burning more calories because it's mousing and keying, it's technically getting a rest from the other activity.

[ds26gte]

With using the index finger for c, I find that I can hit c a lot more on-center. In this case, I think I'm better off with the slight anomaly.  The fact that the middle finger is longer than the index finger certainly doesn't help.

I do regret correcting my fingering here (when I moved to Colemak).  

Typing C with the index finger (and correspondingly: X with the middle, and Z with the ring) is definitely more ergo (there is no torsion of either finger or wrist, as one can easily determine).  The one negative consequence is that whatever finger you use to type B (left or right index) will be typing one more letter than it would in the standard system.

(Unfortunately, using a similar re-fingering strategy for the Q-row won't work, because W is almost a whole key-length to the right of A.)

On a related note, I wonder why there was no push for the modest redesign whereby the left-side staggering is the mirror image of the (very ergo) right-side staggering.  (I.e. the left edge of qwerty-E is placed 1/3 of a key length to the right of the left edge of qwerty-D; rather than 1/3 to the left, as it currently is.)  That should solve nearly all ergonomic infelicities while retaining the manufacture-friendly and non-weird rectangular format.

[Rajagra]

I'm having a really hard time learning the number row. I keep pressing the keys with different fingers. It got me to thinking about what other keys I use the "wrong" finger for.

I'm giving serious thought to adding extra nubs to the 4 and 7 keys. I'm actually pretty good at the numbers, but it seems logical to have extra nubs there.

My problem areas, in reverse order, are:

• The B key. Less of a problem than it used to be, but still catches me out sometimes;
• The 5 and 6 keys. The need to stretch makes me inaccurate;

And finally (drum roll)...

• THE BLOODY HYPHEN KEY. Seriously, it is way too badly positioned for something that is used so often.

[timw4mail]

• THE BLOODY HYPHEN KEY. Seriously, it is way too badly positioned for something that is used so often.

I've gotten better with it lately, but when programming, as opposed to normal typing, I'd often hit the hyphen instead of the equals sign, and when normally typing, I'll sometimes hit the equals sign instead.

[hyperlinked]

Typing C with the index finger (and correspondingly: X with the middle, and Z with the ring) is definitely more ergo (there is no torsion of either finger or wrist, as one can easily determine)...

(Unfortunately, using a similar re-fingering strategy for the Q-row won't work, because W is almost a whole key-length to the right of A.)

I think you need to learn to be loose with your hands. One of the reasons why armrests should be used sparingly as elbowrests is because is constrains the ability of your hands to move and then you have you torque your fingers to make movements that really should not be that hard if you're using proper techqinue.

[D-EJ915]

middle finger used for hitting c and m ? that's totally ass-backwards and the middle is blocked by the index in both cases

[Xero]

hmm this got me thinking,  this can actually vary depending what i'm typing. For the C I often use my left thumb to press it, I never really thought about it until I noticed myself typing that way cause of this thread, I often leave my left thumb sort-of curled under my index finger and this lets me get XCV without changing the position of my other fingers. I'm usually pressing space with my right thumb.  When I am pressing key-combinations like ctrl-c, I'll then either use the thumb or sometimes index finger, however when pressing CTRL, I usually move my hand over, and keep using the thumb for XCV. Weird. Is this that unusual? Maybe it's just me, but it's never been a hindrance in any way. Pressing C with my middle finger would mean I have to curl my finger pretty sharply, and I tend to minimize my finger movements when typing. I'm entirely a touch typist and rarely if ever look at the keyboard at all. I can generally type 100-125WPM on most typing tests.

come to think of my, my normal keyboard-hand resting position is actually ASDFC on the left hand and JKL:[space] on my right hand, though my right index finger is often on the very left-most side of the J, so I tend to stay slightly closer towards the middle that way.

I don't even use a finger for pressing left-ctrl sometimes, I find myself often using the part of my palm below my pinky and just sort of leaning my hand onto it. Again, minimizing movements.

[hyperlinked]

Is this that unusual? Maybe it's just me, but it's never been a hindrance in any way. Pressing C with my middle finger would mean I have to curl my finger pretty sharply, and I tend to minimize my finger movements when typing.

You're NUTS! Absolutely NUTS! NUTS I tell you! I type everything with my forehead!

I never realized the C key was so controversial myself, but it does appear to be in no man's land. If you don't adjust your hands at all, then indeed the C key would be hard to hit with your middle finger. It's natural to want to do more with your index finger because you have more fine motor control over it.  

If you look at this video that msiegel posted of a former typing record holder, you'll notice that his hands are not fixed in place. Then again, he's typing on a manual typewriter. You can't cheat on those things.

I don't even use a finger for pressing left-ctrl sometimes, I find myself often using the part of my palm below my pinky and just sort of leaning my hand onto it. Again, minimizing movements.

Well, that's an idea for handling the pesky CTRL key. Now if you can only figure out for all of us how the hell you hit the ALT and CTRL keys on the other side.

I just have my control key mapped to my caps lock.

[Xero]

If you look at this video that msiegel posted of a former typing record holder, you'll notice that his hands are not fixed in place. Then again, he's typing on a manual typewriter. You can't cheat on those things.


Well, that's an idea for handling the pesky CTRL key. Now if you can only figure out for all of us how the hell you hit the ALT and CTRL keys on the other side.

I just have my control key mapped to my caps lock.

Hah, I did see that video  - pretty hilarious. I imagine on an old school manual type writer like that you had to really pound down each key to get the ink on the paper properly.  It's been ages since I've even seen a type writer being used, manual or electric...

my model F is on the way, so I'll be forced to give that whole control/caps lock key thing a try. Heh, I think the capslock key is where right-ctrl is on those things.

[TWX]

'Y', 'H', and 'N' are usually typed with my left hand.

[itlnstln]

'Y', 'H', and 'N' are usually typed with my left hand.

Get yourself a split-ergo keyboard, and it'll put an end to that real quick.

[TWX]

Had one, and back then yes, it did, but I always revert.  Plus I do IS work and touch probably 2000 keyboards a year, so it's not like I can go ergo exclusively.

[itlnstln]

Had one, and back then yes, it did, but I always revert. Plus I do IS work and touch probably 2000 keyboards a year, so it's not like I can go ergo exclusively.

True that.  That's why I still use QWERTY.  If I didn't have to use other people's PCs as often as I do, I would switch to Colemak, probably.

[TWX]

True that.  That's why I still use QWERTY.  If I didn't have to use other people's PCs as often as I do, I would switch to Colemak, probably.

A friend of mine switched to DVORAK back in '99 when his duties stopped being field service and instead became bench/depot and web programming.  He had a hardware DVORAK keyboard so the users' computers brought in to him didn't have to have any software changes.