Beyond Dvorak via Genetic Algorithm

ColonelPanic writes: "I switched my computer keyboard to the Dvorak layout about a year ago. But now I've gone and done something really outlandish. I tried to discover the most efficient layout possible with a genetic algorithm. It's weird-looking, but I am typing with it now. I put the gory details up on the Web."

Comments

Good for you

[Apreche]

You wasted a lot of time and effort finding a way to remap the keys on your keyboard to allow yourself to type faster. But you know what? Who needs to type faster? I mean, I know how to type on a QWERTY keyboard, and I can do it pretty well. The time it would take me to get used to a new layout would be greater than the time I would save by typing that little bit faster. Once you are typing fast enough, that's fast enough. Unless you plan on typing a copy of War and Peace.

While I believe you wasted a lot of time and typing faster is silly, I do think that we can apply your program to other things. For example I could log keypresses during games of counter-strike and possibly find a better key layout for myself based on my style of play. Pretty much anything we want to find the best of. Maybe we could possibly apply this to networking to map the network in the best possibly configuration for speed based on bandwith.

Good ideas that could be used to achieve better, useful, goals.