Slashdot Mirror
Google Wants To Take Away Your Capslock Key
heptapod writes "Slashdot reported earlier about Google's Chrome notebook and keen-eyed readers would have noticed the lack of a caps lock key. 'According to Google, this will improve the quality of the comments, because people will not be able to write all in capital letters. I'm not a fan of the caps lock key myself. I never use it, so it can go to hell, for all I'm concerned. But taking away choice from people is not good, especially when this is not going to improve the quality of comments.'"
Those of us who use it sparingly or for specialized reasons will be deprived of it. And those who USE IT TO ON EVERYTHING WITHOUT REALIZING IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING will still be stupid. And stupid people will find a way to be annoying no matter what you do.
You could take every key but "a" away and websites/services will still be filled with denizens sporting aol email addressees posting:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaa
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
And stupid people will find a way to be annoying no matter what you do.
Like just holding down the shift key?
My work here is dung.
FROM MY COLD DEAD HANdS
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. No shit? That was the point....
I'm not sure I have ever pressed the Caps Lock key on purpose... Anyone?
As much as I hate the caps lock key (reassigned mine to be an extra Esc), I just submitted a bug on Chrome that it doesn't have a command line --geometry option, which I consider a pseudo standard thing for X apps. I can't help but see that Google is going from the mostly standards compliant company they once were to becoming a Microsoft as far as following standards goes. I'm sure there are other examples people will bring up and maybe a comment along the lines of "They were never standards compliant".
Does anyone actually use the capslock key for anything but 'screaming' on internet posts? Seems like a waste of a good keyboard key spot, they should invent something more useful for that location, or use it for a special character.. It's like the numlock key, or scroll lock and pause/break.. who uses those things? Legacy keys, seems to me..
OMG WTF GGL?
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Personally I have both: Keyboards where I physically disconnected Caps-Lock and Keyboards where Caps-Lock causes trouble. I think, I have never, ever needed that key, not even once.
I am all for it!
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
The Caps Lock key is an arcane relic of the ancient IBM keyboards and for most users, it's completely unnecessary. It screws up passwords, for one, and it is in a position that is way too easy to hit accidentally. Besides, there's been a movement to ditch it for ages now, and thus far nobody's complained. Did nobody notice that the OLPC computer also ditched the CapsLock? Besides, anyone who still wants to use all caps still has the shift button.
My postings are informational and does not constitute legal advice. Act on it at your risk.
So this means no more cruise control for cool???????
But it sure can be wildly successful. See: iPhone, iPad.
...FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS (which are consequently not cramped from having to hold down shift while typing)!!1!
They should probably take away all the other keys too.......
Some bring out the best in others, some the worst. Some bring out far more.
I'm a database programmer, and I use caps lock on a regular basis. It's off by default, of course, but if I had to type stuff like this all day without caps lock I'd go mad:
CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW part_glass_part2 AS
SELECT part_key, sum(line_sqft) AS sum_sqft, sum(line_lbs) AS sum_lbs
FROM part_glass_part1
GROUP BY 1;
...I couldn't use Emacs or shell editing without it. Beats me why it's labelled 'caps lock', though --- the other control keys on the keyboard are all labelled 'Ctrl'.
Why the continuing bother with Caps Lock, SysRq, Scroll Lock, and Break? Does anyone use them? at least, any number of people above statistical noise?
How about the Windows and Menu keys? anybody use that on a regular basis? would a statistically meaningful number miss them?
And while we're at it, usage of the Function keys (12 of them!) seems vanishingly small.
Nineteen nigh-unto-unused keys, times how many keyboards out there with them?
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
DOES GOOGLE NOT HAVE ANY DBA'S WORKING FOR THEM? IF THEY DID, THEY WOULD REALIZE HOW AWESOME THEY ARE AT TYPING WHILE HOLDING THE SHIFT KEY DOWN. KTHXBYE.
in order to bypass the filter, i guess i have to type a lot of undercase words too. perhaps more than i did uppercase. in anycase, i think we get the point.
OUR CAPSLOCK! BUT THEY'LL NE'ER TAKE OUR FREEDOM!!!!
*this message brought to you by holding Shift on a standard keyboard... i never use c.lock neway
Heck, I've edited the registry on my windows machines to disable the key anyway. Only gets me into trouble. Be nice to map it into something else. Definitely not a key that has much use anyway.
Man Google keeps pulling shit like this. Everytime they make a new 'user interface enhancing web 2.0 nonsense addition' the support forums are flooded with people complaining that they can't get their old look back. And Google just doesn't give a crap. Not planning to get a Chrome laptop so this hardly affects me, but changing stuff without offering a way to keep it in the old state is just a dick move.
I never use the Caps Lock key, why should it taunt me with its nearness to the home row, yet useless functionality? Maybe a Search key isn't what I would have replaced it with, but anything is an improvement...
How am I supposed to program BASIC on this thing? My poor pinky will get all tired...
DxBlog - It's where you want to be
a shift key that can be held?
With all the issues facing the world today this makes the news hahahahaha. I dont care about the caps lock button personally if im that hardup to shout my point ill use the shift key. Might burn a few extra calories but sometimes sacrifice must be made lol.
When you dislike the human race as much as I do, Karma:Bad is inevitable lol.
If you are on Windows there is a reg change you can make that will turn you CAPS into a CTRL key and it is the greatest thing I've ever done to my computer. There is one huge caveat though if you are on someone else's computer it will turn into a huge annoyance though.
http://johnhaller.com/jh/useful_stuff/disable_caps_lock/
...BUT IT'S WRONG!
Perhaps the functionality should be retained, but entered via a function key or a two-key combination that requires pressing to enter that mode.
This way, people who need to type extended all-caps can still do so, but it won't be mistakenly keyed by dolts who hit it as a shift key and then flail away without returning it to lower case. Of course, people who want to be annoying and "shout" will still be able to do so, but it might cut down on the inadvertant clueless shouting.
I have been mulling over the possibilities of adopting tablet devices at work so we can connect to our HP-UX server for access to the POS and inventory stuff. Other than logging in, everything must be entered in caps.
Actually, now that I think about it, maybe this will be the single motivating factor for finally upgrading our 20+ year old software.
Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool.
For modern web-based applications, you are correct that there is little or no reason for the Caps Lock key.
But for the MILLIONS of people whose job requires them to use antiquated legacy systems, it is often essential.
The largely character-based systems used for accounting, order entry, invoicing, and other core functions are often accessed through terminal emulation software or first generation client-server software. These systems often have a great number of "lookup" codes for everything from SKU to client numbers that fail when using lower case. Those still using first generation client-server software are especially inconvenienced as some of these programs have no option to remap the keyboard.
The sheer volume and costs of re-engineering these systems mean that they will be with us for years to come, no matter how ugly and inefficient when compared to modern systems.
(Well, you did ask.)
Live Long and Prosper - Thanks Leonard. You are missed.
I never understood why there is a hardware button that was SOOOO easy to hit by accident over something that could much easier and better been done with software.
Can all hardware vendors get away from the CAPLOCKS key?
Curse you Google! How am I supposed to run now!?!
Please, please, please put the CTRL key back there, where it belongs.
I remap my capslock to CTRL on every machine I use.
It was 10-12 years into my computing career before I ever saw lowercase. Grew up on IBM keypunch, 110-baud Teletype, Fortran, COBOL, BASIC.
You could shift-lock, ctrl-lock, alt-lock (for those pesky high ASCII characters), and the like.
This is a rather stupid comment. Keyboards today are missing keys that used to exist. It's not a matter of taking away choice, but a matter of usefulness. You can't have every god damned possibility on your keyboard or it'd be too big to fit into a room.
Plus you can choose not to purchase Google's products.
I'm quite sympathetic to a lot of libertarian ideals, but for god's sake, do you have to see threats to your liberty in every fucking thing out there?
It has already been reported that you can change the search key back into a caps lock key if you so desire through a preference. http://www.istartedsomething.com/20101208/fear-not-chrome-os-has-caps-lock/
No, seriously, can anyone explain to me why some people insist on capitalizing every letter in their e-mails and/or comments? I've been wondering about this for years, and I've never been able to figure it out. I seriously doubt these folks write in all caps when they use a pen (or do they???), so why do they do it on a computer? What is their "logic" for this?
when a company finds a way to make the world a little more foolproof, the world will make a better fool....
I assume this bit is from a Slashdot posting and not Google:
Attention people -- keyboards are use for more than posting comments.
What the hell kind of drivel is this?
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
I code in a case sensitive language and use case to indicate different data types. This would be a huge pain!
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
Never mind. Google is clearly correct.
How about å, ä, ö, and ø?
I know quite a few Vikings who are pissed at the lack of it in plain ASCII.
Unfortunately, Columbians have taken control of the matter from Erkissonians. An now Göögle?!
easiest way to send a short email to a friend with very poor vision
Good luck creating architectural drawings. (IMAA)
It has been convention since the beginning of time to write everything in CAPs. Not that conventions can't change, but there is a whole system of communication in the construction industry related to the assumption that instructions and notations are always capitalized. Similar reason to why US construction is still Imperial, there is too much embodied energy in the current method to risk confusing it with a change to another system.
There is no need to use a SlashDot sig for SEO...
I don't necessarily think they should take the option away. I just think it should by one of those buttons where you have to hit a function key + caps lock. I don't necessarily use caps lock, but I'm sure there are people who do. My only problem is that I always accidently hit when I'm going for shift or tab and its just a pain.
I type with one hand. Any time I need to write more than a few characters in upper case I use the caps lock key. Yes I could get a one handed keyboard but I find I can use most regular keyboards ok. As a programmer I do find there are commands, varables and such (SOMECOMMAND OR VARABLE) that I need to type in uppercase. If a system doesn't have a caps lock I will probibly advoid it if possible ( I don't use Apple computers for similar reasons, damb mouse click keypress combos). Anyhoo thats my two bits.
Paul Lister (I already have far to many accounts to keep track of)
... they are offering me the opportunity to buy a device that doesn't have a caps-lock key.
After a series of unfortunate caps-lock incidents years ago, I've taken to popping off the caps lock key on any QWERTY (-- yes, I held the shift button to type that) keyboard I use regularly.
While it is annoying that the infrastructure guys keep asking me if I want a new keyboard, it beats dealing with the accidental capping, especially when working in languages that are case sensitive.
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
i always hated caps lock, ive never really used it, but its always next to tab, shift and a, which are used in games often, begging me to hit it accentually
warning pointless sig
At least they're better than Apple. If Steve had his way, you would only ever be allowed one key to press.
No left turn unstoned.
Nothing like playing an MMO and your chat with your teammates comes out like:
We're corner pulling. Get back here.
All the way back here. Behind the corner.
You don't need a closer look.
Dammit, incoming landslide!
i'LL REZ YOU WHEN i CAN GET TO YOU.
ack caps
STFU trying to live here.
Seriously, the fact that Caps Lock is not really Caps Lock but Caps Invert is really retarded. Not lame, retarded -- because it's a case of a programmer doing something to show that he can without asking anyone else if they wanted that feature. Nobody wants Caps Lock to Caps Invert except folks that have handles like -=PwNzOr=-.
Anyway, I ripped out my Caps Lock key a while ago and haven't missed it. Can't do that on laptops, though. Maybe some smart person out there could disable Caps Lock in software? On Mac OS X, you can just go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Modifier Keys and set Caps Lock Key to "No Action".
We're making a huge deal about the caps lock key being removed on an ultra-portable laptop. On Apple's Macbook Pro the "backspace" key was renamed to "delete" and the delete key itself is completely gone. I think that's far worse then the caps lock key going away, especially since you can still use shift keys to capitalize text.
I hacked my netbook so I would have a caps-lock key. I jammed silly putty down the side of the shift key to hold it down for me. Next release will include toggle functionality (considering an easily removable alternative like wood chip to jam the key down).
> But taking away choice from people is not good
Taking away choice is often a good thing. How often would people plug in cables wrong if the ends were not keyed in some fashion? How often would weekend movers (driving a truck for the first time) barrel down the highway at 90mph if there was not a governor on the engine.
Most of a society's laws are based on taking away choice.
Getting rid of caps lock - awesome.
Replacing it with a search key - asinine.
You're just going to clip it accidentally and pop up some irritating search window.
Put ctrl back where it belongs - if you want a search key, put it somewhere out the way.
Personally I use the caps lock key to switch current keyboard layout (English/Russian). YEAH, IN SOVIET RUSSIA, CAPS LOCK USES YOU.
I've been using this Windows hack to turn my Caps Lock key into a regular old Shift key for about a year now. I hardly noticed, except I don't have sentences tHAT LOOK LIKE THIS ANYMORE.
-Arthur
Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
Now we'll have to actually read the posts to find out it's written by an idiot instead of just skipping them as soon as you see it's in all caps.
The windows keys need to be the first to go, I've pulled them off of every keyboard I've had since they came out. If I had to work at someone else's desktop keyboard for more than 10 minutes, I'd pull it off because I would have already hit it 2-3 times.
Putting a key on the keyboard that literally stops it from working (oh, were you typing? Because now you're opening whatever program the next few keystrokes brings up) is just idiotic, putting it right next to a shift key instead of in the furthest corner of the board is, well, I don't think there's a word for that stupid. I don't personally know anyone who has ever hit the windows key intentionally.
At least my laptop has it in the top right corner next to the even more useless Pause/Break key, which didn't even work that often in DOS. Might as well ship every system with a 5 1/4" floppy drive, they're about as useful.
This sentence no verb.
This will only be worthwhile if the letters on the keys are printed in lower case. If you're dyslexic or your first script isn't Roman then you may find it really confusing that the symbols on the keys don't match the symbols on the screen. For some people, the standard workaround is to hit caps lock and then the symbols match. So, if you want to reduce the number of people writing in caps then don't print letters on the keyboard in caps.
Ever heard of Software-based caps lock? Just because you are removing the hardware ability for CAPS lock, doesn't mean you can remove the ability for software-initiated CAPS lock.
...Google does not want to take away my capslock key. They want to not install one on a product they intend to make. If it's important to you don't buy the product. If it's really important tell them why you don't intend to buy the product. But don't act as though their decision as to how to design their product is some sort of outrageous infringement on your rights.
I wouldn't miss it myself, and it makes sense to leave it off a compact machine where space is at a premium.
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
First they came for the caps lock key, and I didn't speak because I don't use the caps lock key.
At least on a Linux French keyboard, the capslock key is the only way to get upperase accentuated letters, like ÉÈÇÀ. I hope there will be an alternative way of entering them.
for BIG BROTHER...
I remapped the non-NumLock keypad to the various keys to control my TiVo in SlingPlayer. Zero is the 30-second skip button, the decimal point is back-skip, nine and six page up and down, five and two play and pause, eight is the TiVo button, and SlingPlayer mute and system mute round out the rest.
It's actually quite a nice system (much nicer than Control-F, Control-B, and other seemingly randomly-chosen keys). I use AutoHotKey to set focus to the SlingPlayer window and send the key or keys, so they work regardless of which window had focus. Makes it trivial to skip commercials, but I retain the use of the numeric keypad.
I think that most people are missing the point of what Google is trying to do. They are not so much removing the Caps Lock key as they are adding a Search key. On a PC that is designed around web browsing (not coding, drafting, etc.) this makes quite a bit of sense. I for one never use the Caps Lock key but my wife uses it constantly. I believe that removing it would force her to learn to type correctly and therefore increase her overall typing speed. Having a search button, on the other hand, will make it very easy to pull up a search box when you're in a hurry to find out what the latest buzz is on your favorite topic.
.sig
I see everyone commenting about how they really need capslock, but almost every single one of them says it is for a specialized need like accessing legacy systems. What is the likelyhood that you are going to use an underpowered subnotebook for doing CAD? Or using it as a terminal for accessing a mainframe? Well, maybe the latter, but there are plenty of other options out there.
This laptop is meant for people who are going to be using the web almost exclusively. I for one, welcome our lower case overlords. It will make daily web usage a better place.
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/06/08/16/1225239/War-Declared-on-Caps-Lock-Key
Four years ago. Caps lock is still here, BECAUSE IT'S USEFUL.
Now I won't have a big button under my pinky to remap to Ctrl....
TODO: Something witty here...
it comes in handy, but who's to say there won't be a shortcut? ctrl+shift maybe? An explicit key is a waste of space imo.
Excellent.
Don't stop there; There are a lot of other useless keys on my way-too-big keyboard as well.
There are 127 keys on the keyboard in front of me right now. By my count, over 40 of these are little buttons that are used so rarely that they could be easily removed and replaced by key combinations with no loss in functionality
http://www.geoffreylandis.com
As in, that joke went over your head.
I use the Caps Lock key only to deactivate my screensaver without disturbing any app state. But I really like it for that.
Also, I like idiots to be able to Caps Lock and scream their messages at me, so I can quickly tell they're idiots to be ignored. What would really be useful would be a browser plugin that replaced those with an "ALL CAPS" flag that could be toggled to examine just what kind of idiot is screaming at me.
--
make install -not war
nuff said!
I actually find the capslock key invaluable when writing defines in C and C++ and when writing in assembly. Although neither of those things need be written in all capitals, its tradition.
I would think someone would have written a browser plug-in by now that would detect all-caps writing and automagically correct it to caps-free.
Of course, there are a few people out there who use caps because their eyesight is so terrible that they cannot read the writing on the screen unless it is all caps; perhaps instead the caps lock key should increment the size of the default font?
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
If you're HARDCORE you hold DOWN the SHIFT key when you need all CAPS. Kudos to Google for bringing out the hardcore typist in us all! That crappy key was nothing but problems.
"True refinement seeks simplicity."
Caps lock is note-off in many .mod style trackers.
This is a pretty dumb move.
It's not losing Caps Lock that I'm worried about.
It's losing the ability to turn Caps Lock OFF is it's turned on by software.
Did anyone else actually watch the webcast? This seemed to be a joke aside, in the midst of explaining the tradeoffs required to put a full-sized keyboard in a small form factor.
They should have replaced it with the 'Any' key.
[Win]+[R], osk, [Enter]
And what software turns Cap Lock on?
Distributed Denial of APK: It takes 15 seconds to reply to him anonymously, but wastes tons of his time if we all do it.
YOU CANT TAKE AWAY OUR ffffrrreeeeddddoooommmm
According to Google, this will improve the quality of the comments, because people will not be able to write all in capital letters.
Better comments? Their justification for getting rid of the key is so people can post prettier drivel on web forums? Google's priorities here seem very off to me. Does Google not know that people actually use computers for work or other useful purposes. The world is not just snarky generation Y kids posting their opinion about the latest pop icon or what Jenny's best friend's cousin said on the web.
CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL!
PS: This PS added to avoid /. filtering. Silly thing felt I was using too many capital letters. =/
... are invading my posts?
Caps-lock key hack in 3... 2...
before me, but the answer is simple. Don't want all caps posts in your comments? Simple. THE WEBMASTER SHOULD BE USING SOMETHING TO BAN COMMENTS THAT HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CAPS! DUH!
Now, the question is... Do I use the shift key or the caps lock key to do that?
If they were truly serious then they'd have browser/chat program/online game close automatically if any text written by the user contains more than two consecutive exclamations or any occurrences of "ur".
-- Using the preview button since 2005
I just submitted a bug on Chrome that it doesn't have a command line --geometry option, which I consider a pseudo standard thing for X apps.
Have you filed similar bugs against all of Mozilla's products?
Does searching for a bug that someone else filed and adding yourself as a CC+voter count as filing?
Caps-lock has never been handled properly by most of OS. It is usually a "shift-lock". It is a problem for instance on a French keyboard mapping. It is not possible to type correct French with a shift-lock instead of a caps-lock.
We so many acronyms in defense contracting that my caps lock key is on for nearly every third word.
I've always wished the CapsLock key would be replaced with another modifier key. It's really well-positioned for easy chording - more convenient than others like Ctrl. We could still have caps lock functionality without a dedicated key.
Don't take away my BILLY MAYS KEY
I am subscribed to an e-mail list for people and families of people with a genetic disorder that causes a variety of symptoms often including some form of vision problems and anywhere from mild to severe mental retardation. My son has the disorder and the e-mail list is a vital tool for the community of people facing the challenges associated with it. At least one member of the list who has the disorder has difficulty reading lowercase letters.
SO FOR HER MANY PEOPLE TYPE THEIR E-MAILS LIKE THIS. YOU HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO SEE THIS AS SHOUTING. I WAS CONDITIONED THAT WAY TOO. BUT I HAVE SINCE LEARNED TO SEE THIS AS HELPING FRIENDS COMMUNICATE.
Simply because someone is conditioned differently from you, and has a different contextual interpretation of all caps, hardly makes them stupid. Unaware of your custom, sure. But I presume you were equally unaware of the custom of using all caps as a way to help people with disabilities read text on a screen better and more fully participate in online communities...UNTIL NOW.
I don't have a need for a CapsLock. And if I (in my geeky prowess) can't think of any reason that someone would want one, there can't possibly be a legitimate need for one. Get rid of it now!
www.DIYTVAntennas.com
Regarding comments that "I have no use for this feature, so it should be deleted": I have no use for such comments, and they should be deleted.
What a naieve view! Consider:
Perhaps the commentator is subconsciously equating choice with flexibility, freedom, or power. Sometimes that's the case and sometimes choices actually work to hinder such things. If you're designing for the good of your users, seek to understand their wants, needs, and capabilities and then optimize your product to serve and most easily enable the range of choices they are actually seeking make.
Apparently, Google is doing this as the caps lock key is now a search key that you can optionally revert to caps lock behavior if you need it.
-1, Too Many Layers Of Abstraction
It was good while it lasted...
I need my capslock key! I redefined it to be my pause/play button!
And, don't take away my "windows" key, I use that for "next song".
Script writers use caps lock all the time. It is standard formatting for all character names, transitions, and slug line (the line describing location and time for each scene) to be in all caps.
I remember having trouble using the old Sun workstation keyboards. The Control and Caps Lock keys are in switched positions. I suppose that makes some sense on a UNIX system, but it was hard getting used to. Maybe Google should just move Caps Lock somewhere else?
Get rid of it!
I always, I mean always hit this key by accident.
Such a pain.
Should at least be repositioned on the keyboard.
Hate Caps LOCKED.
If someone wants to use it I am sure there will be an add on.
There is software to change case. You know I had this program back on windows called Office 97. You could tell it to fix/change case anytime you wanted. I'd imagine in this day and age you could have it set to autofix any capitals after say 8 characters in a row. That should cover most acronyms people are going to use in a comments field. I can even find a script for that in irssi. I highly doubt that this kind of coding would beyond google's grasp (but if it is I'd love to apply for a job). I wonder if they're thinking something else and this is the public response.
It allows you to enter capital letter and numbers in quick succession without risking !"#%&/()= showing up. CL is not the same as holding shift.
Ha ha ... go Google! It's about time. I removed my caps-lock key years ago.
My keyboard looks "different" without it but at least I no longer turn on caps lock by mistake !!
I had to help a user here who couldn't log in because he used CAPS-LOCK as a SHIFT key when entering his password.
Seriously, we had to see it with our own eyes when we couldn't get his account working via phone.
Well if we are talking about new computers like netbooks lacking that CAPS LOCK key, then I'm fine with it. Many people I know still hate the smaller sized/compact keyboards that laptops typically have. Of course there are the Mobile desktop style laptops which do include the 10-key keypad option. But still I meet people who prefer to purchase a USB keyboard to continue typing away.
My thing is this... Take it off. CAPS LOCK. I have no problem with it, even if the additional argument is to improve comments online. But like my t-shirt I wear on a weekly basis says. "There is no patch for human stupidity". These people will just have to rely on purchasing a standard USB/PS2 keyboard to keep their CAPS LOCK key accessable.
Now on the other hand, could we compact the CAPS LOCK key as a Fn alternate key? I can see that being a viable option.
When I enter a mailing address, I want the deliver to go without a hitch so I generally enter the address all in CAPS. To consider that the CAPSLOCK key is only used to SHOUT is the most assinine thing since the DOT dot-head decided that technology to disable cell phones in cars wouldbe a great thing to do. Throw the baby out with the bath water is what seems to prevail. Are there any original thinkers left or do people just come up with knee-jerk reactions and feel all good about themselves for saving the WORLD from ourselves? Reminds me of the movie Idiocracy where they use used a "electrolyte-enhanced" prioduct instead of water because "Brawndo" is better than just plain water. DOH! Life imitating art. We only have ourselves though to blame if this type of thinking overwhelms us and we become complacant to just accept things rather than put up a fuss. "Eternal Vigilance Is The Price Of Freedom" and it equally applies to technology. We must "Protect Our Tech" and "Demand Quality." Yeah, this is a different rant but goes along the same lines of this conversation- When did we decide it was acceptable that our consumer products such as televisions should have a life expectancy of less than ten years? When growing up, my television lasted over 25 years, yet we have allowed the manufacturers to chepaen the quality to the point where it becomes necessary to buy an "extended one year warranty" to cover us a full two years on some equipment. GAHH!!!
I'm unlikely to miss the CAPS key on a 12" notebook so it sounds pretty reasonable to me.
I use caps when programming (i.e. CONSTANTS) or when playing some games but I don't see myself doing either of these on a device like this.
Wonderful thing, a second layer without horrible finger acrobatics. And you can put anything you need on that layer
ößé©@倮ø
I'm sure Apple has already put a patent on this "technology."
All the cheats are in all-caps.
How am I supposed to cheat on it without a caps-lock?
But if you look at they keyboard it has a led to indicate shift. I have to assume it is there to indicate a caps lock function, perhaps by using a double shift or some type of keyboard shortcut. I doubt they would put a led indicator there only to have it light when you press the shift key. I could be wrong though, dumber things have happened.
I loath the caps lock key.. it is a completely useless key on the keyboard.. It was useful back in the old typewriter days when it was first created due to the "mechanics" of things.. but nowdays? it is an annoyance.
All my systems have the caps lock key remapped to something else.. Usually the super key, especially on my "old" keyboards that pre-date the addition of the super keys (commonly known to Windows users as the Windows key, or the Command key to Mac users)
I work in the defense industry, which means I type acronyms. A LOT of acronyms. The lack of a capslock key would make the device so painful for me to use for work purposes that I just wouldn't. And therefore wouldn't buy it.
"they don't like people yelling on the internets!".upcase
"Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING." -- either does slash dot apparently i smell conspiracy!
I always disable the CAPS LOCK key anyway. Here's to progrefs!
yes there are lots of places where one should use all uppercase text,
cad - mechanical drawings and electrical schematics etc
arcane programming
abrevation heavy mission critical text where misreading anything is not acceptable eg NOTAMS - reading lowercase is way faster but mistake probability is higher, not really relevant in everyday text
these are just few i could think of, none of them usually need long paragraphs and pages of uppercase text however, shift will suffice
but in 99% of modern applications having caps-lock is more harm than good. when have you ever bothered to read through a comment that is in all uppercase, i just think "nuisance" and skip it
I don't get why so many people complain.
It's only on the Chrome netbook.
You won't use legacy decades old applications on it.
You won't even have a terminal.
You will just browse the web.
You will far often want to search the web (and press that new key) then you want to write lots of letters all in caps,
which you still can with shift.
So, yes. Get rid of that useless key, please!
Typical how computer geeks believe they are the center of the world. There are some of us who use computer keyboards for reasons other than programming and posting things to blogs and bulletin boards. Some people use computer keyboards for actual writing of the English language and, in the case of acronyms, could really use that caps-lock key.
You could remap it to something more useful, e.g. copy, paste.
For example (if you use AuotHotKey) see http://stevepugh.co.uk/autohotkey/
But frankly, some of those systems, while very arguably "ugly", are anything BUT inefficient!
I work for a place that's stuck using one such app, and as much as I disliked it when I first started working here as network admin, I've come to realize the simplicity has many huge benefits too. For example, even when our bandwidth is saturated, that app keeps working pretty smoothly when it has to be accessed from our second location. The simple, all-text menus transfer easily even over very slow connections. Additionally, our salespeople who have used it for years can fly through the software using function keys and digits that select menu choices, pretty much in their sleep. When you watch them doing it while talking on the phone with a customer, you realize there's no way you can design a modern GUI based point-and-click app that could keep up as well. It's not nearly as user-friendly for a new user to learn, but we're not exactly a "revolving door" of sales and office staff, so years of greater efficiency for long-timers is worth a lot more than a longer initial training period for someone new.
Those of us who use it sparingly or for specialized reasons will be deprived of it.
If you really use it sparingly, you won't miss it. You'll hold down shift for an extra 4 seconds per week.
While their explanation about it improving comments is obviously bullshit, I like the decision anyway. Every single time I ever press caps lock, it's an accident.
If I may get overdramatic, having a caps lock key on your keyboard, is like having a bear trap on your desk. As long as you stay away from it, it's harmless. But it never under any circumstances ever ever helps you, and sometimes you accidently go near it.
"Believe me!" -- Donald Trump
HOW DOES TAKING AWAY THE CAPS LOCK PREVENT LEAVING COMMENTS IN ALL CAPS?
(WRITTEN WITHOUT USING THE CAPS LOCK KEY> (damn))
However, I can see how using an auto-caps mechanism would improve the quality of comments. Perhaps an auto-grammar and auto-don't-be-an-ass mechanism too while they're at it.
(Again, written without using the caps lock key.)
Since we're not all in steno-pools using typewriters to create paper-based forms anymore, perhaps it is time to retire the Caps Lock.
Why we're still using 104-key keyboards, and not 26+10+~(5-10) key keyboards? Seriously. The operating system can handle all of this shit. Numpad? A special keypress or input can toggle an alternative keyboard mapping or OSD. Arrows? Ditto with before. Fn keys? Bind these to alt+number keys and deprecate them. Tab? Alt+space (maybe). Caps lock? Alt+shift toggled. Grammar keys should stay as-is (or become 3-in-1), although some could be merged with letters and be shift-enabled.
So basically a standard laptop's keyboard, but more powerful and quite a bit smaller.
Or, whatever, fuck it... I think I'd rather wait for physically-tactile digital keyboards that can be reprogrammed on the fly (or 80% of the keys anyway). Why is kb tech lagging so many decades behind...
There are many other "choices" (to be idiots too) that have been taken away proactively. (Like the smiley key! Surely you bemoan the loss of that one too?)
Nay, I say good riddance... people still have the choice to type in all uppercase... it's called "holding in the SHIFT key" (see what I did there?) :) -- smiley typed with ':' and ')' keys...
I type with one hand.
Too much information right there.
Blank until
It should only take a week for someone to write an app that will intercept text input and REPLACE ALL TYPED CHARACTERS WITH CAPITAL LETTERS!
I use irony whenever I can, but my shirts are still wrinkled...
And we can all safely assume none of those will be using a new laptop designed to be used on a pilot program to test a new operating system, or not?
I started remapping my capslock key to escape over two years ago and never looked back. By my estimation, my pinky will have travelled a bazillion miles less by the time I retire (vim user here) than if I left escape at the top left extent of my keyboard.
My blog has instructions on doing this in Linux, Mac OSX and Windows.
http://blog.jacobelder.com/2008/04/take-back-your-keyboard.html
IF I HAD A CAPS LOCK KEY :)
There is an indicator light on the Shift key. Double press shift and it lights up. AKA Caps Lock.
I just hope this catches on. I hope one day we see a keyboard with "CAPS LOCK" and people wonder "What the heck is that?!" It definitely needs to go away as the keyboard real-estate is better used for other functions.
If one wants to have a "Caps Lock" function, I propose pressing both Shift keys simultaneously as the method for making that happen. I know... one-handed typers might have issue with the removal of the caps lock. For them, I propose a "slide" switch that literally latches the shift key into the down position. But then again, people who type one-handed or literally only have one hand probably already have means and methods that do not use the caps lock key. Windows, for example, has an annoying accessibility feature that is enabled by pressing and holding Shift for too long.
In any case, Caps Lock is a needless key. I use it only to test to see if a machine is locked up at a very low level. (If the caps lock, scroll lock and num lock lights do not toggle, then a machine is truly brain dead and probably needs to be cold started... not always but most of the time it's the case.)
My work involves the typing of a lot of acronyms... which I sometimes do on Google docs. The lack of a capslock key would make my (work) life almost indescribably painful. Accordingly, I won't be buying a Chrome notebook.
I DON'T GET IT! WHY!!!?
more seriously, apart from the fact that no IT professional would want to use the machine or OS, this is daft to the point of idiocy.
It's fixing one of the side-effects, not the disease or even the symptoms.
~men are from earth. women are from earth. deal with it.~
I would barely be able to function without capslock.
I use to have so much fun when working in a Unix lab where engineers would physically yank the caps lock key out of the keyboard lest they might accidently hit it. When they were away from their desks and their screen lock came on I'd take a pencil and stick it gently into the removed caps lock key thus activating all caps. It would take them hours to unlock their screen! ;-)
Ah the good old days...
So when you're designing the ROTFLcopter you can write "CROSS-SECTION!!!!1111".
As a programmer, no caps lock means I'm not interested in the product. Many constants are in all caps. It is easy to type those on a keyboard with caps lock than to hold down shift while typing them in.
Only a few isolated things actually change capslock, including some very silly Winamp plugins that blink the lights.
The problem is that it does happen on occasion, and when it does, you are stuck that way (this keyboard is probably not going to be paired with Microsoft Windows).
+1 for the attempt to get rid of ALL CAPS POSTS, but a better way to do it would have been to modify the keyboard driver to have the caps lock key *not* change the case of the text being entered. Make it a configurable option, but default it to "off".
I type with one hand.
Too much information right there.
His boyfriend won't let him have the other hand back for a couple of minutes.
Not quite in the same league as my old Acorn Electron (BBC Micro for those who couldn't afford one.) In the top-right hand corner of the keyboard, next to the cursor arrow keys with no gap, was the "break" key, which did a soft reboot. It could be disabled in software, or there was a company at the time that manufactured a specially-shaped piece of metal to slip over the corner of the computer and cover up the key!
Billy Rosewood, DDIJSIOC, would hate this idea.
Evidently you can reconfigure the new dedicated search key so it acts as a caps lock key if you want. Which is a very good tradeoff, I think. Makes good use of a valuable spot on the home row, but lets people with special needs keep their accustomed functionality.
How do we write ÄÖÜ without the capslock key? Back to good old alt-"ascii code"?
Must be a joke..
For anyone working in the Computer Aided Drafting field this 'innovation' would be cause a major problem. Industry standards require all text to be caps only on architectural and engineering drawings.
I hope they intend to provide another way to enable all caps. For example in Android you double tap shift to enable all caps. That might be a reasonable compromise, which saves a small bit of keyboard space without removing functionality which is useful and sometimes vital.
Reaching for the shift key for extended periods f time strain my hands pretty badly. When I program, I use all caps for defines or constants. The caps lock key saves me from pain. Thank you Google. Thank you for bringing the pain.
I'd be fine with losing the caps lock key if double tapping shift could do the same thing.
Honest question there...
What legitimate, sparing, or specialized use do you actually put caps lock to use for? Personally, I hate the stupid thing and I say good riddance to bad rubbish. One of the first things I do whenever I'm setting up a new computer is remap the thing to be a control key, as was always the proper use for the key in that space.
I do agree that aol-ers will always find some way to be stupid and annoying. Too bad no one ever thought to just drop all traffic from their netblock.
Imagine all the people...
The site is down so here's a cached version.
Ya dang young'ens.
First you took my L-shaped enter key, then my Big Old Backspace. And moved my pipe key to the stupidest place ever.
Change, I'm agin it! *spit*
Anything is possible given time and money.
Geez. I don't even USE the Caps Lock to type all-caps, I just hold the Left-Shift down with my pinky finger. I _DO_ however, use the Caps Lock to switch between Katakana, Hiragana, and direct input modes in the Japanese IME. That's pretty damned important. :(
Besides, like many have pointed out, douchebags and fucktards are going to be douchebags and fucktards even if they have to communicate their douchebaggery and fucktardery by writing it on the wall in their own blood. Though, actually, that's not a bad idea, especially for the more long-winded ones...
Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
A NumLock key on a laptop/netbook is absolutely essential! Who doesn't need a virtual keypad right in the middle of the keyboard?
Sarcasm of course. Not gonna name any names (ThinkPad) but I've had to deal laptops that had the NumLock turning on by default during boot up and users unable to login, thinking either the keyboard was broken or something was wrong with their password. Most don't even know NumLock on a laptop is an option, much less notice the eensy-weensy LED indicating its on or what it means. And we couldn't get it to stop, BIOS or registry changes be damned. One laptop even had its keyboard replaced (not by me.)
The eventual fix: Boot up laptop, don't log in, turn off the NumLock, power down, start back up as usual, bash head against wall.
.
Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
ENGAGED!!!!!!!
If Google drops the Caps Lock, then they will likely get sued by some accessibility freak, the War Amps or a veteran's organization.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
My hands have built-in caps lock. It's called the pinky finger. Good riddance, caps lock key.
Removing caps lock might be beneficial. Figuring out how to enforce punctuation and proper spelling would be preferable to me. Perhaps a reward system for grammatically correct responses. Starting with a rather restrictive commenting system where users can only comment under certain limited conditions, twice per day, only on topics in designated groupings, only old topics, only topics with existing comments, etc, and reward good comments on a scale by reducing the limitations over time. For the most part, this can be handled by software. Bad comments of course move the user down the sliding scale.
On top of that add user-based moderation and staffed-based meta-moderation systems. Moderation doesn't have to be in real time, so long as it takes place on a daily routine.
With these systems users who make crappy comments are limited to the comments they can submit, and the moderators' work load is reduced dramatically. Users still have the freedom to post "UR A TULE DYRTBAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", but when they do their ability to post again anytime soon is dramatically reduced. Perhaps the moderators are automatically notified of a 'bad comment' and can quickly review all comments by that user to meta-moderate their scoring.
The user-based moderators could be anonymous and periodically changing, similar to Slashdot, and require multiple users to make the same or similar moderation changes to individual comment before it takes effect. That way it's like jury peer review, and it's more difficult for a group of users or a piece of software to hijack the system.
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
Too much is never enough, eh?
Blank until
javascript:alert('hello yelling'.toUpperCase());
Actually, yes! When touch-typing, it is clearly a good alternative to holding down shift.
The point is that with caps lock your hand is not in a weird position. Holding shift, you have to type very carefully. In fact, I find that this actually INCREASES my accuracy when typing passwords, contrary to the common argument against. Significant problem is that you have to switch which shift you use for each letter: if it is under your left hand, you use the right shift, and vice-versa (to still sort of retain any possibility of accurately blind-typing a capital letter). This is no problem for STEWARDESS, but try typing TORMENTING that way.. :(
Case in point: I honestly did not do this intentionally, but after typing the previous paragraph I realised that I used caps-lock to type INCREASED. It is automatic, at this point. Using shift is a hassle.
Please don't take away my "ANY" key, I need it!
My coworker prefers all capital letters. He can read them more easily because capital letters are bigger.
We work at a small law firm and use a lot of old fixed resolution software.
Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.
Taking away caps lock would remove an important early warning system for stupid posts. Right now, if I see a post that's in all caps, I can immediately know that the content is stupid without even reading a word of it, and just skip over it and use my time for something worth reading.
It's still better than Mac laptop keyboards which annoy the hell out of me by not having a delete key. And why do Mac's keyboard shortcuts use 'command' instead of 'ctrl'? Not only is it hard to remember when switching back and forth between systems, but I can hit the left ctrl with my pinky finger, while I have to move my whole hand to hit the 'command' key.
The submitter says:
I'm not a fan of the caps lock key myself...it can go to hell, for all I'm concerned.
But in the very same breath says:
But taking away choice from people is not good, especially when this is not going to improve the quality of comments.
Dude, make up your mind! If you want it to go to hell, you should be happy that somebody has taken a stand and done it for you. That last sentence is clearly troll-bait aimed at getting people riled up that such a major player as Google is taking away "people's choice."
:q!
As long as they don't get rid of the SysRq key. I use it everyday during lunch, staring at it, feeling old and depressed.
Come to think of it, the SysRq key should be replaced with the Boss Key. (And we wouldn't have to change the function either.)
But taking away choice from people is not good
1. Then don't buy it, you have a choice to use a PC instead
2. You can hold the SHIFT key to type in caps, it will improve your dexterity if you do it enough.
3. There will probably be an App for that.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
I suspect they just want to save some keyboard real estate by eliminating a key and justify it by saying it will improve comments.
But caps lock is such a useful feature for *readers* of comments! The average comment quality goes up significantly when I just skip over the SHOUTERS.
On Windows I made an AutoHotkey script where CapsLock allows me to use VIM type key commands EVERYWHERE! Try it.
But I AM a troll you insensitive clod!
Why not just instead feature Clippy who will pop up and say: "It looks like you're typing all in CAPS. Would you like help turning it off because otherwise you look like a tool?" That might work.
the concept:
LAMENESS FILTER
Seriously not that hard to "re-invent" caps lock
The Chrome notebooks have a search key in the spot in which Caps Lock traditionally resides, but include an option to switch the function to Caps Lock instead of search. (source (also links to and has shot from Google's Chrome OS introduction.)
They aren't taking the option away. They are setting the default function of the key to "Search" and providing a well-documented, simple settings option to change the function of the key between "Search" and "Caps Lock".
If you can't live without Caps Lock, you can keep the key function set to that and just not have a quick-key for Search.
It would be a huge pain to use the choice built into the OS by going to the settings menu and change the modifier key function to "Caps Lock" instead of "Search"?
Oh noes!
This sucks: One of the nice things about all-caps is that I know in the briefest of microseconds to skip a post by somebody if it's in all-caps. :)
It won't take MUCH longer now - probably a dozen words or so - but it will mean having to digest a sentence or so before realizing that a
post is likely from someone who would have been an all-caps kind of person in their pre-Chrome life.
The notebook is intended as a cheap communication device, not a professional work tool.
Those needing something different can buy something different, which is why they make some things different.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
I assume that any Google DBA's or SQL programmers that edit code using Chrome OS notebooks and need caps lock functionality more than they need a Search quick-key while doing so are expected to be competent enough to go to the Settings menu and select the appropriate option to set the function of the modifier key to Caps Lock instead of Search.
Lenovo has been playing with keyboard configurations for a while. And its VP of design commented on removing the caps lock key a long time ago.
Remapping the Caps lock key to Return has been the single most useful mod of my keyboard. Now if keyboard manufacturers could put another Caps lock key on the left so I could remap it to become a left-handed Delete key, I'd be in heaven!
The problem as I see is that often users (like my mom) will experience great grief as they mash their keyboards frantically - enabling their caps lock without really noticing. Whereas users who know how to use the thing often don't because, WHO THE HELL TALKS LIKE THIS?
I suggest a GREAT solution! Re-purpose the "caps lock" key for something useful and assign "keyboard gestures" to keys.. I suggest that one of the shift keys be altered, to, by convention, upon being "double clicked" (or maybe triple or held for a long time, etc), it will enable a caps-lock, and the effect "fades off" after inactivity. Have an LED continue to indicate the state of the "key".
I provide this idea free for all to use and implement. So, Microsoft, Apple or whomever that wants to retro-actively patent this idea, can SHOVE IT for trying to continue to abuse the nature of the patent system. This is a free, open idea. That said, it would be nice to get verbal credit or something. But really, just do this (and variants for other barely-used keys) and let's move on!
They aren't taking away either the functionality or the key; the default functionality of the key under Chrome OS is as a search quick key, but a simple setting change makes it a Caps Lock key.
Even if they do, I suspect that the fact that the new operating systems includes a simple option in the Settings menu to configure the Search key back to function as a Caps Lock key will deal with any difficulties quite well.
moron.
I use it regularly when dealing with Mainframe commands.
Also, I don't thinking caps really mean shouting to most people anymore. It's used for emphasis.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
That really threw me, but very few people seemed to care about that one (lots of people actually rejoiced over it). I personally like being able to jump into overtype mode. I know for sure that my formatting is going to be uniform that way when I re-use a document for its formatting. Now if MS put in a 'Reveal Codes' function like WordPerfect, then they can throw insert right out the window if they want (Reveal Formatting isn't anywhere near as nice in my opinion).
Anyway, I have a feeling that the elimination of Caps Lock would go over about the same. The vast majority wouldn't care, and the loudest voices on the subject will probably be applauding.
Vol~
As of this writing there are over 550 comments on this news story -- only 4 of which are moderated up to 5 -- and Slashdot's commenting system prevents the use of excessive caps, so I call shenanigans on the whole concept.
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
I don't think anybody is worried about the Vikings.
Best Slashdot Co
SQL may not show discrimination, but does that tell us how the database really feels?
think about all the COBOL programmers!
Trust me, you will not need it and will get over it in about 2 seconds.
How about the Scroll Lock? Used that one lately too?
How about that "`" key, the one right below the "~"?
Oh, and the ever useful Windows key.
Maurice W. Hilarius Voice: (778) 347-9907
I'm a programmer, and I would have no idea how to switch the mouse buttons. I know it's probably possible, but I would definitely need to google some HOWTO document to find out. So don't just laugh at nontechnical people for not knowing obscure stuff that you only know because you've had to do it before.
Why Caps Lock is still in one of the best positions of the keyboard while far more often used keys like Ctrl or Esc require stretching is beyond me.
I'd like to install a keyboard-odometer on every PC in my office just to see how many keys are completely pointless.
Fortunately remapping is easy in most OS's.
But on laptops it doesn't solve the small keys annoyance. Nothing more annoying than struggling with tiny keys just because someone thought they had to make space to fit scroll lock, function keys, caps lock, and other almost-never-used crap that could perfectly well be behind a modifier.
Really?
http://Communityville.com - A free place for new and old neighborhood webmasters to hang out.
I see a whole army of my slashdotters, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to type as free men... and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you type?
Type? Against that? No! We will use the Shift Key. And we will live.
Aye, type and you may die. Use the Shift Key, and you'll live... at least a while. And typing away on your Chrome Notebook in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell Google that they may take our CAPS LOCK, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!
CAPS LOCK GU BRATH!!!
Time to abandon hope that the CTRL key will never go back to where it is supposed to be?
They sell a model where the casing is literally chrome.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
POSTS WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS PROVIDE A QUICK WAY OF KNOWING WHICH POSTS ARE NOT WORTH READING. the following lower case text is only here to beat Slashdots attempt to filter this post. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm a passionate hater of CapsLock keys...I lever the key cap off of the switch, fill the switch with superglue and then replace the keycap. Ditto num-lock on small keyboards and laptops that don't have a distinct set of keys for the num-pad.
-- Steve
.
That seems unlikely, since the key is still there.
I suspect that the reason they have set the default function of the key to be "Search" is that they believe the bulk of Chrome OS users will be better served a Search hotkey than by a rarely-used Caps Lock key, and that those for whom Caps Lock is needed will take advantage of the convenient option in the Settings menu to switch the function of the key to "Caps Lock".
You are suggesting keeping something from the stone-age typewriters as required in order to provide choice...then why when I type very fast do my keys not jam together like old typewriter striking mechanisms? Why has my choice been taken away?
... just when I discover the utility of caps lock ... in french, you have some é à etc. that go as well for É À ... and those are obtained through caps lock.
Anyway, they should better get rid of the "insert" key (much more annoying and useless imo).
The only time I use caps lock is when I unintentionally hit it. I've been prying that and the insert key off my keyboards for years.
to bad rubbish!
It's not like they're forcing a chrome notebook into every ones hands. If they don't wanna put a caps lock on their keyboards and you can't live without one, no one's forcing you to go buy one!
Everything's a choice. You don't like the idea of buying one, buy something else! bah! what's the big song and dance about anyway?
Geekism is your _only_ God!
The only thing that could make this lack of a "Caps Lock" key good news is if it cuts down on the annoying entire paragraphs of legal bullshit typed in all-caps in software licenses that companies try to force us to read. For some reason, I seriously doubt that will happen so... fuck that Google computer. I WANT MY FUCKING CAPS LOCK!
Of course, this didn't change a damn thing considering, you know, I have no interest in Google Chrome OS anyway. It just sounds way to god damn limited (yes, even before the Caps Lock key went missing). Here's a nice example of what I'm talking about, taken straight out of--you'd never guess--Google's own EULA for Chrome:
"13. EXCLUSION OF WARRANTIES
13.1 NOTHING IN THESE TERMS, INCLUDING SECTIONS 13 AND 14, SHALL EXCLUDE OR LIMIT GOOGLE’S WARRANTY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSSES WHICH MAY NOT BE LAWFULLY EXCLUDED OR LIMITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OR THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE, BREACH OF CONTRACT OR BREACH OF IMPLIED TERMS, OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. ACCORDINGLY, ONLY THE LIMITATIONS WHICH ARE LAWFUL IN YOUR JURISDICTION WILL APPLY TO YOU AND OUR LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
13.2 YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK AND THAT THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND “AS AVAILABLE.”
13.3 IN PARTICULAR, GOOGLE, ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS DO NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT TO YOU THAT:
(A) YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS,
(B) YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE OR FREE FROM ERROR,
(C) ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED BY YOU AS A RESULT OF YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, AND
(D) THAT DEFECTS IN THE OPERATION OR FUNCTIONALITY OF ANY SOFTWARE PROVIDED TO YOU AS PART OF THE SERVICES WILL BE CORRECTED.
13.4 ANY MATERIAL DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF THE SERVICES IS DONE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR OTHER DEVICE OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOAD OF ANY SUCH MATERIAL.
13.5 NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM GOOGLE OR THROUGH OR FROM THE SERVICES SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THE TERMS.
13.6 GOOGLE FURTHER EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
14. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
14.1 SUBJECT TO OVERALL PROVISION IN PARAGRAPH 13.1 ABOVE, YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT GOOGLE, ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR:
(A) ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES WHICH MAY BE INCURRED BY YOU, HOWEVER CAUSED AND UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY.. THIS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, ANY LOSS OF PROFIT (WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY), ANY LOSS OF GOODWILL OR BUSINESS REPUTATION, ANY LOSS OF DATA SUFFERED, COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSS;
(B) ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE WHICH MAY BE INCURRED BY YOU, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OR DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF:
(I) ANY RELIANCE PLACED BY YOU ON THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR EXISTENCE OF ANY ADVERTISING, OR AS A RESULT OF ANY RELATIONSHIP OR TRANSACTION BETWEEN YOU AND ANY ADVERTISER OR SPONSOR WHOSE ADVERTISING APPEARS ON THE SERVICES;
(II) ANY CHANGES WHICH GOOGLE MAY MAKE TO THE SERVICES, OR FOR ANY PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY CESSATION IN THE PROVISION OF THE SERVICES (OR ANY FEATURES WITHIN THE SERVICES);
(III) THE DELETION OF, CORRUPTION OF, OR FAILURE TO STORE, ANY CONTENT AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS DATA MAINTAINED OR TRANSMITTED BY OR THROU
Of course SQL is case-insensitive. The reason I use caps is by convention, not necessity. SQL (and procedural SQL) keywords are in caps, table and column names are not. This makes the code easier to read, not more difficult. Many other companies use this convention for the same reason, as I'm sure you're well aware. And what about macros in C, or constants? The convention almost everybody uses there is all-caps. It's just a tool for a job, boss.
(You're not a full-time database programmer, are you?)
And to the other guy that insulted me for toggling caps lock on and off while typing: (1) it's a hell of a lot easier than holding down shift the entire time, and (2) I don't like editors second-guessing my case, indentation, spacing, or any other convention you can name. And of course I cut and paste when applicable. (You haven't done much programming either, have you?)
I took a "proper" typing skills class back in the days of the IBM Selectric, and I can promise you that "proper" typing of all-caps words was and is done with the capslock key.
Dude, have you ever even used a keyboard? Type the word "NATO" with capslock. Then type it using the shift key. That's a very short word, and yet you practically need to twist your hands into pretzels to type it without capslock, and it massively slows down your typing.
Call me when you've actually tried typing something that's partially in all-caps.
It is one of the popular choices for switching keyboard layouts on Linux. Much better that Ctrl+Shift or Alt+Shift used by default on Windows.
I am sure there will be an app for it
I've remapped my CAPSLOCK as a LEFT CTRL key for a long time. I would miss it very much, especially on a flat netbook keyboard where you can't "palm" the CTLR on the corner.
The Colemak keyboard layout doesn't have caps lock anyway. That key is the backspace key
For what it's worth, I have entirely normal sized hands (I bought a pair of gloves last week in medium and would probably have been better off with a large.)
And quite frankly, I find your numbers literally impossible to believe. With capslock, your fingers are free to just type. Without it, you need to continually switch back and forth between both little fingers to free up the appropriate hand: {right shift}SE{left shift}N{right shift}TE{left shift}N{right shift}CE... 5 context shifts just for one word. My times for the same sentence you typed were almost four times as long without capslock.
And finally, it really doesn't matter to me how proficient you are with or without capslock; or whether or not you like it. Don't like it? Fine, don't use it. For me, it's a requirement, and I won't be buying any system that doesn't include it.
Seriously, it is. I've tried it, and not only is it massively slower, it's almost physically painful to do. And I really doubt I'm some kind of a freak in this regard, because if it was so easy to type in allcaps without capslock, why is there a capslock?
I continue to be amazed at the number of people lining up to tell me that I'm all screwed up for preferring to use the keyboard the way it's designed to be used. Don't like capslock? Fine, don't use it, remap it, whatever. But for me it's a no-kidding requirement, and I won't be buying any system that doesn't include it. I'm not sure why so many people feel the need to tell me that my personal opinion is factually incorrect.
I know a number of places that still have databases where the policy is to put everything in in all caps to fix issues of sorting mixed case (on ancient systems) and duplicate entries. After all, if the database sees McDonald and Mcdonald as separate names, MCDONALD for everything fixes that.
In that case there's a simpler answer: the program you use to enter data into this database (whether it's a web front-end or whatever else) can capitalize everything for you.
The summary seems to approach this from two conflicting directions: "I don't like caps lock" and "taking it away equates to taking away people's freedom". That doesn't really make a lot of sense. The key is basically unnecessary in my opinion, and removing it is an improvement, particularly if this means the keyboard layout is better (i.e. wider keys on small devices - or a more useful key like CTRL or ALT in that position)
I think it was a mistake for them to make a comment about removing this key as a way of "improving the quality of comments" - I think people are feeling slighted by that. If they'd just said "we want to simplify the keyboard layout by removing a key we feel isn't useful enough for its position on the home row" I think this would have been better-received.
On the other hand, I think it'd be reasonable to compare this kind of move to, say, Apple's efforts at getting people to use a one-button mouse to "simplify" the interface... Though the problem there was that the second mouse button is actually tied to some useful, commonly-used functionality. Apple has followed an increasingly bizarre and confusing path in their efforts to stick to that "one button" rule while still providing the right-click functionality without the need for keyboard chording... In particular, the "invisible right-mouse-button" that looks like part of a single, large mouse button - or mice and trackballs with no distinct mouse buttons at all... But it seems to me that caps lock really [i]is[/i] extraneous. There's no essential functionality that's lost with this change.
Bow-ties are cool.
Oh please... seriously.. enough with this "taking away people's choice" crap.. It's old, it's obsolete, it's more irritating than useful... the large floppies went.. the smaller floppies went.. the CD is going away.. Infra red is also fading out... it's part of life.. Deal with it.
People who still using caps 100% of the time on facebook do not speak English. They demand CAPS keys because they hate how unofficial (compared to all-caps legalese) "all lowercase" looks. They get away with it because they're normally old, and they grew up with analog typewriters where CAPS could not be specially accented... 40 years later, they still avoid putting tilde accent marks, umlauts and other language-dependent stuff, although TV closed-captioning and non-DOS systems permit accented uppercase.
Back on topic: Google is not Apple. It can't just up boldly censor us all at once and expect to walk away unhurt by market forces.
...you insensitive Google clods!
(Yes, I am THAT old).
Strength, balance, courage and reason. If you know what's this about, contact me!
Will they implement sticky keys?
OTOH, database programmers aren't the intended target audience of Chrome OS. Just sayin'
It wasn't clear in the liveblogs or articles I've read... who is Google targeting with Chrome-OS based notebooks?
Take away choice? We could make a key that capitalizes every other letter, or every third. Would someone get upset if they don't have that key on their keyboard? The issue is optimizing keyboard space, not taking away choice. The capslock key just didn't make the cut.
Call me crazy, but I occasionally type with one finger while doing two things (one of which involves the KB) and the Caps Lock key is invaluable there, even for typing just one uppercase character. I do think that's something netbook users are going to want to do as often, if not more often, than, for example, traditional larger laptop users ... similarly I like to spell properly, so I'm going to want to type DELL instead of dell, USPTO instead or uspto, and so on. I also use Caps Lock on my smartphone while texting ... where yelling is often appropriate, not simple bad behaviour in a forum post.
The offered reason to remove the Caps Lock key is commendable ... saving users from themselves ... but isn't it easier to just correct bad behaviour with another post from a different user ... which is practically guaranteed to happen, in my experience ... than to take a useful tool away from everyone, including those who actually know how to use it?
This is the kind of "dumbing down" where everyone pays; I'm not in favour of it at all. It joins a long list of things we are being forced to do to help the functionally lesser members of our society, like Anti-Lock Brakes, which is fine if it's defeatable in a car but a pain if it's not (and if you can't see a situation where ALB is a hinderance to safety or control let's just agree we don't drive in the same places under the same conditions, and you can leave it on all the time).
Caps lock keys don't cause bad comments. Commenters do.
Google's attempt to influence users' commenting behavior by virtue of a hardware change just smells of "we know better" and will surely have unintended consequences. What about the areas of computer input where lack of contiguous capital letters is considered bad form? (e.g. static fields in java, some common SQL conventions).
I can see the exercise of choice by developers and users answering this in two ways:
while they're at it they should take away the word "first" then all comments will immediately improve!
Reminds me of the famous quote:
"They who can give up CAPS Lock to obtain a little better commentary, deserve neither."
this is just a placeholder till i send back my real sig from the future.
People Who Capitalize Every Word Should Be Put Into Special Camps. It's even worse than capitalizing everything. Whenever I read something where every word is capitalized, it sounds in my head like some kind of hyperventilating idiot gasping for air between each word. Capitalization symbolizes the beginning of a sentence, with associated stress on the first word.
It takes significantly more work than just leaving everything lowercase. Have these people never read anything and/or skipped elementary school and think it is more formal or something? Baffling.
Pretty soon there won't be any useful keys left on the keyboard!
mehitabel remarked
just the other day
what am going to do
with all these dam
caps lock keys
but i must be forgiven
in this instance because
i thought she said cops
lock
which says i puffing on a
jeweled hookah seems
like a good idea
to me, boss
as always
archie
``Tension, apprehension & dissension have begun!'' - Duffy Wyg&, in Alfred Bester's _The Demolished Man_
Mod down for stupidity
I am much more upset about all my friends macbooks that lack an actual delete key, as well as home, end, pg up and pg down, which I love for navigating through my code. I don't really like pushing multiple buttons all the time.....but I guess I got used to shift....
Leave the caps lock, that way I know which comments to itgnore.
"But you can have my capslock key when you pry it from my cold dead fingers."
Your offer is acceptable.
I'm a lefty, but can mouse ambidextrously. I've ended up using my left hand to mouse at work, and right at home, so that I don't overstrain one or the other. I have no trouble at all switching back and forth.
Only barbarians use caps lock. True gentlemen prefer the key to be mapped to an extra Control.
However, I'll quickly turn into a barbarian if you take the whole key away.
This sig is false.
I don't care if there *is* a caps lock key, as long as it's not where the Control key belongs! IBM really screwed that one up 30 years ago...
I write in 3 languages on a US keyboard (no accents). I used to know all the Alt codes by heart, but now on Linux I converted the [Caps lock] key to a [Compose] key. That's a very handy trick to do é: press Compose and ', then e. For â, press Compose-Shift-^ then a, etc. And here's how you set it up in KDE: You go in [System Settings][Regional & Language][Keyboard layout][Advanced][Compose key position] and select Caps Lock. Plenty of combinations.
Non-Linux Penguins ?
The NeXT keyboards had no Caps Lock key. Caps Lock mode was toggled by pressing Shift while holding down Command. They may also have been the first keyboards to integrate the Caps Lock mode LED indicator into the key itself (the Shift key, in this case).
Apple's original approach was a physically locking Caps Lock key, which also succeeded in preventing accidental engagement of Caps Lock mode. Sadly, they don't use either of these methods anymore.
In general, it is safe and legal to kill your children. -- POSIX Programmer's Guide
...we could get rid of the Num Lock key on full size keyboards...
Assuming that choice really is good, shouldn't we put 26 caps lock keys on our keyboard so that we can have choice about which individual letter get shifted?
The choice to switch the key back to capslock is in the OS's options. If only the submitter took the time to search instead of having a knee-jerk reaction.
http://services.google.com/chromeos/gettingstarted/
Click the Keyboard section on the left, then the Caps Lock section on the right.
I distinctly remember a user friendly comic with this exact same scenario.
Illiad even wrote that in the strip as well, that the removal of the caps lock key was to "improve the quality of comments"
capslock is a great press to talk key in ventrilo/ts3 when you're playing asdf fps's; they don't care if caps is on or not, your pinky is hanging over there anyway and shift/ctrl actually do stuff (in combination with other keys) sometimes so... ya if only to facilitate my gaming addiction I say don't take it away.
Caps-Locks People Are Arrogant. I've actually had people who use the caps lock tell me that they can't use the computer without it. However, I don't like heavy handed Google taking things away. A better solution is to filter out all caps text to normal case. Almost as easy programatically.
I type with one hand.
Too much information right there.
His boyfriend won't let him have the other hand back for a couple of minutes.
Who, Darth Vader?
On both Windows and Linux i have remapped the Caps Lock key and i use it for voice communication PTT.
On Windows i have mapped it to Scroll Lock and in Linux i have mapped it to XF86Launch1
The reg file for all Windows versions..
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,3a,00,46,00,46,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00
The Chrome keyboard does support Caps Lock, in a design inspired by Steve Jobs' old company. Here's a little history:
The original NeXTcube keyboard (circa 1989) also did not have a Caps Lock key. Instead, Caps Lock was engaged by pressing Command+Shift, which would light up matching green LEDs on both Shift keys. Caps Lock was disengaged by pressing the Shift key a second time. This freed up valuable keyboard real estate, eliminated the possibility of hitting Caps by accident, and allowed the Control key to be placed next to the "A" key, where it has always belonged. It's an excellent design.
Fast forward 20 years and Google is doing the same thing with the Chrome keyboard. Its Shift key also has a green LED to indicate Caps Lock. Presumbaly, Caps Lock is engaged in a similar way as the NeXT keyboard.
Unfortunately, they're putting a "Search" button there in its place, which is just stupid.
ENDUT! HOCH HECH!
I am a n00b to Android and smartphones/tablets generally (please take as given). However, I am concerned about their security after learning about security holes in banking apps for Android from BofA, Wells Fargo, etc. which stored/transmitted passwords as plaintext and other stupid things of that nature. Is Android secure?
I've never had anything but trouble with it. The only time I've ever used it was when i was typing long strings of capital letters for strings that would be used for different purposes, when programming. In fact I've seen some useful programs that hijack the key and give it a real use.
Why not? They took away everything else and replaced it with effluent.
I hear that after studying Amazon statistics for so long that they could no longer contain themselves so have decided that they want pump their effluent into eBook libraries as well.
No industry is safe from the Google mafia ad extortion millions, so why support them by even mentioning their name?
Some passwords I use are half caps half not so it's easy to throw the lock on, cuz I type passwords a lot. All my terminals auto log off after about 5 mins. of inactivity. And no I can't changes settings. So that would annoy me.
n00b> HELLO EVERYBODY!! :(
l33t> try pressing caps lock
n00b> THANKS IT SO MUCH EASIER TO TYPE NOW
l33t> oh fuck me
(bash.org says connection refused, I'm quoting from memory; the names are likely wrong, FWIW)
Here's another datapoint: I'm right-handed, but every year or so, I switch the handedness of my mouse. I.e., I put it to the right of the numpad one year, and to the left of capslock the other (also switching left/right in mouse options).
Try it sometime.
My main reason for doing so was to avoid repetitive stress clicking with the right hand. But there are other benefits, too: Most keyboards have the centerline (between homekeys F and J) offset to the left because of the navkeys and numpad. Put the mouse on the right, and it's a perversely far reach for mousing.
By putting the mouse on the left, you move the centerline back to the actual center of your keyboard tray.
It's also nice for general web usage: you have your left hand on the mouse, right hand on the PageUp/Down and arrow keys, and Ctrl is under your thumb, so you can Ctrl+click Reply on whatever comments you want to respond to in a new tab. Compare with right-side mouse: your right hand shifts between navkeys and the mouse.
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
>>(Ctrl-Ins : Copy, Shift-Del : Cut, Shift-Ins : Paste)
>It would seem Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X, and Ctrl-V (or Cmd on a Mac) would be easier and have the keys closer together
Actually, have another look: When using the Mac shortcuts (Ctrl+V), you're stretching your fingers horizontally (pinky on Ctrl and index on V).
Doing the equivalent for CUA shortcuts (Shift+Ins) with thumb on Shift and index on Ins, you're not stretching at all. Put your thumb on Shift, and the index finger naturally falls on Ins.
Ctrl+Ins and Shift+Del are similar.
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
http://www.qdb.us/297667
#297667 (1441/1655)
HI EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!
try pressing the the Caps Lock key
O THANKS!!! ITS SO MUCH EASIER TO WRITE NOW!!!!!!!
fuck me
The Caps Lock key is the only toggle button (which saves its state of being "down" or "up") on the keyboard usually. So not only is it important to some people, it also is the only way to signal to the system and various programs that are running on it at the same time, that they all should take a certain action (like "quit") when the caps lock state changes. I realized this and used it in an art work where photos sent to us were pulled down and put into a scriptable slide show program's photo queue. All programs could see the state of the Caps Lock so it was possible to send them all a signal at the same time by releasing it.
Of course a search key is neat too, I don't understand why not more keys instead of less.
WHAT'S THE CAPS LOCK KEY?
assomoe who needs to use all caps as part of his work, I find a caps lock key very effective.
Yeah, people typing legal documents and using old-fashioned computer systems are going to dislike(-1 Googles?) this. I predict somebody will start selling a $10 USB 'keyboard' that's just the shape of a bluetooth dongle and will have one switch for caps lock if this become prevalent. It should be trivial for a USB developer to map one switch to whatever the keycode is in the USB HID class.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
I doubt google will remove the caps lock key on MacBookPros. You're safe!
But I agree with you for the smaller spacebar. It took me a while to get used to it.
I know a number of places that still have databases where the policy is to put everything in in all caps to fix issues of sorting mixed case (on ancient systems) and duplicate entries. After all, if the database sees McDonald and Mcdonald as separate names, MCDONALD for everything fixes that.
In that case there's a simpler answer: the program you use to enter data into this database (whether it's a web front-end or whatever else) can capitalize everything for you.
So let's get this straight:
Solution A: Re-contact the database application provider and contract them to make a special modification to the software for which they will probably charge $5million and take 6 months to deliver (as it is almost certainly an off-the-shelf and old piece of software you are asking them to modify).
Solution B: Get your data entry person to press Caps Lock.
And your recommendation is A. You wouldn't happen to work in government IT by any chance would you?