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Ask Slashdot: Keyboard Layout To Reduce Right Pinky/Ring Finger Usage?

Posted by Soulskill on from the try-upgrading-the-firmware-on-your-hands dept.

Tooke writes "I've developed focal hand dystonia from playing clarinet. It affects my right pinky (and my ring finger, but to a lesser extent). My pinky isn't totally unusable when typing; however, it isn't nearly as agile as it used to be. When I must press a key with it, I tend to keep the whole finger rigid and move my entire hand instead. I also use my ring finger to press the P and semicolon keys (on QWERTY) which is a bit awkward but better than using the pinky. Thus my question: are there any keyboard layouts that are optimized to reduce right pinky/ring finger usage? I switched to Programmer Dvorak a few years ago, but Dvorak seems to make me use my right hand significantly more than my left. I'm considering mirroring the letter keys so my left hand would be used more. I also came across the Workman layout which looks interesting. I might try using that after switching the numbers and symbols around to be more like Programmer Dvorak. Has anyone been in a similar situation? What else could I do to make typing more comfortable? I've got a long career ahead of me as a programmer (I'm currently a high school senior) and I'd like to take care of my hands as much as possible."

5 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Left-Handed Dvorak by SaXisT4LiF · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard#One-handed_versions

    --
    Fight or flight its all the same
    Live to die another day
    --Ryan
    1. Re:Left-Handed Dvorak by s.petry · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Don't take this the wrong way, I admire his will to retrain himself and continue drumming.. but....

      If you are very tone deaf you may be fooled, but any musician can tell the difference between acoustic and electronic percussion. Any drummer I consider "good" uses all 4 appendages. Yes, there are many drummers that make a living using 3 but I don't consider them "good". Rick Allen plays better than them while physically missing a limb.

      Compliment him on his will to continue doing something he enjoyed and made a profession. Compliment him on having a big pair and coming on stage after working his ass off to relearn the drums. But don't claim that people can't tell he's only got 1 arm. Many can, and still think he's a great drummer.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  2. Working around a treatable condition... by tlambert · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Working around a treatable condition is pretty silly. How about just treating the dystonia? Standard treatment is sensorimotor retraining.

  3. so... just don't use them? by X0563511 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I almost never use my ring or pinky while typing, on either side.

    Just type so that it feels natural to you. Nothing forces you to use any specific fingers.

    Because I learned to type in such a "natural" form, instead of learning home rows and specific zones for each finger, I find I can easily adapt to different typing positions and injuries. Eg, if my index finger on either hand had a cut on it, it only takes a few minutes for me to adjust and type at a near full speed without that finger.

    While I'm not the -fastest- typer around, I still type pretty damn fast and with little fatigue.

    --
    For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  4. Playing Clarinet? by Art+Challenor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who knew that learning to reed in school could be harmful.