Blog: Articles filed under keyboards

Right, so, I have a confession to make. I am a left-shift-key discriminator (or a right-shift-key abuser, your choice).

What is an LSKD (or RSKA)? Simply put, it is someone who uses his or her right shift key almost exclusively when capitalizing letters. Just reverse the terms if you abuse your left shift key.

I learned how to “touch type” (or whatever you want to call it) in grade 4, and I‘m proud of my speed and accuracy on the QWERTY keyboard. I’ve pondered learning something like Colemak, but I don’t have the time to devote to retraining myself, unfortunately.¹

Unfortunately, as with most abilities, I‘ve developed some bad habits with typing. The abuse of the right shift key is one that particularly annoys me now. I was taught that you hit the shift key with the opposite hand of the letter you’re capitalizing. So to capitalize “S”, I hit the right shift key; to capitalize “I”, I hit the left shift key—except not so much. I’ve developed this habit of using the right shift key, even on characters on the right side of the keyboard.

This habit has numerous disadvantages: it cramps up my right pinky, wears out my right shift key more, and makes my left hand feel even more dominated by my right hand (just not fair!). I am trying to train myself out of this behaviour, but I fear I am set in my ways.

Sigh.

• [ 1 ] Yes, that is a code phrase for “I’m lazy.” Good catch.