Do learn Colemak

It’s the weirdest, most difficult to explain, and perhaps the most productive change I’ve made in my computing life. It’s well worth the learning curve. Plus, it’s an great way to prove your nerdiness—if that’s been a concern of yours, at least. I, like many people on Hacker News, recently stumbled across a short piece by Frederik Dudzik titled “Don’t learn Dvorak”. Frederick spent a lot of time learning Dvorak and then subsequently struggled with some of the logistics of using a different keyboard layout. I was surprised at how thoroughly I disagreed with his points, and how different my experience has been. I first switched to Colemak roughly eight years ago when I was working an editorial job. I don’t remember exactly why—promises of improved typing efficiency, I suppose. As a writer by trade, I was intrigued by any prospect of making my job a little easier. I took about two weeks to feel confident in Colemak, and perhaps a month before I matched my QWERTY speeds. I wouldn’t say I’ve even become faster in Colemak than I ever was in QWERTY, but I feel more comfortable. A logical home row goes a long way: arstdhneio. By placing most of the most commonly used keys on your home row, and keeping others in reach of either your