24 October, 2020

The Workman keyboard layout

I have a lot of free time on my hands (heh)

   I've been at my computer everyday, for at least 10 hours at minimum.
   These past ~6 - 7 months have been the most I've ever used my computer.
   Eventually, I started experiencing discomfort and pain -- especially in
   my pinkie finger. Typing became a chore, and I found myself using my
   shell's command history more just to avoid typing commands. I tried
   using a wrist rest, different keyboard heights, but nothing helped.

   Thus began my search for a new keyboard layout, and it swiftly
   concluded once I chanced upon the [1]Workman layout. According to the
   website, it is supposedly an improvement over Colemak and Dvorak. I
   skimmed through the numbers and other stats, but I honestly didn't
   care. "Oh it's better than the popular alternative layouts? Okay that's
   enough for me."

   workman layout

   I downloaded the tarball containing the different config files for
   different platforms etc. I just needed the xmodmap -- that's the
   easiest way to apply a keyboard layout.
$ xmodmap xmodmap.workman

   To practice the layout, I used [2]keybr.com. You can configure the
   keyboard layout via the settings. Naturally, the first few days were
   incredibly painful. I was only able to type short sentences with very
   small words. I tried to not engage in heated discussions on IRC, for I
   could not type up a response in time. However, if I did stumble into
   one, I would switch back to QWERTY just for those couple of messages.

   I found myself making the switch less and less, over the next few days.
   Chatting on IRC is a great way to learn a layout. Or chatting anywhere,
   really. It forces you to get accustomed to the layout by typing the
   common words used in conversation. I also made a tiny change to the
   layout -- swapping the F and B keys, since typing the "fo" / "of"
   digram in the same hand felt really weird. Soon enough, I was averaging
   about 30 - 40 WPM within the first week of having switched to Workman.

   And then things at work started to pick up, and I had to do what I had
   been dreading the most: edit code -- in Vim. It's fairly common
   knowledge that Vim, by default, extensively uses the H, J, K and L keys
   for navigation. Sure, there are better ways to move around and only
   using those keys is frowned upon -- but it's a habit built over years,
   and hard to shake off. After poking around for a bit, I found the
   [3]vim-workman plugin. Forked it to apply the F/B change, and I began
   using it.

   It was great at first. My Vim muscle memory was not hampered, as I was
   able to use QWERTY in normal mode, and Workman in insert. But as I got
   better at Workman, I found myself instinctively reaching for the
   Workman keys in normal mode. Well, everything except for the H, J, K
   and L keys. This quickly became bothersome and I uninstalled the plugin
   to search for a better solution.

   Wait, don't I have a sick new [4]programmable mechanical keyboard? What
   if I configure a layer on it just for the H, J, K, L keys? After
   pouring through the manual for a bit, I eventually got it set up. I
   even remapped the Caps Lock key to Fn so it's easier to access the
   layer. So now, hitting Caps Lock+Y/N/E/O results in HJKL being pressed.
   This took a little bit of getting used to, but it got easier with a bit
   of practice.

   Since I don't rely on any plugin/remappings, I can use Vim as is on
   remote machines too. Another bonus from this adventure was I actually
   spent time learning better ways to navigate, and reduce my reliance on
   HJKL. Overall, a big win.

   It's been over 4 weeks since my switch, I think, and I'm comfortably
   averaging around 80 WPM. Still a good 20 WPM slower than QWERTY, but I
   think it'll get better with time. And am I still able to use QWERTY?
   Well, kinda. I still use QWERTY on my phone keyboard, since Workman
   isn't an option on it and it's actually alright. However, when I use my
   desktop to play Dota, I prefer using voice chat to communicate since
   typing on QWERTY takes too long -- I am forced to hunt and peck.
   Interestingly, after about 15 - 20 minutes on QWERTY, my brain kinda
   just clicks back and I can type on it with relative ease. Not as fast
   as I used to be, but it's manageable.

   All things considered, switching to Workman was one of the better
   decisions I have made in life. It feels so nice to be able to type out
   whole words in just the home row. It just flows so nicely, and it has
   made typing so much more enjoyable again.

References

   1. https://workmanlayout.org/
   2. https://keybr.com/
   3. https://github.com/nicwest/vim-workman
   4. https://icyphox.sh/blog/ducky-one-2