1   24 October, 2020
 2
 3The Workman keyboard layout
 4
 5I have a lot of free time on my hands (heh)
 6
 7   I've been at my computer everyday, for at least 10 hours at minimum.
 8   These past ~6 - 7 months have been the most I've ever used my computer.
 9   Eventually, I started experiencing discomfort and pain -- especially in
10   my pinkie finger. Typing became a chore, and I found myself using my
11   shell's command history more just to avoid typing commands. I tried
12   using a wrist rest, different keyboard heights, but nothing helped.
13
14   Thus began my search for a new keyboard layout, and it swiftly
15   concluded once I chanced upon the [1]Workman layout. According to the
16   website, it is supposedly an improvement over Colemak and Dvorak. I
17   skimmed through the numbers and other stats, but I honestly didn't
18   care. "Oh it's better than the popular alternative layouts? Okay that's
19   enough for me."
20
21   workman layout
22
23   I downloaded the tarball containing the different config files for
24   different platforms etc. I just needed the xmodmap -- that's the
25   easiest way to apply a keyboard layout.
26$ xmodmap xmodmap.workman
27
28   To practice the layout, I used [2]keybr.com. You can configure the
29   keyboard layout via the settings. Naturally, the first few days were
30   incredibly painful. I was only able to type short sentences with very
31   small words. I tried to not engage in heated discussions on IRC, for I
32   could not type up a response in time. However, if I did stumble into
33   one, I would switch back to QWERTY just for those couple of messages.
34
35   I found myself making the switch less and less, over the next few days.
36   Chatting on IRC is a great way to learn a layout. Or chatting anywhere,
37   really. It forces you to get accustomed to the layout by typing the
38   common words used in conversation. I also made a tiny change to the
39   layout -- swapping the F and B keys, since typing the "fo" / "of"
40   digram in the same hand felt really weird. Soon enough, I was averaging
41   about 30 - 40 WPM within the first week of having switched to Workman.
42
43   And then things at work started to pick up, and I had to do what I had
44   been dreading the most: edit code -- in Vim. It's fairly common
45   knowledge that Vim, by default, extensively uses the H, J, K and L keys
46   for navigation. Sure, there are better ways to move around and only
47   using those keys is frowned upon -- but it's a habit built over years,
48   and hard to shake off. After poking around for a bit, I found the
49   [3]vim-workman plugin. Forked it to apply the F/B change, and I began
50   using it.
51
52   It was great at first. My Vim muscle memory was not hampered, as I was
53   able to use QWERTY in normal mode, and Workman in insert. But as I got
54   better at Workman, I found myself instinctively reaching for the
55   Workman keys in normal mode. Well, everything except for the H, J, K
56   and L keys. This quickly became bothersome and I uninstalled the plugin
57   to search for a better solution.
58
59   Wait, don't I have a sick new [4]programmable mechanical keyboard? What
60   if I configure a layer on it just for the H, J, K, L keys? After
61   pouring through the manual for a bit, I eventually got it set up. I
62   even remapped the Caps Lock key to Fn so it's easier to access the
63   layer. So now, hitting Caps Lock+Y/N/E/O results in HJKL being pressed.
64   This took a little bit of getting used to, but it got easier with a bit
65   of practice.
66
67   Since I don't rely on any plugin/remappings, I can use Vim as is on
68   remote machines too. Another bonus from this adventure was I actually
69   spent time learning better ways to navigate, and reduce my reliance on
70   HJKL. Overall, a big win.
71
72   It's been over 4 weeks since my switch, I think, and I'm comfortably
73   averaging around 80 WPM. Still a good 20 WPM slower than QWERTY, but I
74   think it'll get better with time. And am I still able to use QWERTY?
75   Well, kinda. I still use QWERTY on my phone keyboard, since Workman
76   isn't an option on it and it's actually alright. However, when I use my
77   desktop to play Dota, I prefer using voice chat to communicate since
78   typing on QWERTY takes too long -- I am forced to hunt and peck.
79   Interestingly, after about 15 - 20 minutes on QWERTY, my brain kinda
80   just clicks back and I can type on it with relative ease. Not as fast
81   as I used to be, but it's manageable.
82
83   All things considered, switching to Workman was one of the better
84   decisions I have made in life. It feels so nice to be able to type out
85   whole words in just the home row. It just flows so nicely, and it has
86   made typing so much more enjoyable again.
87
88References
89
90   1. https://workmanlayout.org/
91   2. https://keybr.com/
92   3. https://github.com/nicwest/vim-workman
93   4. https://icyphox.sh/blog/ducky-one-2