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A few years ago I started using a Dvorak layout keyboard. I stuck stickers onto my laptop and changed the layout on my phone to fully immerse myself. I found the notes I made as I was learning.

Day 1 (Wednesday)

• Can't find anything
• Shortcuts (ctrl-z etc) are annoying
• Typing my passwords is hard
• aoeui all in a row is weird
• Punctuation is awkward
• I should have waited until after Friday

Day 2

• I'm typing shorter things to save typing
• Still struggling with shortcuts, especially ctrl-s, ctrl-t, ctrl-w
• l is confusing
• It's still making my head hurt!
• I'm getting a bit more fluent

Day 3

• where is ???
• Getting odd word auto corrects: butter
• Read today that the efficiency tests may have been less than unbiased

Day 4

• Getting better
• Making more effort to type whole things
• It has got better

Day 5

• Really getting the hang of it

Day 6

• Still finding shortcuts hard
• And the less common letters
• ctrl q/w z/v/w

• If you've never heard of it before, a Dvorak layout keyboard is simply a computer keyboard with the keys in a different order to 'normal'. Most people use a qwerty keyboard and have done since they first used a typewriter or computer. Dvorak is said to be more efficient - we shall see.

I knew it would be hard going, at least initially. So to reduce temptation I bought a set of stickers to cover my laptop keys with the new layout marked on. Then I switched my computer to use Dvorak. I set my phone and tablet to it, as well. Full immersion!

At first it was really hard work. My brain was used to qwerty and it took a lot of effort to fight where I 'knew' the keys were. Typing 'THE', easy! T is top row, near the middle... wait why is Y appearing on the screen? Oh middle row, off to the right. Now H - great same spot as usual, no - it's across one key from normal. But E.... where's that one gone... OK, just dropped down a row. Yes, that's how hard work typing even short words is, when the layout changes!

Very slow and frustrating on the first day.*

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