this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2023
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ErgoMechKeyboards

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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

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Keep it ergo

Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)

i.e. no regular non-split¹ row-stagger and no non-split¹ ortholinear²

¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid

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I think having a split keyboard so my mouse can be in the middle would really help my comfort at the desk. Is there a style that doubles up the middle keys? My typing style means sometimes I use my right hand to hit T, left to hit Y, etc.

Is this a style already, or would I need to build my own?

I am completely new to this domain and would appreciate advice from knowledgeable enthusiasts.

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[–] mark3748@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Because RSIs are life changing and you should change your behavior rather than making it more convenient to harm yourself. Assuming you’re getting a split for the ergonomic benefits, adding an unergonomic feature is extremely illogical.

You can do whatever you want obviously, and a lot of the other commenters are doing a terrible job of explaining any sort of reasoning, but the advice is sound. Several members of my family have had fairly severe RSIs, my mother and my sister-in-law have had to have surgery to regain function in their hands due to carpal tunnel syndrome. I have some constant low-level pain due to similar bad habits when I was young.

I got some training and corrected my workstation and behavior as much as I could to limit the damage, but what’s done is done. If you learn from the mistakes of others, you can avoid those consequences.