Friday, April 19, 2013

Questing Quirky Qwerty

First, a bit about following and commenting
I'm about a day behind on commenting and following, but I'll be back to it in the early evening tonight and over the weekend. As you can see at the bottom of the right sidebar, I follow a ton of blogs, and have quite a few more that I have not yet placed in the sidebar but will soon. I'm pretty good about following up with comments on all of the blogs I follow.

When I find a blog that is listed somewhere as needing new comments, I usually follow them on Google Friend Connect, Google+, Networked Blogs, and Linky. I don't follow on social networks unless they follow me first, just because it takes so long when I'm following so many people. I do follow other bloggers back, however.

One thing that makes it much easier to find new commenters is when they leave a link to their blog when they comment. That way, I don't have to go searching for their blog. In fact, there have been one or two blogs I have not even been able to find. You can just paste the link in plain, or create a link like this:
<a href="YOUR_BLOG_URL">YOUR_BLOG_NAME_OR_URL</a>.

For example, I have the following typed into a plain text editor, which I bring up and copy for pasting into comments when I'm browsing through blogs:

#atozchallenge, Kristen's blog: <a href="http://kristenhead.blogspot.com/">kristenhead.blogspot.com</a>

Note that the part in quotes after href requires the "http://" at the beginning of the link. These comment signatures help so much!

My Macbook Air qwerty keyboard
Now, on to quirky qwertys
When I worked in a regular office, I had what was called an ergonomic keyboard. It looked weird and took some getting used to, but it was truly helpful at combating carpal tunnel syndrome.

Yes, I used to have carpal tunnel in my right arm, and it was extremely painful. The pain seemed to start in my hand, and went all the way up to my shoulder. I started using this weird special carpal tunnel hand mold they bought for the office, and it worked really well. The mold taught me how to do the correct hand exercises to reduce the pain.

The most worn keys
Soon after getting the mold, they started buying ergonomic keyboards at work. They stopped after people got frustrated with them and tossed them aside. I decided to give it a shot, and actually became a big fan. It really does help.

Now that I work from home, I no longer have that special keyboard. Additionally, the keyboard on my Macbook Air is wearing out. So, I thought I may buy a new ergonomic keyboard to use with it.

The culprit fingernails
I actually have a travel keyboard that I use with my laptop at times, just so I can set the screen farther away from me and just have the keyboard on my lap. But I think that would be much easier if the keyboard were ergonomic. I'm just beginning to feel a few pains of carpal tunnel again, and I really don't want to have to deal with that.

What is a qwerty keyboard?
In case you were wondering about the title of my post, most keyboards are also known as a qwerty keyboards. That is because the letters on most keyboards, reading from left to right, begin with q-w-e-r-t-y. Some companies tried introducing new keyboards in which the keys were in a different configuration, but they never took off.

The reason for the new configuration was that researchers had found that the most optimal configuration of keys that allowed the fastest possible typing was not the qwerty configuration. The reason nobody bought the new configuration, however, was because they were already used to the qwerty configuration. That's really too bad, because I would have liked to try it out ... but then I would be the only one using it, and I would have had to switch back to qwerty.
This is similar to the ergonomic keyboard I used to have.
Check it out here.

I was considering buying this adjustable travel ergonomic keyboard,
but I'll have to look into the reviews. It snaps into its own cover, to keep it safe!
Check it out here.

42 comments:

  1. This ergonomic thing is so interesting
    Wish I had one too... I got wrist joint pain and wore a band for many days
    Got physio therapy sessions and much more...It was not carpel tunnel but similar to that
    Hope u dont have severe pain now :)
    And thanks for the suggestion to put a link back to blog . Where do we put it ?
    And good day

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pain is not serious yet, but I want the new keyboard before it gets to that point.

      You should put your link at the bottom of each of your comments.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. I have been falling back in commenting and following too. And now I'm trying to get back.
    Those keyboards look great btw.

    Sania at Embracing Dawn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by! I'm just now getting back to it. I guess I'll make up for most of it on my day off (Sunday) :)

      Delete
  3. Yep, I would've been one of the masses that tossed the newer version aside - Leave it to HS typing 101 not to teach the optimal configuration:)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Yep! Now it's way too late to ever bring in something new... those keyboards are even on phones now! Although, I guess that would actually make it easier for people to try the other version, since most keyboards on phones are software keyboards. :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  4. You are very good at commenting Kristen! Thanks for the tip on linking to your blog, I'll see if I can sort that out. There are quite a lot of blogs I can't seem to find either, don't know why that is. I am used to the qwerty keyboard but the other used have posted looks pretty funky to me :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, it is funky at first, but you get used to it. :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  5. Good luck with your keyboard! Comfort is important to keep the carpel tunnel syndrome at bay.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So sorry, don't Facebook, Tweet or Twitter or have no idea how the circle of friends works. I am glad to see you have a regular blog connection and am a new follower.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for that! I'm following you back as well. :)

      Delete
  7. I have a link to my blog saved in plain text too and just copy and paste it when making comments. I found this to be the easiest way to do it.

    I love that during this A to Z challenge I've found so many great blogs and people.

    I've never had carpel tunnel but I can't imagine it's fun.

    Dark Thoughts Blog

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    Replies
    1. I agree with you on the number of awesome blogs out there ... including yours!

      Delete
  8. Qwerty keyboards...never heard of that and I've been using a keyboard since, well before they were called keyboards...that'd be a Remington from WayBackInTheDay. Thank-you for suggesting the 'Signature Link'...I just learned how to do that this year on the AtoZ HowTo's. It does make returning comments and visiting new blogs so much easier.

    Enjoyed my visit here, and am a new Follower. Visiting today via AtoZ's Letter 'Q'post.

    My Letter 'Q'...Quilt Question #1
    Sue CollectInTexasGal
    AtoZ LoneStar Quilting Bee

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  9. That adjustable keyboard you were thinking of buying is a pretty good one. We have them here in my center. High quality and comfortable to use.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I could never get used to the ergonomic keyboard...although to be fair I didn't give it much of a try before I requested a standard one. Might not be a bad idea to try one again though with as much writing as I'm doing and planning on doing these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, you might like it! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  11. I'm too much of a qwerty keyboard fan to ever try some new configuration. But I should be using an ergonomic keyboard. :) Just dropping by from the A to Z challenge!

    Mel at Writings Musings and Other Such Nonsense

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you start feeling pain, you should definitely give it a shot! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  12. I think it is important to provide a link back to your blog. So much easier to link a blog with a name AND others can click in to check out your blog.

    Popped by from Arlee's AtoZ post.

    thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, it really does make life easier. We all want to follow each other, and we all want to return comments! :)

      Delete
  13. I learned about adding a link to my comments from being in the A-Z Challenge and it has really boosted my feedback.
    Shawn at Laughing at Life 2

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's the best advice for blog hoppers! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  14. I spend most of my time on a computer, but lucky for me I have yet to develop carpal tunnel. Interestingly enough, my Q post is for Qwerty, but it really has nothing to do with keyboards!

    Cheers from Brandy at brandysbustlings.blogspot.ca

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I loved your Q post! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. It's so funny- I had been doing the tag with the link, but one of the posts on the A to Z page complained about it so I stopped. But similar to Shawn's comment, I saw larger feedback numbers when I was doing it. Guess I'll start again.

    I also LOVE my ergonomic keyboard. I have one at work, and hate having to use regular keyboards at home, or worse- the teeny tiny keyboard on my laptop. Argh!

    Hi from Nagzilla bloghopping A to Z

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The blogger blogs don't like it when you put a target on your links (which tells it to open in a new window), but most of the Wordpress blogs are fine with it. If it's on any other site, it's sort of up in the air ... some of them may not even allow regular links, but you can always just put a plain link on those, without linking it. :)

      Delete
  16. I'm finding it startling how many participants in the A to Z Challenge don't have any links whatsoever, even via their user pic. Makes it darned difficult to track them down!

    I used to have one of those ergonomic keyboards. *emits happy sigh of nostalgia*

    Nice to meet you--I'll be back!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. And after that, I forgot my signature!

      Kern Windwraith @ The Odd Particle [Re]View

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    2. Haha! You were gonna make me go searchin' after preachin about it?! ;)

      Thanks for stopping by! :)

      Delete
  17. i am also behind in commenting and following and also posting! All the best with your keyboard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'll have to do all my commenting tomorrow! :)

      Delete
  18. Hi Kristen! I too suffered from carpal tunnel in both wrists from the viola, although, I'm sure the normal keyboards don't help. Pianists are also plagued by this. I hope you find relief through your Quirky Qwerty boards and I believe you will. One of the things I found during my odyssey with carpal tunnel, is that change and movement is good. The repetitive motion and sameness is the culprit in my case. So, it meant altering that vibrato in the left hand a bit and my right hand was a continual work in progress to pull a louder, softer, more responsive sound from the viola anyway. As to computer keyboards (I had 2 careers, 1 in music performance, 1 as a Tech support engineer for OS/2 at IBM and later at Verizon in Development and Training) it became a matter of moving my keyboard around, putting it in my lap, standing up, holding wrists completely straight and switching hands with the mouse. Always something different, while wearing light braces and taking massive amounts of B complex vitamins, surgery never being an option. I have little problem with it now, but everyone is different. The Parkinson's Disease makes it all irrelevant anyway. There are times I simply can not do any of it. Good luck with the keyboards!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I hope you have mostly good days! Thanks for sharing your story. My mother played viola as well. Very interesting. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  19. I looove my ergonomic keyboard! It's funny to see people who are not accustomed to it try to use it, but I like it so much better than the others. I always feel like I'm squished when I use a 'regular' keyboard.

    AJ Lauer
    #atozchallenge helper minion
    Twitter: @ayjaylauer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, they look silly at first, and some people never do get used to it. :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  20. Glad you're promoting the signature link. It makes it so much easier to find the blogger leaving the comment and it's very rare that a genuine signature link is confused with spam if you read the comment.

    Since I've been using the QWERTY keyboard for so many years, I can't see ever switching. The ergonomic keyboards feel weird, but I suppose I'd get used to using one after a while.

    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most people are about to get used to it, but not everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
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    Blocked Drain Gold Coast

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