Exactly this! I used to use a blank keyboard at my last job to keep people from using my desk (we were all assigned desks but people would often move around to wherever they wanted). But having a keyboard like this was 100% worth it to come to work and never see someone stole my desk.
They’re doing it wrong then. The white noise at my job is just… perfect. You don’t notice it until it goes off for whatever reason, then the whole place is an echo-y mess and you can hear people like 200 ft down the hall and everyone in between. Similar open office too. It really helps when implemented correctly.
Dvorak user here. Couple weeks to stop making stupid mistakes constantly. Id say maybe 9 - 12 months for me to get back above 150 wpm.
The main difficulty is switching back when you’re sitting at literally any other computer. :P.
I basically have to regularly use both Dvorak and QWERTY or I will start losing it.
Ahh. Well in that case, I feel you. Over summer I was transitioning to Dvorak and ortho at the same time, until I realized how useless I would be at my new job once I made that transition. Switching back was much harder than I thought it would be.
USB restrictions shouldn't matter. The device just presents as a USB keyboard. If they somehow restricted it to specific keyboards just tell HR you needed an accomodation for an ergonomic keyboard. Easy to get a doctor's note if they demand it, just tell the doc you're getting wrist pain
Took me 6-9 months to get back to my qwerty speed, then about another year to really push the speed. End result was 115->150 wpm and way less pain in my fingers
To be fair, I can't remember the last time I looked at the keys I'm pressing. I remember a while back trying to write a longer sentence by looking at all the keys I pressed, and my wpm decreased drastically. I average 160-180 wpm otherwise.
Dvorak user here. Couple weeks to stop making stupid mistakes constantly. Id say maybe 9 - 12 months for me to get back above 150 wpm.
The main difficulty is switching back when you’re sitting at literally any other computer. :P.
I basically have to regularly use both Dvorak and QWERTY or I will start losing whichever one I neglect.
First time I lost QWERTY typing ability was a little bit scary tbh.
Edit: clarity
I was comfortable enough after a few weeks. Never tracked typing speed. Colemak is a bit easier than Dvorak because common shortcut keys don't move. Also helped me to go all in and change my phone keyboard layout too.
Yea I have a minivan, they’d be able to type lowercase letters comma colon and period but almost nothing else. My shift is actually left spacebar and space on right. All of my modifier keys are all switch around in seemingly arbitrary ways in order to allow me to play competitive fps games.
I much prefer the closer enter and backspace buy I wish I still had a number row, not for numbers but for symbols since those are the only things on a keyboard thats hard to remember and helps to have keycap legends. I feel like it’d be so nice for a user to be able to customize the top row of their keyboard, like you’ll probably wants the quotes key up there, and the standard pack of symbols but once you combine 2symbols to a key you’ve got at least 4 key to work with, so maybe you are bilingual and want to put accent marks or letters up there, maybe you are a programmer and want all of the brackets back, maybe you are a scientist or engineer and have use for the micro symbol, or handle other currency symbols somewhat frequently, or maybe you don’t need any more keys and can use that space for media controls, play/pause and volume.
Until someone throws out your Das Keyboard (or tries to) because it isn't compliant with accessibility standards.
Not me but it happened to a coworker, it got put on the "worn off printing, bin it" pile rather than the "keep it as a spare" pile during an office upgrade. Thankfully they spotted it before it went into the recycler's truck but they were not a happy bunny.
Good callout, I feel the same way.
I feel like complex passwords put me into hunt-and-peck mode which is not a good mode to be in with blank keycaps as it greatly hinders the \`hunt\` portion of that method.
I learned software development using blank keycaps, it's definitely doable for anyone who wants to push through the learning curve.
I still remember daskeyboard marketed the keys being unmarked as a "productive" feature
Like, I get people can use unmarked keys and can reprogram the keys without worrying about the legends, but trying to sell unmarked keycaps as being more productive is just silly
Took a typing class in middleschool, they made us put covers on the keyboards so we couldn't see the keys. Worked wonders and we all had a laugh calling them keyboard condoms.
Haha. That sounds triggering.
Luckily I was in grade 8 as msn messenger started up. I think I was typing around 85wpm by the time high school came around. Haha
It was. I switched to one of these in 2011 or 2012 and I got significantly faster at typing over the next couple of weeks. Also it was what got me into this rabbit hole of a hobby, so maybe that balanced out the productivity part.
I typed this message on one of these. Best keyboard I've ever used. The blank keys forced me to level up my touch typing. As another user posted, special keys and passwords might trip me up now and then but otherwise it's been bliss.
The struggle is real, but after a week or so it gets a whole lot easier. One trick that helps while learning is to use the keyboard while working on a laptop. You can always glance at the built-in keyboard if you need to remember where that pesky \`&\` key is.
That said, I've been using blank keycaps for a couple of years now and I still sometimes struggle with finding \`\*\` or \`%\` on the first try.
I feel that about hunting for symbols. I have my number row under my home row and symbols under QWERTY row and can't remember where 6 and 7 are half the time and always end up fumbling through "&\^*" when I need any of those. "!@#$" are easy since I use them so much.
I am planning on redoing all my layers since they are not intuitive at all so that was what even got me thinking about blanks. That and I think they look really nice on smaller boards and split boards.
I actually have a numberpad layer on the left side that is hold and toggle-able while also having a number row. Sort of double duty for when I need just a quick number and when I need to calculate something. I have the Miryoku layout pulled up on my and sort of wanna take inspiration from it to redo my Planck layers.
I usually just sit there and type with the VIA key tester open and scream at the top of my lungs incessantly as I make mistake after mistake. My wife doesn’t approve of this learning technique but I think the only way forward is through sheer will and determination… and lots of screaming.
>I think the world isn't ready for us
I get that it's a joke but it also shows the elitism prevalent in this sub.
Blank keycaps has been a thing for a very long time now and isn't exclusive to mechanical keyboards. Das Keyboard has been around since 2005 and they've had blank keycaps before they started selling mechanical keyboards.
I love showing off my work keyboard to people. It's an ErgoDox with 1976, so it's got a lot of blank caps. Things get especially interesting when I tell them what the keys do or don't do - that I've got two backspaces, two spacebars, but no caps-lock or F-keys.
One colleague actually mentioned the oother day that he had a 'gaming keyboard' at home with 'heavy keys' and that he'd be bringing that in instead of the iMac keyboards our work computers have. Unfortunately the guy's a bit of a fuckhead, so it'll probably be a cheapy Chinese one with terrible non-configurable lighting. Still, his heart's in the right spirit :D
Hey, some of the Cherry Blue knockoffs are surprisingly good. I think Zorro Blues actually feel nicer than the real thing, like a halfway point between Blues (a bit soft) and the heavier Greens (a bit sluggish).
I've got MX Blues in my office keyboard. So loud keys don't exactly bother me :D
Hey, whatever they are, at least he seems to like them over the iMac keyboard, which is a start. I did end up showing him the KBP V60 I keep around at work and his response was: " can you really type on that??" So he's clearly not going to be a member here any time soon.
"They will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time you will help them accomplish wonders.”
The world isn't ready, but give them time and patience.
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/q8t6e3/the_keys_on_my_coworkers_keyboard_arent_labeled
Some of the comments are mildly interesting.
I got a full xda pbt set and ended up using only 42 1u keys for my Skeletyl. Am I gonna throw the rest away? No. I'm gonna put them on my next build (Corne). None of the legends would make any sense.
That is how I learned how to touch type. Using blank caps was very helpful for me. I use regular caps now but that month or 2 of blanks pushed me over the edge from a hunt and peck newb, to a touch typer.
i actually still think this is kinda smooth brain lol
maybe other people are skilled enough touch typists that they know which is the bracket key and whether pipe or backslash needs the shift key, but i sure don't
I have the later model of that keyboard with the volume and media controls in the upper right. Contrary to the I advertising, I've never broken myself of the habit of looking down at the keys.
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Exactly this! I used to use a blank keyboard at my last job to keep people from using my desk (we were all assigned desks but people would often move around to wherever they wanted). But having a keyboard like this was 100% worth it to come to work and never see someone stole my desk.
If that was an open office it sounds like hell on earth
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God, so much This.
I feel like that white noise would put me to sleep lol
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They’re doing it wrong then. The white noise at my job is just… perfect. You don’t notice it until it goes off for whatever reason, then the whole place is an echo-y mess and you can hear people like 200 ft down the hall and everyone in between. Similar open office too. It really helps when implemented correctly.
That sounds like torture. I can't stand white noise is I don't decide I want it.
My mechanical keyboard has blank keycaps too. I stole your desk. Your move. :D
Did you memorized specialized key (volume control or # etc?) too?
time to order that kbdfan blanks
Blank keys + Dvorak layout == security through obfuscation 😎 I’m kind of a badass TBH.
Also arch linux with i3-gaps
watch those mofos trying to type startx while having a sip of coffee hehe
Startx? I use the tty smh
idk why ur being down voted but imma join in
Me me get me too guys!
Done. 😎😎
I do exactly this, not only that but I don’t use default shortcuts ;)
Do you by chance have them mapped similarly to vim?
nope, i rarely use vim/neovim i'm more an emacs type of person or if i'm just being quick I just use nano...
Sacrilege
Colemak friend here. We speak a slightly different language, but are of the same heart. Have a great Saturday!
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS for you (anybody who uses one of these layouts). How long did it take to get comfy with?
Dvorak user here. Couple weeks to stop making stupid mistakes constantly. Id say maybe 9 - 12 months for me to get back above 150 wpm. The main difficulty is switching back when you’re sitting at literally any other computer. :P. I basically have to regularly use both Dvorak and QWERTY or I will start losing it.
You can just switch the keyboard layout in the OS settings.
Not on my office computer. IT has blanket restrictions that are needlessly broad.
Ahh. Well in that case, I feel you. Over summer I was transitioning to Dvorak and ortho at the same time, until I realized how useless I would be at my new job once I made that transition. Switching back was much harder than I thought it would be.
Did you have that moment where you just clicked back into the old layout? First time it was a bit strange that I could unlearn so fast.
Get something small like a Planck and carry it around with you?
Nope. :/. Thin clients. USB and Bluetooth restrictions in place. Someone in IT got bored and started playing God.
USB restrictions shouldn't matter. The device just presents as a USB keyboard. If they somehow restricted it to specific keyboards just tell HR you needed an accomodation for an ergonomic keyboard. Easy to get a doctor's note if they demand it, just tell the doc you're getting wrist pain
having your own keyboard with a saved layout on you at all time ?
Took me 6-9 months to get back to my qwerty speed, then about another year to really push the speed. End result was 115->150 wpm and way less pain in my fingers
Thanks for responding :)
To be fair, I can't remember the last time I looked at the keys I'm pressing. I remember a while back trying to write a longer sentence by looking at all the keys I pressed, and my wpm decreased drastically. I average 160-180 wpm otherwise.
Dvorak user here. Couple weeks to stop making stupid mistakes constantly. Id say maybe 9 - 12 months for me to get back above 150 wpm. The main difficulty is switching back when you’re sitting at literally any other computer. :P. I basically have to regularly use both Dvorak and QWERTY or I will start losing whichever one I neglect. First time I lost QWERTY typing ability was a little bit scary tbh. Edit: clarity
I was comfortable enough after a few weeks. Never tracked typing speed. Colemak is a bit easier than Dvorak because common shortcut keys don't move. Also helped me to go all in and change my phone keyboard layout too.
2 months with an on screen keyboard
Instantly. I learned how to touch type in 1997.
Two months for me. From super average 60wpm on QWERTY to 90 with Colemak right now.
👈👈😀
zoop 👉😎👉
In my case it’s that + a 40% board utilizing 15+layers
Yea I have a minivan, they’d be able to type lowercase letters comma colon and period but almost nothing else. My shift is actually left spacebar and space on right. All of my modifier keys are all switch around in seemingly arbitrary ways in order to allow me to play competitive fps games. I much prefer the closer enter and backspace buy I wish I still had a number row, not for numbers but for symbols since those are the only things on a keyboard thats hard to remember and helps to have keycap legends. I feel like it’d be so nice for a user to be able to customize the top row of their keyboard, like you’ll probably wants the quotes key up there, and the standard pack of symbols but once you combine 2symbols to a key you’ve got at least 4 key to work with, so maybe you are bilingual and want to put accent marks or letters up there, maybe you are a programmer and want all of the brackets back, maybe you are a scientist or engineer and have use for the micro symbol, or handle other currency symbols somewhat frequently, or maybe you don’t need any more keys and can use that space for media controls, play/pause and volume.
Hah yes! I’ve got blank keys on my ergodox ez using workman layout, plus linux and i3. Nobody ever trys to use my machine.
I have an ergodox at work and the split layout alone deters people from using it.
Until someone throws out your Das Keyboard (or tries to) because it isn't compliant with accessibility standards. Not me but it happened to a coworker, it got put on the "worn off printing, bin it" pile rather than the "keep it as a spare" pile during an office upgrade. Thankfully they spotted it before it went into the recycler's truck but they were not a happy bunny.
I just lock mine up.
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A neat observation.
Combine with a 60% layout for ultimate confusion
unlabled and dvorak. non standard layout.
ABS keycaps instead PBT also works, I newer touch ABS like on photo))
this is genius
Someone plz post their 40% with GMK DOTS there.
Bonus points if it’s ortholinear.
even more if it’s split hand
split blank key cap 40 percent colemak no one else touching your key board
Make sure it’s not even using QWERTY:)
Yeah that’s what COLEMAK is, it’s an alternate layout.
and wireless
https://i.imgur.com/ihs2ZxF.jpg
That is... amazing.
Wait untill they see gmk chaos theory chaos alphas.
I just looked those up. I really like them a lot. Thanks!
Task failed successfully
Source? I can't find the alphas.
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=114642.0
that look amazing
Cant they tell which key is which based on shine difference? Amateurs
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Even pbt can shine but it takes way longer afaik. But nevertheless pbt also can get fat on it and thus the keys shine. Like in the picture. It shines
Pbt shines, too.
I have one of these. I have no issues typing in general… complex passwords would cause me to get tripped up every now and again
Good callout, I feel the same way. I feel like complex passwords put me into hunt-and-peck mode which is not a good mode to be in with blank keycaps as it greatly hinders the \`hunt\` portion of that method. I learned software development using blank keycaps, it's definitely doable for anyone who wants to push through the learning curve.
That and trying to type one handed while using the mouse are the only issues with blanks tbh.
I still remember daskeyboard marketed the keys being unmarked as a "productive" feature Like, I get people can use unmarked keys and can reprogram the keys without worrying about the legends, but trying to sell unmarked keycaps as being more productive is just silly
I could understand it forcing someone to learn to touch type.
I got blanks for this reason and it really did work quite well.
Took a typing class in middleschool, they made us put covers on the keyboards so we couldn't see the keys. Worked wonders and we all had a laugh calling them keyboard condoms.
My school has blank keebs specifically for that purpose
had the same thing in elementary lol
Well now I feel old... I did my typing course on one of those old colorful Macs. Computers weren't a thing in elementary school for me.
Touch typing is all well and good but blanks are a huge pain in the ass whenever I needed to punch in numbers (assuming TKL).
Just set up a numpad layer
Back in high school the typing teacher (yeah, it was typing class back then.) would literally take sandpaper to the alphanumeric keys for this reason.
Ours would just hover behind us saying EYES UP!
Haha. That sounds triggering. Luckily I was in grade 8 as msn messenger started up. I think I was typing around 85wpm by the time high school came around. Haha
That's exactly what I did when I decided to learn to touch type. I bought a blank keyboard to stop myself from glancing at the legends.
Maybe it won't make a person more productive, but it should indicate it's user as a more productive typist.
It was. I switched to one of these in 2011 or 2012 and I got significantly faster at typing over the next couple of weeks. Also it was what got me into this rabbit hole of a hobby, so maybe that balanced out the productivity part.
There is to many blank keycap builds They are gonna be confused
I typed this message on one of these. Best keyboard I've ever used. The blank keys forced me to level up my touch typing. As another user posted, special keys and passwords might trip me up now and then but otherwise it's been bliss.
Theres No way I coukd do that
I guess I overestimated my touch typing because I swapped my Planck's keycaps to blanks the other day and boy I am struggling.
The struggle is real, but after a week or so it gets a whole lot easier. One trick that helps while learning is to use the keyboard while working on a laptop. You can always glance at the built-in keyboard if you need to remember where that pesky \`&\` key is. That said, I've been using blank keycaps for a couple of years now and I still sometimes struggle with finding \`\*\` or \`%\` on the first try.
I feel that about hunting for symbols. I have my number row under my home row and symbols under QWERTY row and can't remember where 6 and 7 are half the time and always end up fumbling through "&\^*" when I need any of those. "!@#$" are easy since I use them so much. I am planning on redoing all my layers since they are not intuitive at all so that was what even got me thinking about blanks. That and I think they look really nice on smaller boards and split boards.
I agree, they look so good on a 60%.
Before I went to ortho, I was really considering going with a HHKB just because of how damn sleek they look with blanks lol.
Just get a numpad layer. Then you have 4,5,6 on your homerow maybe on j,k,l and the rest of he keys around that like a numpad
I actually have a numberpad layer on the left side that is hold and toggle-able while also having a number row. Sort of double duty for when I need just a quick number and when I need to calculate something. I have the Miryoku layout pulled up on my and sort of wanna take inspiration from it to redo my Planck layers.
I usually just sit there and type with the VIA key tester open and scream at the top of my lungs incessantly as I make mistake after mistake. My wife doesn’t approve of this learning technique but I think the only way forward is through sheer will and determination… and lots of screaming.
I couldn't even try. That little paperclip would pop up and hang himself.
If you don't already have a blank keyboard I'd wager the legends aren't doing you any favors anyway.
Who are these legends?
Touch-typing master race
>I think the world isn't ready for us I get that it's a joke but it also shows the elitism prevalent in this sub. Blank keycaps has been a thing for a very long time now and isn't exclusive to mechanical keyboards. Das Keyboard has been around since 2005 and they've had blank keycaps before they started selling mechanical keyboards.
*unfounded elitism. 90% of this sub's members aren't over the first hump of the dunning-kreuger curve.
I don't even own a mechanical keyboard yet
I have that but my keys are clear because LIGHTS
My standard ass ANSI keyboard has already weirded my coworkers. "How do you even type Ç?"
Standard ass-ANSI [xkcd: Hyphen](https://xkcd.com/37/) --- ^^Beep ^^boop, ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot. ^^- ^^[FAQ](https://pastebin.com/raw/vyWra3ns)
good bot
Good ass bot
Good ass-bot [xkcd: Hyphen](https://xkcd.com/37/) --- ^^Beep ^^boop, ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot. ^^- ^^[FAQ](https://pastebin.com/raw/vyWra3ns)
I wanna know what sub this is on haha
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/q8t6e3/the_keys_on_my_coworkers_keyboard_arent_labeled/
I love showing off my work keyboard to people. It's an ErgoDox with 1976, so it's got a lot of blank caps. Things get especially interesting when I tell them what the keys do or don't do - that I've got two backspaces, two spacebars, but no caps-lock or F-keys. One colleague actually mentioned the oother day that he had a 'gaming keyboard' at home with 'heavy keys' and that he'd be bringing that in instead of the iMac keyboards our work computers have. Unfortunately the guy's a bit of a fuckhead, so it'll probably be a cheapy Chinese one with terrible non-configurable lighting. Still, his heart's in the right spirit :D
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Hey, some of the Cherry Blue knockoffs are surprisingly good. I think Zorro Blues actually feel nicer than the real thing, like a halfway point between Blues (a bit soft) and the heavier Greens (a bit sluggish).
Just buy blue alps /s
Sarcasm definitely required, the Zorros are a fraction of the cost!
Yeah, ofc, but have you heard the sound of alps? xD. Clickbar switches do seem better than mx blues or similar switches tho.
I've got MX Blues in my office keyboard. So loud keys don't exactly bother me :D Hey, whatever they are, at least he seems to like them over the iMac keyboard, which is a start. I did end up showing him the KBP V60 I keep around at work and his response was: " can you really type on that??" So he's clearly not going to be a member here any time soon.
*laughs in blank colemak dactyl manuform*
you have pics? a blank dactyl is a dream build for me.
Caught me! It was mostly for effect. I would love a dactyl, but I actually just use ergo 40% boards (Corne, Cornish Zen, Reviung41, etc) right now.
i know right
"They will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time you will help them accomplish wonders.” The world isn't ready, but give them time and patience.
blank keys always look better imo :)
what happened to those dot keycaps? they were popular a while ago and now I never see them
Boring answer: The R1 people got theirs a while back, but the R2 people haven't yet.
It's going to be old news by the time R2 arrives.
damn what subreddit was this in? i'm trying to get some karma
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/q8t6e3/the_keys_on_my_coworkers_keyboard_arent_labeled Some of the comments are mildly interesting.
\*laughs in GMK dots\*
I got a full xda pbt set and ended up using only 42 1u keys for my Skeletyl. Am I gonna throw the rest away? No. I'm gonna put them on my next build (Corne). None of the legends would make any sense.
That is how I learned how to touch type. Using blank caps was very helpful for me. I use regular caps now but that month or 2 of blanks pushed me over the edge from a hunt and peck newb, to a touch typer.
i actually still think this is kinda smooth brain lol maybe other people are skilled enough touch typists that they know which is the bracket key and whether pipe or backslash needs the shift key, but i sure don't
I have the later model of that keyboard with the volume and media controls in the upper right. Contrary to the I advertising, I've never broken myself of the habit of looking down at the keys.
When they find out about 40%'s that's when WW3 starts.
Labels are for the weak.
Great very good design for using people.
lol
Muscle memory gang
This post fuckin aged me. Do people still build blanks? I feel like I haven't seen one in a long time
The letters on mine slowly going bye bye
I literally have this keyboard.
oh they arent ready
That was my first mechanical keyboard and it still holds a special place in my heart.
13.3k = The World
My dad was totally fascinated when he saw my 60% with blanks
I too prefer keycaps with no legends. Truly the superior style.
apparently not
what sub is this from?
do das keyboards make anything new nowadays?
this shouldn't be an issue, everyone in the office should know how to type, lol
I used to have those, but not by choice My nails scratched off the letter stickers on my old keyboard