Why We Should Stick To Qwerty

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Term Paper Title	Why We Should Stick To Qwerty
# of Words	755
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.02

Why We Should Stick To Qwerty

Why We Should Stick To Qwerty

Computer Science 10

The Qwerty keyboard - named Qwerty because the letters q, w, e, r, t, y are
arranged next to each other - has been the universal standard since the
beginning of the 1890s.  Since then, there have been many proposals by other
keyboard makers to market products that would enable users to type faster.
Other proposals put the most frequently used letters - dhiatensor - in the
middle row.i  Although these keyboards enable users to type far faster than the
qwerty keyboard, they are rarely sold.  There are several reasons for this.
First, there is no need for the regular users to type any faster than at the
current speed.  Second, for the people whose job require fast typing, the new
keyboards can lead to bigger health problems that develop from continuous typing.
Third, and most importantly, standardization has led the qwerty keyboards to
firmly hold the position as the keyboard.

There are major differences between the two types of keyboard users; the regular
users and the other typists.  The regular users are people who uses the keyboard
for word processing, e-mailing, and internet; there is not much of a need for
them to type extremely fast.  They do not type mechanically but rather based on
their thought, and thinking takes time.  In other words, faster keyboards are
irrelevant for them because they are not continuously typing.  They need to
think what they are going to write, one sentence one after another.

On the other hand, the typists whose job is simply to type, do so continuously.
They also happen to be the major victims of repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) which
is in large part caused by continuously stroking the keyboards.  In an article
about RSI, Huff explains the changes that the companies are undergoing to become
more productive: Many work practices are changing with automation to increase
productivity.  These include fewer staff, heavier workloads, more task
specialization, faster pacing of work, fewer rest breaks, more overtime, more
shift work and nonstandard hours, and more piece work and bonus systems.  These
work practices can entail very prolonged rapid or forceful repetitive motions
leading to fatigue and overuse of muscles.ii

Because RSI is a major problem to the typists, it would be a suicidal move for
them to adopt faster typable keyboards.  More of them will develop RSI.  As for
the companies that hire these typists, not only wi...

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