Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 19:12:14 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199712190012.TAA24207@locke.ccil.org> Reply-To: Colin Fine Sender: Lojban list From: Colin Fine Subject: QWERTY X-To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan In-Reply-To: X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 Content-Length: 1272 X-From-Space-Date: Thu Dec 18 19:12:19 1997 X-From-Space-Address: LOJBAN@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU vecu'u le notci po'u la bob@megalith.rattlesnake.com cu cusku di'e > >According to the various histories of the typewriter that I have read >(all of which may be passing on legend, of course, but which favored >QWERTY) Sholes started out with an alphabetical layout, then moved >keys until his test texts, using single finger typing, did not cause >jamming. Neither he nor the companies that used his keyboard changed >the layout when (quite soon) someone put a spring under each key so >they would snap back quickly rather than slowly (in Sholes' design, the >keys fell back under gravity). If Sholes' test texts did not include >words with `ert' in them, they were not tested. Or 'er'. Or 're' Or 'rt'. Or 'tr' ? i mi punai ve lisri le se tcila lopu finti le ciskyminji .i la'a de'u pe do drata -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | Colin Fine 66 High Ash, Shipley, W Yorks. BD18 1NE, UK | | Tel: 01274 592696/0976 635354 e-mail: colin@kindness.demon.co.uk | | "Don't just do something! Stand there!" | | - from 'Behold the Spirit' (workshop) | -----------------------------------------------------------------------