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Comment by adaszko | Hacker News Reader

There was a point when this was joke poking fun at emacs users. With time, it makes more and more sense. Foot pedals offload some strain from your hands to your feet which in theory sounds healthier when it comes to joints. They may even improve blood circulation to your feet. Something which is quite desirable given the sedentary nature of computer work.

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Right on. I've noticed in general, there's a lot of derision towards anyone using non-standard/ergonomic equipment.

I use a split (Dactyl Manuform) keyboard with qmk, and there's no end to the ongoing jokes about my "nerd keyboard", even from fellow programmers.

I can live with the jokes though. The keyboard cured my RSI and saved my career.

I have recently moved the ctrl key away from the "caps lock" position on my Ergodox and onto the thumb cluster, it's already improving the strain in my pinky. I took the initial move since the corner position is about the worst kind of stretch for a lot of key combinations, but with the amount that I use the ctrl key there's no doubt in my mind I should be using my strongest digit.

Yeah, if you have thumb clusters I definitely recommend putting modifiers on them. The thumb is one of the strongest digits, yet most only use them (or one of them!) to press a single key, the spacebar. What a waste.

On my ergodox the two big thumb keys on the left are control (escape when tapped) and alt. I don't use the other thumb keys as they aren't comfortable to type. The two right thumb keys are space and enter.

My thumbs have thanked me for the past nine years.

https://hairysun.com/revisiting-the-ergodox.html

I want to some day prepare a captain chair Star Trek style, and put one half of a split ergonomic keyboard into each arm of the chair.

Don't pay attention to the jokes. More than half of their origin comes from envy.

Possible satire, but conceivably practical: Emacs user links modifier foot pedals to generator, powers own computer.

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