Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!not-for-mail From: Random832 Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Subject: Re: QWERTY was not designed to intentionally slow typists down (was: Unicode normalisation [was Re: [beginner] What's wrong?]) Date: Sat, 09 Apr 2016 11:53:53 -0400 Lines: 28 Message-ID: References: <2796705.edb3E9ArW3@PointedEars.de> <1584744.4h7ToaqLat@PointedEars.de> <5705b9ef$0$1611$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <570748ec$0$1620$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <874mbcgfmd.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> <753cdb8b-9f94-48d6-bc0d-589efba86afc@googlegroups.com> <8560vr627l.fsf_-_@benfinney.id.au> <570876f1$0$1619$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <1460217233.3804713.573755729.61D3FCF2@webmail.messagingengine.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: news.uni-berlin.de tU2L2EuGXJbBqG42ZhEX9ADZP8MlkJD5GBirZnuj347g== Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.003 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:: [': 0.03; 'contributor': 0.07; 'other)': 0.09; 'received:internal': 0.09; 'typed': 0.09; 'subject:not': 0.11; 'footnote': 0.16; 'keys"': 0.16; 'message-id:@webmail.messagingengine.com': 0.16; 'occurs.': 0.16; 'opposite': 0.16; 'received:10.202': 0.16; 'received:10.202.2': 0.16; 'received:10.202.2.212': 0.16; 'received:10.202.2.44': 0.16; 'received:66.111': 0.16; 'received:66.111.4': 0.16; 'received:compute4.internal': 0.16; 'received:io': 0.16; 'received:messagingengine.com': 0.16; 'received:psf.io': 0.16; 'specifics': 0.16; 'subject:Unicode': 0.16; 'subject:beginner': 0.16; 'subject:slow': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.16; 'obviously': 0.16; 'subject:] ': 0.19; '(on': 0.22; 'keys': 0.22; 'subject:skip:i 10': 0.22; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.24; 'fri,': 0.27; 'least': 0.27; 'developing': 0.28; 'reduced': 0.29; 'second,': 0.29; 'subject: [': 0.29; "can't": 0.32; "d'aprano": 0.33; 'steven': 0.33; 'equal': 0.34; 'next': 0.35; 'faster': 0.36; "wasn't": 0.36; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.36; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'received:10': 0.37; 'being': 0.37; 'received:66': 0.38; 'takes': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.40; 'where': 0.40; 'claim': 0.61; 'press': 0.61; 'header:Message-Id:1': 0.61; 'side': 0.62; 'further': 0.62; 'per': 0.62; 'distance': 0.63; 'due': 0.65; 'spend': 0.67; 'apart': 0.70; 'power': 0.72; 'article': 0.77; 'basket': 0.84; 'facts:': 0.84; 'subject:down': 0.84; 'subject:skip:n 10': 0.84 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha1; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=fastmail.com; h= content-transfer-encoding:content-type:date:from:in-reply-to :message-id:mime-version:references:subject:to:x-sasl-enc :x-sasl-enc; s=mesmtp; bh=9vZKrpgzkNQHb030W47Waq5KbRM=; b=6Us1d2 hT7ursaXz4i97GakSia7iOBWLg1hkbuYkyCPbUtTFJoCgdWKcW13e+CRvVFPwU9H tOkgqoAKhHtd/0hE0RGjXONR5Cy1ekcB/6UmV/a+94xsrxuTatnycmXhtxLhaVDd hiOSFVYvHY+U1BmSlkmZs3EjWLcSZEwqJbMr4= DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha1; c=relaxed/relaxed; d= messagingengine.com; h=content-transfer-encoding:content-type :date:from:in-reply-to:message-id:mime-version:references :subject:to:x-sasl-enc:x-sasl-enc; s=smtpout; bh=9vZKrpgzkNQHb03 0W47Waq5KbRM=; b=q/RQ08E/fmLOnvMIBtEdPRZ5hFN1+fqRKhRaV8ijjlWoZCt 3rwB+31ZvLzKWXVX/udRCSmeacwF36rfZ89UnaxX/W4WkEzYuTQvs6BVjr2u7i/p y1UbjqwEMGTasBp2B2LLEtVodZuY2r41+Xp4Srx5WiOLpgyvTxELnv5yXp1Q= X-Sasl-Enc: tq3KG2gWPY+CtPpUCd8NWCqafbvpxXW9uI2//hTYIu5e 1460217233 X-Mailer: MessagingEngine.com Webmail Interface - ajax-eadf0bcf In-Reply-To: <570876f1$0$1619$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.21 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-Mailman-Original-Message-ID: <1460217233.3804713.573755729.61D3FCF2@webmail.messagingengine.com> X-Mailman-Original-References: <2796705.edb3E9ArW3@PointedEars.de> <1584744.4h7ToaqLat@PointedEars.de> <5705b9ef$0$1611$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <570748ec$0$1620$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <874mbcgfmd.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> <753cdb8b-9f94-48d6-bc0d-589efba86afc@googlegroups.com> <8560vr627l.fsf_-_@benfinney.id.au> <570876f1$0$1619$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:106741 On Fri, Apr 8, 2016, at 23:28, Steven D'Aprano wrote: > This is the power of the "slowing typists down is a myth" meme: same > Wikipedia contributor takes an article which *clearly and obviously* > repeats the conventional narrative that QWERTY was designed to > decrease the number of key presses per second, and uses that to defend > the counter-myth that QWERTY wasn't designed to decrease the number of > key presses per second! Er, the footnote is clearly and obviously being used to cite the claim that that is popularly believed, not the claim that it's incorrect. > These are the historical facts: > - Sholes spend significant time developing a layout which reduced the > number of jams by intentionally moving frequently typed characters > far apart, which has the effect of slowing down the rate at which > the typist can hit keys; "Moving characters far apart has the effect of slowing down the rate at which the typist can hit keys" is neither a fact nor historical. Keys that are further apart *can be hit faster without jamming* due to the specifics of the type-basket mechanism, and there's no reason to think that they can't be hit with at least equal speed by the typist. Take a typewriter. Press Q and A (right next to each other) at the same time, and observe the distance from the type basket where the jam occurs. Now press Q and P (on the opposite side of the basket from each other) and observe where the jam occurs.