Dvorak isn't as bad as all that.

since that last message I've gone leaps and bounds beyond that first painful fumbling. I've learned all the keys on the top two rows, and four on the bottom row. So:

' , . PYFGCL
AOEUIDHTNS
JK MW

though i've picked up b just by accident and j and w are brand new keys.

So if you've considered the switch, think about this:

I only started learning a few days ago, and i've got most of the keys.

I "learn" in two seesions: a half hour in the morning reviewing old lessons, and an hor in the evening to learn new keys. after the initial seesion, i've been learning abut four new keys a day.

losing my typing speed hasn't been a huge disaster - it will come back after I've learned all the keys. and if i'm freetyping words that use the keys i know well, that speed is already coming back. when i get back up to 50 wpm, I'll let you know.

I think you really have to want to make the switch to be effective - you have to be determined to make the change. You have to be willng to be clumsy at typing for a while, and to cut down an the ammount of typing you do while you're learning. You have to switch all the keyboards you use to dvorak.

if you do decide to learn, don't pop your keys off so the letters match at first. I had to switch them because airboy uses my keyboard so he's got to be able to hunt and peck, so i'm forever looking down at my keys to see the right buttons to push.

That's all, I guess. now off for turkey dinner.