Dvorak Progress

I just hit 82 words per minute for an extended five minute period for the first time today, typing in Dvorak. I'm now pretty comfortable with the layout, and I don't think learning it has substantially harmed my QWERTY skills.

I tend to switch back and forth between the layouts a couple times an hour, depending on my mood. Dvorak is better for lazier typing, as it requires much less hand motion and overall energy. QWERTY is still better for having very intensive conversations or writing long compositions, since it requires slightly less mental engagement for me, and doesn't slow me down as much.

My hands sometimes hurt after extended Dvorak typing just as they sometimes do after extended QWERTY typing. So another advantage of frequently switching back and forth between the two layouts is that they use different kinds of motions, giving certain muscles a rest for a while and then I can switch back when I feel comfortable.

QWERTY is also better for programming, as programming really isn't about writing long sequences of English text, so many of the advantages of Dvorak disappear. And many useful characters are in optimal places for a QWERTY keyboard.

On the whole, I'm definitely glad I've learned Dvorak. Hopefully I can get above 100 words per minute in the next several months.

(This post typed in Dvorak.)