We've seen our fair share of
battles in the consumer electronics industry, but this
war is distinctly different than those waged in
courtrooms or even conference centers, as the focal point here isn't a person, company, or even an entity. Pieter Hintjens is rounding up his troops in order to bring about a change that's most improbable: to have the Caps Lock key retired, permanently. Although some of you may chuckle at the idea and deem it unworthy of such an effort, we can imagine Pieter isn't alone in his disdain for the awkward key. Judging solely by the rate at which fellow petitioners are claiming their allegiance on the CAPSoff website, there are indeed an army of haters gaining strength. The group's mission is to awaken the public and get them to seriously think about the precious keyboard real estate that is so unfairly utilized by the (nearly) worthless uppercasing shortcut. Hintjens is a man on a mission, but he's keeping a cool head, and by offering up alternatives that could hopefully appease both camps, some sort of resolution can presumably be found; he has suggested that Caps Lock be relocated beside Scroll Lock, so that Fortran programmers (about the only folks on the planet aside from Nigerian email scammers who use this key with any frequency) can still have access to quick uppercasing. Now that you've been briefed, and you're fully aware of what's at stake, there's really only one question that remains: will you just sit around and gawk, or will you
fight for CAPSoff?
[Via
Slashdot]
posted August 17th 2006 3:27AM
Ok you know what stop with the Nigerian hating, no offense but we're not the only freaking country or nationality that does scams, maybe the most publicized but definitely not the only one. Seriously like the everyone from every other country is saint or something.
what a complete tosser. I make good use of the caps lock key. Perhaps he should make his own keyboard without a caps lock key and leave everyone else in peace.
CAPS off DANCE off!
Of course you could just all use Linux and then you can reprogramme all the keys to whatever you want. I have the left win key minimising all the windows. This is better cos it is faster than Win+D. The right win key is used to set the screen saver. Try it!
Well - this is certainly an emotive issue. As I work in an environment dripping with acronyms, which require to be placed in capitals, I like the key. I also frequently use insert, you may notice a q or two in this comment, love the windows key and absolutely most of all love the right hand windows key. I use these loads, the windows key most often now as part of a short cut system (such as windows-S for a OneNote screen clipping etc.) and the right one loads. I may have a mouse, but when my ten fingers are a-tapping then having easy access to these keys is fantastic.
As for the gamers: allowing the reprogramming of these keys is probably the best thing. Surely they've got enough resources to get themselves joysticks, steering weeks or PS2-type controllers rather than annoying those of us who actually use our extensive keybooards?!
I don't object to the caps lock key getting smaller, however. But the point is very valid about one handed typing (which I do fairly often when holding document, cup of coffee, telephone etc.) especially for the disabled.
it seems that many commenters here haven't read the whole article or just don't get it.
the article does not say that this guy wants to ban the caps-key altogether. he suggests to remap it aside the scroll lock key, i.e. a place where most users would less likely hit it by accident. so the real annoyance here is the "activation by accident due to its position on the keyboard", especially since the caps-key is used so little by the majority of computer users.
geez... just calm down and read the whole thing.
They should really get rid of the 10-key, or at least make it optional. That would bring the mouse closer to the keyboard, making more sense ergonomically. They should also stop adding all those useless "Multimedia" keys, and instead focus on making the F# keys more useful. Most people don't even use all 101 keys on the keyboard, so adding more useless buttons just wastes desktop real estate.
Caplock is used in Photoshop to toggle between Precise and Iconic brush cursors.
And a very useful toggle it is :>
Heck, no! I want all the keys right where they are. When I have to do some data entry at work, it all has to be in upper case. Are you trying to make me hold down shift all day long? And I use the 10-key pad constantly also. I couldn't tell you the last time I've typed a number on the upper number keys. The 10-key is just so much faster. And finally, when I'm forced to use Windows, I use the Win+E and Win+D combos constantly, not to mention using it to navigate the start menu. The less I have to take my hands off the keyboard, the better.
I guess I'm just old-school. I remember buying my first mouse for $60 and taking it back because Windows 3.0 wouldn't recognize it. I've been a keyboard man my whole life!
If you're using a laptop with an azerty keyboard, and you're typing lots of numbers (like autocad), capslock is a lifesaver!
I'd say map the @ symbol to it... I flick between windows and osx on my laptop... and it is just as much a pain having to press shift and then 2 to get an @, as it is to keep accidentally hitting caps lock
I agree with the guy. He writes: "...move all the wierd keys - like Num Lock - up to the top row...", and that would be the right thing to do. MOST PEOPLE DON"T TYPE IN CAPS!
Alright look KEEP YOUR SODING MITS OFF MY KEYBOARD.
I work in drafting and have to type all day in cap on drawings and then quicky switch for emails. These guys should just remap THEIR keyboard if they don't like it
Also they should put there money where their mouth is and start a company to sell that are CAPSOFF or CAPSMOVED.
Remap the capslock key. Ban the left windows key.
I always remove my caps lock key (and throw it away) for any keyboard I get at work.
On the laptop at home, I just remap the caps lock key to the windows key (on a Tecra S1 this kills 2 birds with one stone)
Look, it's simple... What you need is one of these...
http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/
I only ever use the CAPS lock, i didnt know so many people didnt..
the phrase "GET A LIFE" springs to mind. Who cares? It is useful for data entry sometimes tho... eg UK postcodes
wow, this is RETARDED. I used the caps lock to type that. You know why? Because I have the logic and intelligence to utilize all tools which are given to me in order to maximize efficieny. IT'S ALSO USEFUL WHEN YELLING AT DONKEYS AND N00BS.
A few days ago (before you declared that war) I put out my CAPS-LOCK and banned it into ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280017433881
auction is not yet finished.
im all for this shit.
(nice to see that other people declared a war against CAPS LOCK, too.. )
i think, remioving is the best solution.
when will keyboard manufacturers start to produce keyboards without that suckin' key?
Why dont they just make Caps Lock a software thing, I've lost track of the times I have written a document only to find that I had somehow nudged the Caps Lock on and my entire document is ruined. You can probably do it now but previously there was no simple way to change all the text back to non-caps.
Whats the key for anyhow?
Hate the caps lock key. Nothing is more annoying than accidentaly hitting it when typing.
Standard practice for me is to lever something under it and watch it fly across the room never to return. My boss hates that I "wreck" his keyboards but I see it as an improvement.
EaterOfZombiesAndCake - you call 2 keypresses instead of 1 "efficieny" LOL
I think pedals would be a good idea.
You could plug in a set of three usb pedals and use them for shift and cmd-click and stuff.
That would be ace.
Hasn't anyone ever thought of having a "foot-board" ? Imagine having 2 or 3 pedals under your foot which would trigger Shift, Control, etc.
Just imagine the increase in speed. Every '?', '@', etc would become a one-press character !
(And you would have caps-lock just by keeping your foot down)
This is never going to happen.
And even if it did, what would they do with the extra real estate? It would have to be another key, because shifting the qwerty keys in any manner is going to piss off the touch-typists.
Besides, who'd hit the caps lock key on accident? You'd have to have morbidly obese sausages of fingers.
I wrote this on Slashdot when this same story was posted there...
My wife is a nurse. She has to enter all of her medication orders in caps. If she doesn't, the orders go unfilled, and her patients get no medication.
This is what you guys want?
Some of you seem to have no life experience at all beyond chatting with teenagers on blogs and social networking sites.
Wow, Wolfsoap, were you reading above my shoulder when I wrote my comment ? Scary...
I always set up my start menus in order to start frequently used programs with keys instead of the mouse... eg. Win-POW (Programs, Office, Word) Win-PII(Programs-Internet-Internet explorer), Win-PIM (messenger) etc... Try it and see how much quicker it is than finding the mouse cursor, getting it to the corner, and so on... Of course to do this you have to sort out the Start menu every so often but it's worth it... (and get rid of the USELESS "Microsoft Office" tag on all Office programs)
(Oh, I always disable the Caps Lock key from the registry. That's why I was pleased to see this article!)
First AOL fires 5k people, then AOL releases search terms. If you remove the caps lock they'll have no way to type.
I love the Caps Lock key. It should stay right where it is. I use it with frequency, but I do not always use it. In other words, I don't simply activate it and leave it on. There are many times when I want it on, and many times when I want it off. Therefore, it should be in a location where access is easy.
The key that should be eliminated is the one to the immediate left of the right-side Ctrl key. I am not even sure what its named, but I am very sure that I NEVER use it.
Okay, forgetting all the "hilarious" comments left so far, I have a legitimate reason to require the caps lock key.
Our primary application at my office (ERP software) requires everything entered to be ALL CAPS. It is an upgraded version of 20+ year old legacy software (read: Jurassic software), and all data entered in the last 20+ years was UPPER CASE. Because of this, our newest version is also in UC, and I NEED to have the UC key.
Thanks for the "help" on trying to eliminate the key. While you're at it, why not delete the "q" key, it's hardly ever used.
Thanks anyway.
Thx to Cherry, the drivers for my solar powered Keyboard offers me to disable the capslock key :)
As an architect I use the caps lock for most of the day doing construction documents. Choke on a mule caps haters.
Anyone doing CAD work in an engineering field requires the caps lock key too, not just those silly Nigerians. All text on our drawings is in caps.
Why you trying to hold a man down? Sure the CAPS lock key is under utilized... and maybe he only helps out a few people (including me as an architect, he's a lifesave) now that he is getting on in age (i hear he's pass 300 yrs old). But the guy has been around forever. Don't take him down just cuz he's a little crotchity (spelling? word?) and gets in your way from time to time. you'll be old one day too, and people may want to take you out. So set your cosmic Karma now and praise the poor old key and the service he has provided throughout his lifetime. Don't focus on just the recent events. Hell, we might not all be here if it wasn't for the CAPS lock... or at the very least we would have screwy looking pinky fingers from holding down shift.
I don't have time to read the 8000 comments, but 90% of the software I work with at my job (telecom) requires caps lock.
the key we should get removed is the F1 key. who uses help anyway? i keep hitting it instead of the ESC key.
CK pointed out exactly why I like the Windows key. I'm a developer for a software company. Have you ever tried remoting into a client site only to find your mouse clicks get through only about 10% of the time? The Windows key combinations tend to work almost all the time. If you hate the Windows key just because you don't know how to use a Windows keyboard, then buy a PLAIN keyboard (one without the Windows-specific keys).
Also, as many have pointed out, the Caps Lock has its place especially in data entry. Just because a large number of people don't use it doesn't mean there isn't another group of people that does. Get used to your friggin' keyboard, people! It's been designed in the same way for A LONG TIME NOW! I have only accidentally hit the Windows key a couple of times -- and that was with my palm, not from reaching for CTRL or ALT!
Yeah....I agree...remove all those keys
Remove CAPS Lock as few use it (even though I use it....hmmmm)
Remove Backspace - use Delete
Remove Windows key
Remove Right-Click Key
Remove NumLock (very few use it)
Remove Pause/Break key
No need for two Shift and two CTRL and two Alt keys
In the name of the holy cow......we remove those keys...then as they say above....we can save precious keyboard real estate.
If you are still guessing on what I mean....its simple....CAPSoff website and the ppl maintaining it (Pieter Hintjens et al) are nuts....kick them out.
I have nothing against caps lock..but as someone said before...stupid insert key!! What i love about my logitech keyboard is that in place of the insert key (which is moved to where you would the Fn keys) is a double size delete key...ultra useful
Now please someone help me on this one...Scroll Lock...does anyone use it? And well the pause/break key for me is useless (unless its a programing interupt thingie); although with SNES9x it pauses the program lol :D
I use Caps Lock everyday at my job. In the Engineering field all text on drawings is typically displayed in CAPS but in general correspondence I toggle back to normal.
this is obviously another Karl Rove right-wing campaign to control (ala 1984) the moderates. %$#@ REPUBLICANS
Most of the systems I use at work required all caps input. Yeah, they're kinda old but they get the job done very well. We'd be lost without the caps lock.
This has got to be the dumbest thing ever. I can't believe that I actually care. I use the caps lock key everyday at work because I have to type in all caps for the plans that I draw.
If the caps key dissapears I will have to type some pretty lengthy notes and other random shit with one hand so the other can hold down shift. How dumb is that?
WHAT AN IDIOT, I CANT BELIEVE I WASTED MY TIME READING THIS POST AND TYPING THIS RESPONE, WELL AT LEAST THE CAPSLOCK KEY SAVED ME SOME TIME WRITTING THIS FLAME.
ever since the DEC vt100 layout was displaced by the vt220 layout, the CAPS LOCK key has indeed been in the wrong place.
I own two Northgate Omnikey ultra keyboards that allow the remapping in hardware, with a special keycap removal tool and 8 dip switches build in to the keyboard.
Nowadays, you should be able to double-click the ctrl-key, and have it toggle caps-lock (which modern keybnoards have an indicator for).
Seriously, instead banning on a keyboard layout, the guy should just start his own keyboard company. Northgate has been out of business for 10+ years now,
and I know mine are going to break soon.
I love the Windows key. I use it all the time. I can't believe people are complaing about it.
And, insert should definitely have an on/off LED. That's brilliant. Why has no one done that yet?
As for Caps Lock, yeah, it's really friggin' annoying when people type in caps all the time. Even in this very thread, people think they're being good by only typing the words "Caps" and "Lock" in all caps, and they're probably only using Shift to do it, but nonetheless, look at the damn key. It isn't labeled in all caps; there's no reason to type it "CAPS LOCK" and yet people do it anyway. Obviously, the root of the problem has nothing to do with the existance of the key.
In short, PEBKAC.