Re: Caps off to ya'

["Dr. Neal Krawetz" <hf () hackerfactor com>]

Hi funsec,

Has this guy thought about getting a different keyboard?
Not every keyboard has a huge caps-lock and some don't have the key at all.
  http://mobilitytoday.com/vbmcms/images/TO-BTK-unattached.JPG
  http://willegal.net.hosting.domaindirect.com/appleii/keyboards.jpg
  http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/atarixl/h/front.jpg
  http://www.neatorama.com/images/2005/keyboard-bag.jpg

There are also a bunch of ways to remap caps-lock to something else, like
the control key.  http://www.manicai.net/comp/swap-caps-ctrl.html
(Wouldn't it be really funny if a computer worm was prolific and its
payload remapped the caps-lock key?)

I also know many people who simply remove the caps-lock key by prying it
off the keyboard.  I, myself have a box full of them.  (I'm not kidding.
Some day I plan to make an art project out of them.)

But I agree with David Harley.  Caps-lock is more than an inconvenience.
It's heavily used by people that ARE inconveniences.  419ers, hoaxers,
newbies, and journalists.

Besides, if he thinks the caps-lock key is inconvenient, then what about
the entier "QWERTY" layout?  The original design had speed in mind: it was
specifically designed to SLOW DOWN typists.  On manual typewriters,
fast typists could wedge the hammers if they typed too fast, so the keys
were positioned to slow down fast typists.
(Wow, Wikipedia even has it right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY)
If caps-lock isn't slowing him down, then he's got a problem.
If he's interested in speed, perhaps a Dvorak keyboard would be better.
(Then again, Dvorak kept the caps-lock and designed it for writers, not
for programmers or game players.)

What we really need is a simpler keyboard without so many buttons.  Fewer
buttons means faster typing.  Suddenly Urdu sounds good to me:
http://multilan.osaka-gaidai.ac.jp/urdu/keyboard.jpg

                                        -Neal

PS. FOR ANYONE THAT TAKES THE ABOVE SERIOUSLY... I'M JUST KIDDING.  I'M
REALLY A FAN OF THE CAPS-LOCK KEY.
--
Neal Krawetz, Ph.D.
Hacker Factor Solutions
http://www.hackerfactor.com/
Author of "Introduction to Network Security" (Charles River Media, 2006)
http://www.charlesriver.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=126130


On Sat Aug 19 03:33:39 2006, David Harley wrote:
> "The Caps key is an abomination... and as far as I know, it's only used 
> by 419 scammers and Fortran programmers."
>
> He doesn't know very much, then. For a start, I'd guess he isn't a touch
> typist.
>
> So secretaries, copy typists, even journalists and writers will be 
> inconvenienced (in some cases seriously) because 419-ers, hoaxers, 
> and newsgroup newbies misuse it?
>
> I can understand the aesthetic irritation, but I wish the Lords of the
> Internet
> would stop and think things through before they try to impose their personal
> prejudices on the whole world. :(
>
> -- 
> David Harley
> Security Author & Consultant
> Small Blue-Green World
> dharley () smallblue-greenworld co uk

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