Region Specific Question

[E.G. Gammon]

I am working on the first novel of my novel series and I got to a detail I had a question about. I can't go into specifics, but the sequence of a couple keys on a keyboard is important to the story and - in a way - helps one of my characters save another. My question has to do with my little keyboard puzzle being region specific. I live in the U.S. and here we use the "qwerty" keyboard layout but, all around the world they use the "dvorak" layout. The sequence of keys that helps one character save another only works on a "querty" keyboard (I've checked). I'm early in the writing process (which is a good thing since I have time to apply changes if needed) and thought I would get everyone's opinion on whether I should still include the puzzle and write it in such a way that people who don't own a querty keyboard will still understand, or just change the plot completely and come up with an alternate puzzle. The puzzle really works effectively in the story, but if it is going to be a problem, I don't mind coming up with something else.

[veinglory]

The QWERTY is standard worldwide. Very few use other configs.

[E.G. Gammon]

The QWERTY is standard worldwide. Very few use other configs.

Oh really? Summer of 2003 I spent 15 days traveling across Europe - Madrid, Barcelona, Provence, Nice, Florence, Rome - and every Internet Cafe I went to had the DVORAK. It was a nightmare. I'll have to do some more research on exactly how many countries use the DVORAK.

[TashaGoddard]

http://www.answers.com/topic/keyboard-layout

It does vary a fair bit, yes. I suppose it depends on the exact keys that are at issue! Good luck!

[veinglory]

I can say with certainty that living and working in Britian, Austrlia and New Zealand that I never saw anything other than QWERTY. Perhaps I over generalised from there. I hope others will enlighten me.

[veinglory]

I had a google around, it looks like English lanmguage countries overwhelmingly use QWERTY.

[E.G. Gammon]

http://www.answers.com/topic/keyboard-layout

It does vary a fair bit, yes. I suppose it depends on the exact keys that are at issue! Good luck!

The "puzzle" in my novel has to do with one key in one row and the 2 keys directly below it (forming a triangle of sorts). The position of those keys aren't the same on the DVORAK. But, thanks for the link. I think that if I write it right, the puzzle will be understood by everyone. My novel series takes place in the U.S., so hopefully those who don't live here, who use a different layout, will understand the difference is because the keyboard mentioned in the story is the one used in the U.S. - I think I said that right...

[Jamesaritchie]

Oh really? Summer of 2003 I spent 15 days traveling across Europe - Madrid, Barcelona, Provence, Nice, Florence, Rome - and every Internet Cafe I went to had the DVORAK. It was a nightmare. I'll have to do some more research on exactly how many countries use the DVORAK.

From my experience, all countries use qwerty, and all countries use DVORAK. QWERTY is predominant in pretty much every English speaking country.

But are you sure you were seeing DVORAK keyboards every time? The AZERTY European keyboard is pretty widespread in many European countries, particularly in public areas, and is often confused with DVORAK.

You see these most often with public computers because the AZERTY European keyboard supports accents and other language specific elements that neither QWERTY or DVORAK allows. The AZERTY keyboard is particularly common in Spanish speaking countries for just this reason, but you see it in every country you list, and others, as well.

Just to add to this, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the AZERTY keyboard is the standard in non-English speaking European countries. Lord knows, you see them everywhere you look.

[Sassenach]

I've lived in Central America for 3.5 years, and all the Spanish-language keyboards are QWERTY. I've never seen a DVORAK keyboard--here or in the US.

[Note On]

The AZERTY European keyboard is pretty widespread in many European countries, particularly in public areas, and is often confused with DVORAK.

AZERTY is what I kept bumping into in Europe and Quebec, I think. Verz annozing.

[NeuroFizz]

EG,

Can you do it with the number pad on a computer keyboard?

[E.G. Gammon]

EG,

Can you do it with the number pad on a computer keyboard?

I wish I could; it would be easier that way. But it has to include specific letters, not numbers, in order for the puzzle to work the way I wrote it.

[NeuroFizz]

Okay, then pick one of the less-common keyboards. Early in the story, have someone try to type on your character's keyboard but complain that it's all gibberish. Have your character pass it off in a way that contributes to his/her quirky nature and then drop it. Let the real reason for learning the alternate keyboard surface much later when the code is punched in. You can double-dip that way--use it for characterization early on and for action/plot later on. I don't know your story, so this may not work, but if you want to avoid a problem like this, force the issue early so you won't trip readers from different backgrounds or homelands. Sound reasonable?

[Maryn]

At last, it's handy to be just dumb enough to see through the intelligence rays! (They're blinding around here, you know.)

If your book is set in the US, don't you think you have to use a QWERTY keyboard? It would be quite remarkable if your character had anything else. (I bet most Americans have never seen any other keyboard layout, and the majority has never paused to consider the possibility of life outside the QWERTY mode.)

Authors aiming for the English-speaking reader are aiming at the QWERTY reader, but in your travels you saw other keyboards, presumably in the possession of people who will be able to read your book. These potential readers will need to know that the three keys in question are in a triangle on the keyboard your character has. What to do, what to do?

Well, duh--tell them! One sentence should do it. Repeat it later if you think the reader might need reminding after a long absence.

It seems to me that bringing in other keyboards or making a big production out of the potential non-QWERTY reader not 'getting it' is borrowing trouble. First write a book that sells, and if you haven't handled the location of those three keys well enough, your editor will let you know.

Maryn, total QWERTY slave

[Jamesaritchie]

I've lived in Central America for 3.5 years, and all the Spanish-language keyboards are QWERTY. I've never seen a DVORAK keyboard--here or in the US.

I've wondered why Central and Sourth America uses QWERTY, but Spain and other non-English speaking European countries use the AZERTY. Proximity to the US, I guess.

I've seen quite a few DVORAK keyboards around. I know a fairly large number of writers who swear by them.

I prefer an aphabetical keyboard. Brand new typists can learn to touch type on one in nothing flat.

[Jamesaritchie]

At last, it's handy to be just dumb enough to see through the intelligence rays! (They're blinding around here, you know.)

If your book is set in the US, don't you think you have to use a QWERTY keyboard? It would be quite remarkable if your character had anything else. (I bet most Americans have never seen any other keyboard layout, and the majority has never paused to consider the possibility of life outside the QWERTY mode.)

Authors aiming for the English-speaking reader are aiming at the QWERTY reader, but in your travels you saw other keyboards, presumably in the possession of people who will be able to read your book. These potential readers will need to know that the three keys in question are in a triangle on the keyboard your character has. What to do, what to do?

Well, duh--tell them! One sentence should do it. Repeat it later if you think the reader might need reminding after a long absence.

It seems to me that bringing in other keyboards or making a big production out of the potential non-QWERTY reader not 'getting it' is borrowing trouble. First write a book that sells, and if you haven't handled the location of those three keys well enough, your editor will let you know.

Maryn, total QWERTY slave

I don't know. The DVORAK is pretty common, and even those who haven't seen one probably know about them. It seems the perfect solution, to me.

There are also quite a few alphabetical keyboards around, which is what I prefer.

[Sassenach]

If I had a dollar for everyone who types and who doesn't know what a Dvorak is, I'd have a big bunch of dollars.

I've been using the QWERTY for 40+ years, and it works just fine for me. I have no motivation to change.

"When I look back on all the cr** I learned in high school..." I realize that the single most valuable class was typing. [And this was way back in the pre-Selectric era.

[Jamesaritchie]

If I had a dollar for everyone who types and who doesn't know what a Dvorak is, I'd have a big bunch of dollars.

I've been using the QWERTY for 40+ years, and it works just fine for me. I have no motivation to change.

"When I look back on all the cr** I learned in high school..." I realize that the single most valuable class was typing. [And this was way back in the pre-Selectric era.

Sure, many have no clue what a DVORAK is, but millions do. Just look at how many are actually in use. And since it isn't an imaginary keyboard, but one that is used by a great many, I think this makes it the perfect ploy for this plot.

Obvious is not what you want for a good mystery plot, and using something that's real, but not necessarily widely known, is a tried and true technique for planting clues. The fact that QWERTYs are much more common just makes the DVORAK a better clue.

Whether or not a DVORAK is really much faster than a QWERTY is debatable, but it is some faster, and it's certain DVORAK causes fewer repetative stress problems, and many change for just this reason. DVORAK keyboards are extremely popular with those who start feeling the pain of RSS.

I do have some problems with a QWERTY keyboard, but they're largely personal, and came about because of a serious bout with RSS. QWERTY was designed for typewriters, and primarily to stop keys from sticking. It isn't built for speed, and the letter placement, while logical for stopping typewriter keys from sticking, is very poor for any other use. It's not terribly fast for the average user, and even worse for repetative stress because the hands and fingers move about 32-35% more than with DVORAK. And for those just learning to type, QWERTY is much slower to learn than either DVORAK or ABC.

I don't think speed matters much at all for most writers. There have been two-fingered (Newspaper style) typists, and four-fingered (Modified newspaper style) typists, who hit more than 200 words per minute. Most writers actually write at eight to fifteen words per minute, so hyper-speed is unnecessary.

200 words per minute is 16.6 keystrokes per second, which seems like magic to me.

I can easily type eighty words per minute using modified newspaper style, but I can very seldom write faster than fifteen words per minute, and usually go a bit slower. Sometimes a good bit slower. (Oddly, I can type AND write faster on a manual typewriter than on a computer keyboard.)

But I do thnk repetative stress is a big deal, and the QWERTY keyboard is a terrible design where RSS is concerned. So is the standard mouse.

DVORAK will never replace QWERTY simply because QWERTY is far too entrenched, but any writer who seriously wishes to avoid RSS, or who is already experiencing symptoms, should consider switching to DVORAK and a rollerball or other non-movable mouse. Or even the keyboard mouse option which uses the arrow keys to move the cursor.

It doesn't actually cost anything to try DVORAK. The software is built into Windows, and you just have to select DVORAK, then pop the keys off an old keyboard and pop them back on in the DVORAK layout.

For most people, there's little reason to switch, but for those worried about RSS, DVORAK can be a lifesaver.