I’m going through this currently trying to find a privacy respecting Android keyboard.
Latest effort is Futo, recommended by a coworker. So far, I don’t like it.
Comment on Split Keyboards Are Superior And The Reason I’m The Writer I Am Today.
smiletolerantly@awful.systems 4 weeks ago
I built and configured an Arkenswoop some time in 2023. It’s really nice. However… I have gotten quite fast on a conventional keyboard just by using it over the years, and re-learning that is just so tedious. Every time I try, something with a deadline comes up, and I switch back “temporarily”.
Anyone have experience overcoming this?
toynbee@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
smiletolerantly@awful.systems 4 weeks ago
As a fellow Futo user: it’s not great out of the box. My biggest recommendations are:
- under Languages and models, download all the voice models (if you use those), transformers, and wordlists you can for your languages
- if you use multiple languages, set the check on “multilingual typing” for ALL of those languages
- this is probably the biggest one: in text prediction -> Advanced Parameters, DRASTICALLY change the values. The original ones are 3.4 and 4.0 for LLM strength and autocorrect threshold, mine are currently set at 28.5 and 0.8, respectively. This takes the autocorrect from “occasionally working” to “as good as SwiftKey” for me.
- Keyboard and Typing -> Long Press -> Show hints. Could not find that for ages so thought I’d add it here.
Also, two super useful shortcuts: you can press the space-bar and move your finger around to move the pointer; and the same for backspace to fine-control what to delete.
Hope this helps, but if not… What additional gripes do you habe with it?
toynbee@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
This seems like a good starting point. Thank you for the recommendations; I’ll reach out with potential future gripes.
Valmond@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I have had to use swedish (various), english, american, french and german keyboards, I have to look at the keyboard when I type :-/
Maybe I should just go DVORAK or something and always carry one with me…
Jestzer@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
As somebody who fully switched to Dvorak about 10 years ago, it has its benefits, but man oh man, does it bring out the shitty programmers who don’t realize that anything other than US QWERTY exists.
gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I switched to a new key layout and was slowed down for like a month, and almost every day I could literally feel myself speeding back up. It was such a cool experience, and one that I imagine has beneficial like neural effects, that sometimes I think about switching it up just for fun.
I’d suggest just sticking with it. I now use English, German, and my custom Workman layout at home without any issue switching between them. Practice makes perfect and cause a bunch of work and fun things encourage typing a lot, practice comes easy and getting back to your normal speed happens quickly.
Picking a new layout like Workman or Dvorak where you can feel the benefits, plus a split keyboard’s ergonomic benefits, and I think anyone would struggle to go back (assuming they do it for a month and give it a fair shake).
smiletolerantly@awful.systems 4 weeks ago
That sounds great. I think I’ve given it more than a month overall, but probably never longer than a week at a time. Guess I’ll have to have my SO hide my normal keyboard lol
gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Ya, I personally didn’t swap between two different ones during that time and I remember the first time u went back to a single board qwerty keyboard I struggled for less than an hour and then the muscle memory kicked in. I think my wires get crossed when I jumped between the two while learning and I decided to just stick with the one until I had “recovered” and that really helped.
Good luck!
smiletolerantly@awful.systems 4 weeks ago
Will do! Thank you!