# Is this a joke - A blank keyboard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734 "2005-05-27T07:49:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/41 "2005-05-28T23:48:57Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Or you could just wait for Time to take its toll on the letters. I’ve worn the markings off a few of the keys on my keyboard. A, S, E, and L, in case you’re wondering. What are you selling? William Gibson in his **Sprawl** series makes a couple of offhand references to uber-hackers with blank keyboards, the implication being that they’re too cool and experienced to need the little letters, so perhaps they’re aiming at the retro-cyberpunk demographic. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/42 "2005-05-28T23:51:58Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > **Production line manager:** Dammit, the slikscreen process has failed and all the keycaps have come out blank! > **Head of manufacturing:** Well, halt the line, back it up and just run them though again > **Foreman:** It’s worse than that; see, I was taking my break and the process has assembled and finished six thousand units - they’re lined up for packaging > **Production line manager:** This is a frickin’ _disaster_. It’s not going to be much cheaper to rework them than it would be to scrap them and start again > \*\*Sales director: \*\*Wait a moment, I have an idea… DAVID: It’s not going to say anything? IAN: No, it’s not going to say anything. NIGEL: It’s going to be like this, all black… IAN: No, it’s going to be that simple, beautiful, classic! NIGEL: I think he’s right, there is something about this, that’s that’s so black, it’s like; “How much more black could this be?” and the answer is: “None, none… more black.” ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/43 "2005-05-28T23:58:35Z")
Must. Own. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/44 "2005-05-29T00:09:16Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > DAVID: It’s not going to say anything? > > IAN: No, it’s not going to say anything. > > NIGEL: It’s going to be like this, all black… > > IAN: No, it’s going to be that simple, beautiful, classic! > > NIGEL: I think he’s right, there is something about this, that’s that’s so black, it’s like; “How much more black could this be?” and the answer is: “None, none… more black.” And the function keys go up to 13. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/45 "2005-05-29T06:32:16Z")
\ > [@Cisco](#): > > You didn’t read the thread then. Lots of people pointed it out. Yes, I did. No, they didn’t. (Unless I’m really missing something.) \ ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/46 "2005-05-29T08:26:49Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > \ > Yes, I did. No, they didn’t. (Unless I’m really missing something.) > \ Well, there’s the OP: > [@](#): > > “equiped with 100% blank keys mounted on **precision and individually weighted key switches** ” Check out post #29 while you’re at it. ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/47 "2005-05-29T23:32:03Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > What I’d really want is a keyboard with lots of keys and programmable bindings. I can rebind keys at the OS level but it would be nice if the keyboard was capable of meeting me halfway, and an Emacs geek can _never_ have enough bucky bits to play with. Having Control, Alt, Meta, Hyper, Super, and Front with F1-F20 sounds about right. 😉 Is anyone making keyboards like that for PCs these days? Not quite everything you wanted, but here’s mine [the MCK-142 Pro](http://www.adesso.com/products_detail.asp?productid=47). I don’t know what the keys over the top do, but it’s got the function keys on the left hand side and I’m not functioning without them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734.md?page=2)