# keyboard q #2

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-q-2/112400>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 4, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-q-2/112400 "2002-06-04T23:40:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![a\_gherkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@a\_gherkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_gherkin)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-q-2/112400/1 "2002-06-04T23:40:25Z")

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the other day i posted a thread asking why there were little embossed lines on the ‘f’ and ‘j’ and ‘5’ keys. i was also going to ask another question relating to computer keyboards, however the very second i started to transcribe the question, i completely forgot what it was!! but now i remember…  
why arent the letters on a keyboard arranged in alphabetical order? surely it would be much more helpful and much more logical!😕

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**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-q-2/112400/2 "2002-06-04T23:51:21Z")

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It’s basically a holdover from early manual typewriters. [Here](http://web.mit.edu/jcb/www/Dvorak/) is an interesting site.

> [@](#):
>
> …the layout was intended to place common two-letter combinations on opposite sides of the keyboard. On manual typewriters, each key is mechanically connected to a lever that has the reversed image of a letter on it. If a typist were to hit two keys on the same side of the keyboard in rapid succession, the second lever on its way up would hit the first on its way down, the keys would become stuck together, and the typist would have to stop typing and unstick the keys.

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**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-q-2/112400/3 "2002-06-04T23:51:25Z")

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The “QWERTY” keyboard is arranged as such based on the frequency of usage of each letter, and fingering (I believe).

Do a Google search on “QWERTY keyboard arrangement.” I’m too lazy. 😉

- s.e.

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**Author:** ![a\_gherkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@a\_gherkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_gherkin)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-q-2/112400/4 "2002-06-05T00:04:52Z")

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hehe ty scott 😛

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**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-q-2/112400/5 "2002-06-05T02:15:09Z")

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The reason for those little nubbins on the f, j, and 5 keys is so that you can position your hands in the standard home position on the keyboard without having to look at the keyboard. Touch typist find it useful.