On Sat, Jun 15, 2019 at 07:12:28PM +1000, Van L wrote:
> <tomas@tuxteam.de> writes:
> 
> > Until you've got a German keyboard layout, where you need yet
> > another modifier (AltGr) to reach [, ], \ and |.
> 
> Choose the keys comfy for you relative to thumb over modifier key and
> finger tips poised to strike like in a DOOM Eternal Deathmatch.

It's more complicated than that: on the one hand, there's a strong
incentive for /one/ default set of keybindings (a baseline, so to
speak): documentation, tutorials, help forums, etc. (imagine you had
to parametrize them with $deity-knows-what-weird-keybinding-set, they'd
spread pretty thinly).

> > I'm sure there are multitude of other language-specific keyboard
> > layouts sharing that weakness...
> 
> Localise the layout.

See above. I think, realistically, that a non-standard layout is
(except maybe a few exceptions) a difficult balance act. More than
it seems at first blush: a key binding set is, after all, like a
new language -- you get a "tower of Babel" effect if you multiply
that.

Now I'm not arguing against using the flexibility Emacs provides
here, quite on the contrary. I'm just stating that it doesn't come
at zero cost (on the "social" side).

> > But I didn't want to open /that/ can o' worms -- just to raise
> > a bit of awareness.
> 
> I don't have the luxury of 3 modifier keys right of my spacebar and have
> the following experimental layout.  The CAPSLOCK 'on' doesn't function
> like holding the SHIFT key down for, for example, '(kbd "H-S-l")'.

Yeah, I've some little tweaks on my keyboard too (most of them at the
X level, because I like my apps to behave consistently). The (useless [1])
CAPSLOCK does compose, so I can write ♥ (= CAPSLOCK + < + 3) and other
trivia. Double-shift changes my keyboard to Greek input.

But when I'm discussing with some other Emacs person across the world
what CTRL-/ does (-> undo), the fact that, for me, it's unergonomic
(CTR-SHIFT-7) and for her it's just a two-key combo, is perhaps not
so important. Or it is. As I said, can of worms.

I don't think there's "a solution" to that. It helps being aware of
the multitude of factors involved.

Cheers

[1] See? Some might consider CAPSLOCK INDISPENSABLE. And they'd right
   too :-)

-- t