From: robert@metropolis.com (Robert Munyer)
Subject: Re: DVORAK Keyboard driver, can I change the keys of my keyboard?
Organization: Metropolis Software, Inc.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 03:34:45 GMT

andrews@sp2.csrd.uiuc.edu (John Andrews) writes:
> I wrote a program to generate random patterns to help me learn the Dvorak
> keyboard.  [...]
> auauo aeuoe oaeue auaea eoeuo eueau euaou aeaeu eoeoe auoua oaeoe uaeau ouauo
> eouea uauao eauau oauoe aoaue ouaua eaoeo uaeuo uauou eaeou euoeu aueao uoaeu

No offense, but I think that this is not a good idea.  The whole point of the
Dvorak keyboard is that it is optimized for typing ENGLISH WORDS.  I suspect
that the kind of exercises that this program creates are really most useful for
teaching a keyboard layout (like Sholes's QWERTY layout) that is specifically
WRONG for English words.

*************************************************
* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE LEARNING DVORAK *
*************************************************

A much better idea would be to write a program that generates random lists of
real words that can be typed without removing your fingers from the home row.
In fact, this is an EXCELLENT thing to try if you are learning Dvorak, for the
following reasons:

(1) It is VERY easy to memorize the positions of the 10 keys on the home row.
(2) After some practice, you'll be able to type these words REALLY REALLY FAST.
    I tried this once years and years ago, and I found that my typing speed was
    getting close to three hundred words per minute on some of these sentences.

If you try this exercise, I guarantee that you will feel a BIG BOOST OF
ENCOURAGEMENT the first time one of your friends hears you doing one of these
exercises and says, "You can't possibly be typing real words that fast.  Why
are you beating the hell out of your poor keyboard like that?"

***********************************************
* WARNING: SHAMELESS ANTI-SHOLES SLAM FOLLOWS *
***********************************************

Here is a list of all (well, most) of the words that you can type
with only the home row keys on the Sholes (QWERTY) keyboard layout:

% grep -v \[\^asdfghjkl\] /usr/dict/words | grep -v \^\[sdfghjkl\]\$ | fmt

a ad add ah ala alfalfa alga algal all as ash ask ass dad dash fad
fag fall flag flak flash flask gad gaff gag gal gala gall gas gash
glad glass ha had half hall hash jag la lad lag lash lass sa sad
sag saga salad sash shad shag shah shall slag slash

OK, you 19th-century keyboard apologists, let's see how many decent practice
sentences you can make out of that!

Now, here's the equivalent list for the Dvorak keyboard layout:

% grep -v \[\^aoeuidhtns\] /usr/dict/words | grep -v \^\[eudhtns\]\$ | fmt

a ad add addend addenda addition adenine adenosine adhesion adieu
ado aesthete ah ahead aid aide an ana and andesine andesite anent
ani anion anise annotate anode ant ante antedate antenna antennae
anti anus as ash ashen aside asinine ass assai assassin assassinate
assent assess asset assiduous assist assistant assonant astatine
astonish astound astute at ate atheist atone attain attend attendant
attendee attention attenuate attest attestation attitude attune
audio audit audition aunt auntie austenite auto dad dais dash data
date daunt dead deaden deadhead dean death deed den denotation
denote dense dent denudation denude desist destinate destine
destitute desuetude detain detent detente detention detest detestation
detonate deus diathesis did die diet din dine dint diode disdain
dish dissension dissident dissuade distant ditto do dodo doe don
donate done dose dot dote douse du dud due duet dun dune dust ease
east eat eaten edit edition eh en end enstatite enthusiast eosine
estate et eta ethane ethos etude euthanasia ha had hand handout
handset handstand hash hashish hast haste hasten hat hate hath
haunt he head headset headstand headstone heat heath heathen
heathenish hedonist heed hen hesitant hesitate hi hiatus hid hidden
hide hideous hideout hind hint his hiss histidine hit ho hoe hoi
hondo hone honest hood hoot hose host hostess hot hothead hothouse
hound house hue huh hunt hush hut i idea ideate idiot ii iii in
inane inattention indeed indent indentation initiate inn innate
innuendo insane inset inside insidious insinuate insist insistent
instant instantaneous instantiate instead institute institution
intend intendant intense intent intention intestate intestine into
intonate intone intuition inundate iodate iodide iodinate iodine
ion iota is issuant issue it naiad nation nausea nauseate ne neat
neath nee need neon neonate nest net nine nineteen nineteenth
ninetieth ninth nit no nod node noise non none noon noose nose not
notate note notion noun nu nude nun nut nutate o oases oasis oat
oath odd ode odious oh oint on one onion onset onto onus osseous
ostentatious otiose oust out sa sad sadden sadist said saint sand
sandstone sane sanitate sans sash sat satan satiate satin saute
sea seaside season seat sedan sedate sedition seditious see seed
seen seethe sen senate send sensate sense sensuous sent sentient
session set shad shade shah she sheath sheathe shed sheen sheet
shin shine shish shod shoe shone shoo shoot shot shout shun shunt
shut shutout side sienna siesta sin sine sinh sinuous sinus sinusoid
sis sit site situ situate situs snout so sod soda sodden son sonant
sonata sonnet soon soot sooth soothe sou sound soutane south
southeast stadia staid stain stand standeth stannous stash stasis
state statue statuette status statute stead steed stein stint stone
stood stout stud student studio studious stun stunt sud sudden suds
sue suit suite sun sunset sunshade sunshine suntan suntanned sushi
sustain tad taint tan tanh tannin tao taste tat tate tattoo tau
taunt taut tea teahouse tease teat tedious tee teen teet teeth
teethe ten tenant tend tendon tenet tennis tenon tense tension tent
tenth tenuous test testate testes tetanus tete than that the thee
theist then these theses thesis theta thin thine thinnish this
those thou thousand thousandth thud thus ti tid tide tie tin tine
tint tissue tit titanate tithe titian to toad toast toe ton tone
too toot tooth toss tot tote tout tuition tun tuna tune tutu union
unison unit unite us use

OK, OK, these lists aren't perfect.  But I'm sure you get the general idea.

______________________________________________________________________
Robert Munyer            |   "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid."
robert@metropolis.com    |      -- Bishop, _Aliens_

Disclaimer: I never learned to touch-type on the old Sholes "Born to be Bad"
keyboard layout.  I am not responsible for any damage that this ancient, ANTI-
ERGONOMIC technology may have done to your reflexes.  Your mileage may vary.