this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2025
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Nope. I use left shift for everything.

Even if you do use both shift keys correctly, it still feels awkward to me since you have to sacrifice a pinky from home row and shift your hands.

It's why I've been curious to try a layout where Shift and Alt are swapped, that way you can use your thumb to press shift and keep your fingers in place.

https://colemakmods.github.io/ergonomic-mods/modifiers

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Which one is the wrong one?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

I had to type a bit to check, but found that I mostly use the right shift if the letter I'm capitalizing is on the left side of the keyboard. Oddly, it wasn't 100% though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I have literally only ever used the right shift key when playing, like, two different games. Both were simulations with insane amounts of controls. One is ARMA, and the other was a flight sim.

I used it because it had a function bound to it that wasn't on the left shift.

Edit: Oh and I think there was a pinball game on DOS that used both shift keys to operate the flippers.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

yes - ctrl + shift ) splits the kde konsole

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

With emulators mostly.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Never. I exclusively use my left thumb for the space bar, too.

I could probably type faster if I fixed those issues, but 30 years of bad habits die hard.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

only for keybinds that use shift and some other keys that are a little to far away from Lshift on my keyboard.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I use it to wake my computer up when the display is off.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

yep when game controls wasn t with wasd u have to use arrow keys to move the player

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Yes, but I don't use the right control key.

I also don't use the right alt key, except for keyboards where I don't have a menu key, and don't use it as alt in that case. In both cases, I bind that to Compose.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I actually use them frequently, like I have Ctrl+Alt+L bound to lock my computer, and workspace commands using the arrow keys and the like. It's easier to do one handed.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

My brain refuses to remember that they there are any utility keys below the enter on a US keyboard. The right pinky moves over and up, never down. I also never hit the spacebar with my right hand.

I never formally learned to type, I just picked it up because my hands have been glued to keyboards since the 80s.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Yes, but not as often as the left.

While touch typing, I pretty much always use the left shift key. To type "A" for example I slid my hand over one set of keys and pressed the A key with my ring finger. Right shift ends up used mostly with the punctuation marks to the right, like I actually move my entire right hand down to hit shift and ?

I also strike T, Y and B with different hands depending on what I'm typing.

There may be some other eccentricities but I do mostly touch type properly, asdfjkl; and all that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So, everyone who said "no" never learned how to type or what?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I only use it when I have food in one hand and can't reach the desired key + left shift with my other hand.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yes, ofc! I have it switched to the up-arrow on my 60%.
Otherwise no.

[–] Flyswat 2 points 3 months ago

Yes, when doing Ctrl+Insert to copy then Shift+Insert to paste

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Yeah, pretty sure i use it for capitalising symbols on the right of the keyboard.

In fact, i think i might use it for some of the symbols above the numbers, too.

I need to get in front of a keyboard and find out.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I rebound it, I never use it

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I rarely use the key as shift. It's reassigned to a different function when tapped and that's what I use it for most of the time.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

yes it gives me access to "%", which is handy for string interpolation

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I use the right Shift key to capitalize when touch-typing. I only use left Shift for Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Sure, if I'm inputting data with the Numpad.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

... You use capital numbers?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

No, the Shift key has uses other than for standard alphabet keys.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I know the shortcuts, but I have never used shift with the numpad. I have used computers before numpad existed on computers. Maybe I am missing out on something.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Just a bad habit for data entry that stuck from use of the old IBM keyboards. Somehow it felt better to shift my attention to the right-hand side instead of the standard layout and extending my hand to the keyboard's top just below the F-keys. Everything I needed was right there on the right 1/4 of the keyboard...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Yes but only occasionally. I have them mapped as space cadet shift keys so left shift key is ( on tap and shift on hold, right shift key is ) on tap and shift on hold.

I use ( a lot but my ide normally adds the ) for me so I don't need it as much for that.

Also, I use left shift for most capitals as I rarely gpt further than ; on the right side of the keyboard.

Smaller keyboards I have shift on hold of A and L as I don't have dedicated shift keys kn those.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

No, never. My keyboard doesn't even have one (40%)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Never because I can reach left shift with my pinky from basically anywhere on the keyboard

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