The caps-lock key: WOULD YOU MISS IT?

[Pretiacruento]

[url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20101208/tc_yblog_technews/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it]SOURCE[/url]
[release]Losing the spinning hard drive from its Chrome OS laptops is one thing, but the news that Google would jettison the caps-lock key from its upcoming notebooks REALLY got the tech world in a twist.

"We expect this will improve the quality of comments across the Web," joked Chrome project head Sundar Pichai [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/news/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20101207/tc_yblog_technews/googles-chrome-os-ready-to-live-your-life-on-the-web]during Tuesday's unveiling[/url], provoking some gasps, a few titters, and even a cheer or two. ([B]Oh, and the function keys are getting thrown out with the bathwater, too.[/B])

I admit that the news caught me a little off-guard. No caps-lock key? How would I live without it? Then again … when was the last time I really used the caps lock — besides the times I've hit the key by accident? Would I — or anyone — really miss it? (Incidentally, Google says you can turn the "modifier" key on its test Cr-48 Chrome netbook into a caps-lock key by [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=13014jk4f/*http://www.slashgear.com/caps-lock-isnt-dead-reassures-google-on-chrome-os-keyboards-08118305/]tweaking the correct settings[/url].)

[img]http://mit.zenfs.com/75/2010/12/IMG_0168.jpg[/img]

The caps-lock key has been standard-issue on PC keyboards for decades. All too often, though, it's been used to write BLARING E-MAILS AND COMMENTS that look LIKE SOMEONE'S SHOUTING.

All-caps shouting isn't restricted to blogs, of course. Newbies and trolls have been yelling (intentionally or not) in e-mail and in Usenet forums (remember those?) well before the Web.

There are even a couple of Web-based campaigns against the caps-lock key ([url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=10lbhntdi/*http://capsoff.org/]CAPSoff[/url] and [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=113bgir6o/*http://anticapslock.com/index.php]anticAPSLOCK[/url]) as well as a contrarian, somewhat tongue-in-cheek site ([url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=10tk2kuee/*http://www.procapslock.org/]PROCAPSLOCK[/url]) that argues in favor of the widely hated key. And in case you missed it, [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=127n8kp23/*http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/22/happy-international-caps-lock-day/]International Caps Lock Day[/url] was observed just a few weeks ago. (HURRAY!)

CAPSoff [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=10smm42q2/*http://capsoff.org/history]traces the history[/url] of the caps-lock key back to the [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=11leuum2k/*http://www.pcguide.com/ref/kb/layout/stdXT83-c.html]first IBM PC keyboards[/url] in the early 1980s, with the key relegated to a relatively out-of-the-way spot to the right of the space bar, below the shift key.

By 1986, however, IBM rolled out an [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/yblog_technews/tc_yblog_technews/storytext/the-caps-lock-key-would-you-miss-it/38991476/SIG=11ndpj8f4/*http://www.pcguide.com/ref/kb/layout/stdEnh101-c.html]"enhanced" keyboard[/url], which moved the caps-lock key to its more prominent, now-standard position, directly below the tab key.

Before the caps-lock key, of course, was the "shift-lock" key, which dates back all the way to the era of manual typewriters. Heck, I remember using shift-lock on my old manual typewriter when I was a kid: You had to mash it down to lift (or shift, hence the "shift" key) the array of metal character strikers (a.k.a., the typebars) into their secondary position for capital letters, symbols and so on.

The shift-lock key came in handy on manual typewriters and other pre-PostScript relics, when adding italics wasn't an option. It also worked well for the titles of my grade-school book reports. Come to think of it, even the daisy-wheel printers I used with my dad's Apple II back in the early '80s (yes, I'm dating myself here) couldn't do italics.

Nowadays, of course, writing in italics is a piece of cake, which means the all-caps key is only needed for … uh, what's it needed for again, besides yelling in blog comments and punching in your Microsoft Office registration code? (I'm all ears, seriously — please don't yell TOO LOUD, though.)

Anyway, I ask you, netizens: Would you miss the caps-lock key? (Let the avalanche of all-caps comments begin.)[/release]
YES, I WOULD DEFINITELY MISS MY CAPS-LOCK KEY. GOOGLE, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! :colbert:

[kijji]

Hold down Shift while typing.

:colbert:

[ArctixFawx]

I would :(

[editline]10th December 2010[/editline]

[QUOTE=AmericanInfantry;26594531]Hold down Shift while typing.

:colbert:[/QUOTE]

Pain in the ass

[Pretiacruento]

[QUOTE=AmericanInfantry;26594531]Hold down Shift while typing.

:colbert:[/QUOTE]

I REFUSE :colbert:

[Eila]

I wouldnt.

Id rather use Shift.

[Henry Townshend]

Maybe for the first few weeks, but I'd get used to it.

[editline]9th December 2010[/editline]

Why the function keys? Those are useful. :frown:

[evilweazel]

using shift to sprint everywhere in games got me used to holding it, so I hardly use capslock though, I like having the key for inventories and bullshit though.

[Pretiacruento]

I think you guys missed the part where it says Google OS laptops won't have any Function keys either :psyduck:

[editline]9th December 2010[/editline]

But I love binding F12 to exit my games!! :smith:

[m0nkey98]

I have never honestly used the caps-lock key.

[Doomish]

[QUOTE=Pretiacruento;26594589]I think you guys missed the part where it says Google OS laptops won't have any Function keys either :psyduck:

[editline]9th December 2010[/editline]

But I love binding F12 to exit my games!! :smith:[/QUOTE]

I thought it meant function keys as in alt and the windows key and the like but oh god this would be so much worse.

[sloppy_joes]

no.

[Pretiacruento]

[QUOTE=Doomish;26594626]I thought it meant function keys as in alt and the windows key and the like but oh god this would be so much worse.[/QUOTE]

I may not use them all the time, but they come in handy. For instance, if you hit F11 on any browser you toggle the full-screen mode

[editline]9th December 2010[/editline]

Ohmaigawd, FP on full-screen is awesome, I've never tried it before! :v:

[superdinoman]

I popped my capslock key out ages ago because it kept getting tapped when I would use tab in games.

Thank you google.

[butre]

I use caps lock in games. it's bound to various things

[JohnnyMo]

I can't remember the last time I have used it on purpose

[dag10]

LEAVE MY CAPS LOCK ALONE!!!

(agh)

[Ivebo]

Why is it there in the first place?
I mean the shift key accomplishes the same thing without making you look like an idiot.

[redBadger]

I use it all the time when I am writing a document or a poster which all letters must be caps to emphasize importance. It makes it much simpler than holding the SHIFT button down for a whole two or three sentences. If nothing takes its place, then it's quite pointless to remove it just to say there is more space.

If they remove the Caps-Lock key, there must be an alternative way to make it lock on caps. For example, double-tapping the shift button.

[:awesome:]

The only time I have ever used it is when you have to enter a game's promo key and all the letters are capital.

[hypno-toad]

What the shit is wrong with the current keyboard layout. Just because something has been there for like 90 years doesn't mean you need to change it.

Why must people insist on dumbing down and streamlining absolutely everything, its fine the way it is. I feel there was a certain point in user interface hardware and software where everything was "just fine," ever since then there has been a steady decline in rational design, hardware and software is becoming more and more oversimplified, to the point where you have to jump through hoops just to start doing something [I]other[/I] than browsing facebook or youtube. Now you have all this unnecessary and obnoxious graphical crap coming in with new operating systems (as if [I]reading[/I] a button is simply too difficult), and now some fairly baseline functions keys are going to get removed.

Jaysus, work on [I]improving[/I] computers, making them more powerful and versatile. Not simplifying them. Is it possible to just have a standard keyboard, and a user interface that isn't full of obnoxious and indescriptive pictures?

I know none of that has much to do with keyboards, but it's just the whole "Well, 80 percent of people don't use this, so lets turn it into a stupid picture or get rid of it, no need to worry about the other 20%" mentality annoys me. Eventually you get forced to upgrade to some inferior piece of hardware or software when your better version stops working or stops being supported.

[Zackin5]

Forget the lack of caps lock, This removal of the function keys is much more dire.

[Xen Tricks]

I knew a girl that used caps lock for every capital letter. She's fucked.

[Pretiacruento]

[QUOTE=hypno-toad;26594819]What the shit is wrong with the current keyboard layout. Just because something has been there for like 90 years doesn't mean you need to change it.

Why must people insist on dumbing down and streamlining absolutely everything, its fine the way it is. I feel there was a certain point in user interface hardware and software where everything was "just fine," ever since then there has been a steady decline in rational design, hardware and software is becoming more and more oversimplified, to the point where you have to jump through hoops just to start doing something [I]other[/I] than browsing facebook or youtube. Now you have all this unnecessary and obnoxious graphical crap coming in with new operating systems (as if [I]reading[/I] a button is simply too difficult), and now some fairly baseline functions keys are going to get removed.

Jaysus, work on [I]improving[/I] computers, making them more powerful and versatile. Not simplifying them. Is it possible to just have a standard keyboard, and a user interface that isn't full of obnoxious and indescriptive pictures?

I know none of that has much to do with keyboards, but it's just the whole "Well, 80 percent of people don't use this, so lets turn it into a stupid picture or get rid of it, no need to worry about the other 20%" mentality annoys me. Eventually you get forced to upgrade to some inferior piece of hardware or software when your better version stops working or stops being supported.[/QUOTE]

Quoteth for truth.

[redBadger]

[QUOTE=hypno-toad;26594819]What the shit is wrong with the current keyboard layout. Just because something has been there for like 90 years doesn't mean you need to change it.

Why must people insist on dumbing down and streamlining absolutely everything, its fine the way it is. I feel there was a certain point in user interface hardware and software where everything was "just fine," ever since then there has been a steady decline in rational design, hardware and software is becoming more and more oversimplified, to the point where you have to jump through hoops just to start doing something [I]other[/I] than browsing facebook or youtube. Now you have all this unnecessary and obnoxious graphical crap coming in with new operating systems (as if [I]reading[/I] a button is simply too difficult), and now some fairly baseline functions keys are going to get removed.

Jaysus, work on [I]improving[/I] computers, making them more powerful and versatile. Not simplifying them. Is it possible to just have a standard keyboard, and a user interface that isn't full of obnoxious and indescriptive pictures?

I know none of that has much to do with keyboards, but it's just the whole "Well, 80 percent of people don't use this, so lets turn it into a stupid picture or get rid of it, no need to worry about the other 20%" mentality annoys me. Eventually you get forced to upgrade to some inferior piece of hardware or software when your better version stops working or stops being supported.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree. Reminds me that I still don't know why Apple removed the two button mouse.

[superdinoman]

[QUOTE=hypno-toad;26594819]What the shit is wrong with the current keyboard layout. Just because something has been there for like 90 years doesn't mean you need to change it.

Why must people insist on dumbing down and streamlining absolutely everything, its fine the way it is. I feel there was a certain point in user interface hardware and software where everything was "just fine," ever since then there has been a steady decline in rational design, hardware and software is becoming more and more oversimplified, to the point where you have to jump through hoops just to start doing something [I]other[/I] than browsing facebook or youtube. Now you have all this unnecessary and obnoxious graphical crap coming in with new operating systems (as if [I]reading[/I] a button is simply too difficult), and now some fairly baseline functions keys are going to get removed.

Jaysus, work on [I]improving[/I] computers, making them more powerful and versatile. Not simplifying them. Is it possible to just have a standard keyboard, and a user interface that isn't full of obnoxious and indescriptive pictures?

I know none of that has much to do with keyboards, but it's just the whole "Well, 80 percent of people don't use this, so lets turn it into a stupid picture or get rid of it, no need to worry about the other 20%" mentality annoys me. Eventually you get forced to upgrade to some inferior piece of hardware or software when your better version stops working or stops being supported.[/QUOTE]

But I liked it when Microsoft introduced the Orb over that stupid start button.

[nikomo]

I use my caps lock for capital letters. I should probably learn to use shift.

[Reflectent]

I don't see how people could even use caps lock to type in their capital letters, it just seems like more work than using shift.

[Pretiacruento]

[QUOTE=Zackin5;26594872]Forget the lack of caps lock, This removal of the function keys is much more dire.[/QUOTE]

Seriously, that's what scares me the most... I refuse to move over my mouse and hit a "refresh" button when I have a nice-looking F5 key.

:f5:

[redBadger]

[QUOTE=superdinoman;26594892]But I liked it when Microsoft introduced the Orb over that stupid start button.[/QUOTE]

What, that really pointless button where you click, it activates the start menu?'

Fuck, I hate that button. Accidentally hit it when in-game, rage ensures.

[superdinoman]

[QUOTE=redBadger;26594925]Accidentally hit it when in-game, rage ensures.[/QUOTE]
Wut?

I'm not talking about the button on the keyboard that one sucks penis.