tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138837442024-02-07T07:05:47.072-08:00The Dvorak ZineThe Dvorak Zine is a 24 page zine that uses the power of Comics to promote the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout. Here you will find all the information you'll need to start typing Dvorak today! We're changing the world... one keyboard at a time!!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-19181640603708560842023-02-09T07:48:00.005-08:002023-02-09T07:48:57.632-08:00"Shift Happens" Kickstarter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtURFpGmyvMyRTbzkyIHs7754HNdhm4ccM5mgILSiDnnniLDyOJxIlZ3Qs3ZGOxuZKJkt0jEGJJ-9e1e0cGaIIja1Xk661hGzKQwnJ4mLIm7k5iZHTY3ghbigExZdiCUlyNjU4ovC8UY-0KzI03ld2aL-HEEM6WiUjIC8r-6pqrXhosW7PuA/s680/ShiftHappens.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtURFpGmyvMyRTbzkyIHs7754HNdhm4ccM5mgILSiDnnniLDyOJxIlZ3Qs3ZGOxuZKJkt0jEGJJ-9e1e0cGaIIja1Xk661hGzKQwnJ4mLIm7k5iZHTY3ghbigExZdiCUlyNjU4ovC8UY-0KzI03ld2aL-HEEM6WiUjIC8r-6pqrXhosW7PuA/s320/ShiftHappens.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>There is a great <a href="http://kck.st/3RDJpBF" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign happening right now</a> (February 2023) to fund the publishing of a beautiful 1,200-page, two-volume book called <i>Shift Happens</i> by Marcin Wichary which explores the history of keyboard design for typewriters, computers, etc!</p><p>Dvorak is mentioned in the pitch video a couple of times. I'm excited to check out these books!</p>Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-57035404488582373412015-11-23T08:06:00.004-08:002015-11-23T12:27:29.117-08:00DVzine.org was down this morning but is now back online!<b>Monday 9am MST</b><br />
Just found out that DVzine.org is currently down. We are looking into this and will try to get it back up as soon as possible. Will append updates to this post!<br />
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<b>Monday 11am MST</b><br />
Have talked to the experts, who are weighing in on best approach to fix problem. Should be solved by the end of the day! In the meantime, if anyone really needs to read the zine, it is <a href="http://www.alec-longstreth.com/comics/#DVzine" target="_blank">mirrored on my personal site.</a><br />
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<b>Monday 1pm MST</b><br />
<a href="http://dvzine.org/">DVzine.org</a> is back online, thanks to the help of web-guru, <a href="http://natebeaty.com/" target="_blank">Nate Beaty</a> of <a href="https://clixel.com/" target="_blank">Clixel</a> renown. Thanks, Nate!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-12762448870995307852014-10-10T14:44:00.002-07:002014-10-10T14:44:28.638-07:00Dvorak on the iPhone... finally!One of our commenters, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/01537430274332151981" target="_blank">Vere</a> informed us that there is a new App for iOS that (finally!) let's you type Dvorak on your iPhone. It's called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dvorak/id920692622?mt=8" target="_blank">Dvorak by Tobias Mao</a> and it's FREE to install!<br />
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It's pretty bare bones - but it works! Let's hope Tobias continues to develop it. For now it's a start!</div>
Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-87670482816333365882013-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:002013-06-03T08:58:06.573-07:00Gmail incorporates Dvorak!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yQ9gqgmt0Liujy3-fV3kjGasgImY_20DD-AeSyy4E6Vmtl1guH2Bf3uHcJWB4dRGvZCZsC-racl94cAkSVePsPWFqCkENwuVkFKIhWTlcaw_exzcCKkCWvHVGGjW4CHfeea-WA/s1600/GmailDvorak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yQ9gqgmt0Liujy3-fV3kjGasgImY_20DD-AeSyy4E6Vmtl1guH2Bf3uHcJWB4dRGvZCZsC-racl94cAkSVePsPWFqCkENwuVkFKIhWTlcaw_exzcCKkCWvHVGGjW4CHfeea-WA/s1600/GmailDvorak.jpg" /></a></div>
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This morning when I logged into <a href="http://gmail.com/" target="_blank">Gmail</a> I was pleased to see a new feature in the top right of the window. A keyboard icon, that when selected gave two options: English Keyboard and <b><i>English Dvorak Keyboard!</i></b><br />
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There are a lot of other options available under the "Input Tools Settings" menu, but it's great that the Gmail team started this feature off by listing Dvorak. When I think of the number of people using Gmail, it's exciting to think that some of them might look at this feature, wonder what it is, and eventually make the switch!<br />
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It's also great because it works within the browser, which means I will now be able to type all my emails in Dvorak, no matter what computer I am on, without having to mess with the computer settings. Huzzah!<br />
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As with most Gmail features, it will probably roll out slowly, so if you don't see this feature in your account, keep logging in and eventually it should turn up in the next few days/weeks. Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-8424137922589110852012-10-18T16:25:00.003-07:002012-10-18T16:25:46.479-07:00iOS Dvorak Layout DesignWe at <a href="http://dvzine.org/">DVzine.org</a> are, naturally, big fans of elegant design. So it should surprise no one that Frunch, Alec, and GCB are all moderate-to-extreme Apple enthusiasts.<br />
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As we discuss in the zine, Mac OS X has come with a built-in Dvorak option since it was released, and it has by far the easiest and most comprehensible keyboard-switching interface for those who share a computer with non-Dvorak typists.<br />
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Much to our collective chagrin, iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad) are not so Dvorak-friendly. You can configure an <i>external</i> keyboard to work with these devices using the Dvorak layout, but the on-screen language selection has never included a Dvorak option. To get Dvorak on iOS, you either have to jailbreak your phone to use <a href="http://www.idownloadblog.com/2012/02/07/dvorak-keyboard-tweak/" target="_blank">Cydia</a>, or install <a href="http://dvorak.dkdigital.com/Dvorak/Home.html" target="_blank">dkdigital's app</a> which allows you to type in Dvorak and then copy/paste your text into other apps. Neither option is perfect.<br />
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At first I was flabbergasted at this seemingly simple omission in iOS, but upon further review it makes sense: the on-screen keyboard for the iPhone and iPad are both custom layouts, <i>not</i> direct translations of Qwerty. Observe, for example, the relation between the home row and the lower row of keys on an iPhone:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSM-sW4g6Q4nZGdN12th73sr7SZavGuJ-P-Q5LZHQbkt2kdG_ZrQUn5bMWNLrVwollp0qjmelsqephky2ddQNJerKWO0Cno0qk8Njm1VbA0extKAbcpuILM3H5D2x_-ICWhSm0g/s1600/QW_iPhone_HRZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSM-sW4g6Q4nZGdN12th73sr7SZavGuJ-P-Q5LZHQbkt2kdG_ZrQUn5bMWNLrVwollp0qjmelsqephky2ddQNJerKWO0Cno0qk8Njm1VbA0extKAbcpuILM3H5D2x_-ICWhSm0g/s400/QW_iPhone_HRZ.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click any image in this blog post to enlarge it!</td></tr>
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Why have the keys on the bottom row been shifted a half-step right so that they are in columns instead of offset at their usual angle? It's because the punctuation keys that normally fill space on the lower right side have been moved to an entirely different screen (with the rest of the punctuation and number keys). This leaves room to put a shift key on the left and a delete key on the right end of the third row.<br />
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It's counter-intuitive to have the delete key on the third row, rather than its usual home on top-right, but it had to be done. This is because the letters on Qwerty are weighted to the top row: 10 letters top, 9 letters on the home row, and the final 7 on the third row. Apple clearly put some thought into this design: the changes are not so
significant as to flummox a user's intuition, but it's enough to get all
the necessary keys onto the screen cleanly. <br />
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Apple solved this Delete button strangeness on the iPad by taking advantage of the extra screen width to add a column of keys, making room for the Delete key on the top row, for the Return key at its natural place on the home row, and for two punctuation keys and an extra shift key on the lower row:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEqYysrLdoThnCVhp0Dq68PuWLBoDPk_GE1MmgjXH2wyX-Nk-FXxwg1lE_HyeeJ2Dm4VY9Ez9ZjHa2-hIA7KKkv0GHUsl1nJ_XKo6wcSOLX7TkSwV4XUPSuOEFuo97hTPC4Fe3Q/s1600/QW_iPad_HRZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEqYysrLdoThnCVhp0Dq68PuWLBoDPk_GE1MmgjXH2wyX-Nk-FXxwg1lE_HyeeJ2Dm4VY9Ez9ZjHa2-hIA7KKkv0GHUsl1nJ_XKo6wcSOLX7TkSwV4XUPSuOEFuo97hTPC4Fe3Q/s400/QW_iPad_HRZ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While visiting Alec in the Bay Area this week, we got to talking about this puzzle, and our sadness about not being able to use Dvorak on iOS. Guess what we decided to do?<br />
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That's right, we designed a Dvorak layout for iOS! To make it more likely that Apple would consider implementing our design, we set some rules for ourselves:<br />
1. We need to use the same keys provided in the Apple layouts, so that no secondary screens (punctuation, numbers, etc.) would need to be altered.<br />
2. We are only allowed to compromise design decisions in the same way that Apple did (ie. changing the size of keys, shifting row alignment, etc.)<br />
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Let's start with the iPhone standard horizontal keyboard. Dvorak's home row has ten keys, one more than Qwerty. To account for this, we shift the row left and add a key on the right, which uses up the blank space on either side in the Qwerty layout. Dvorak's top row has three punctuation keys, which we remove, leaving only seven letters and plenty of space for the Delete key in its natural position.<br />
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We still have extra space on the top row, so we move the 123 key to the top left, shifting the letter keys on the top row into a more natural alignment with the home row. (This alignment isn't perfect: it's a half-step off of a physical keyboard -- exactly as far as Apple was willing to shift their third row.)<br />
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We widened the language button at the bottom, since we are likely to use it more than Qwerty typists (like when those archaic Qwerty typists borrow our phones!) <br />
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Have a look at the difference between the Qwerty iPhone layout & the iPhone Dvorak design suggested by <a href="http://dvzine.org/">DVzine.org</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUZLrfA0NOGkl7HKh2dI9fIm8JtsX6HqgbeyfZd_zuLzpsUGknWz5xpUYD_WL9CaiwMNE3apnyFNOH-L2rAmOfCnSZLOlMIGpUBRsnhJRGiUxA7j62byDI1tUx11bbOzusB183Q/s1600/iPhone_HRZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUZLrfA0NOGkl7HKh2dI9fIm8JtsX6HqgbeyfZd_zuLzpsUGknWz5xpUYD_WL9CaiwMNE3apnyFNOH-L2rAmOfCnSZLOlMIGpUBRsnhJRGiUxA7j62byDI1tUx11bbOzusB183Q/s400/iPhone_HRZ.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
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Here they are in vertical mode:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbuDJDCJsfjaN83zbXbTjfPZ5Qs7o2oEx_PqX5fNnS85WFMuIObEr9jM_C32wwe6hKTBhzI8UDhzJHa-HpLOUsjDPxBaqcWrRq5oSwCCy7F_RdZXDlK3Qui-3pSUyIBwz1p1oYw/s1600/iPhone_VRT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbuDJDCJsfjaN83zbXbTjfPZ5Qs7o2oEx_PqX5fNnS85WFMuIObEr9jM_C32wwe6hKTBhzI8UDhzJHa-HpLOUsjDPxBaqcWrRq5oSwCCy7F_RdZXDlK3Qui-3pSUyIBwz1p1oYw/s400/iPhone_VRT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We think it looks pretty good! The size of the backspace key is probably the biggest concern, and it could be repaired if we compromised on our alignment, but this pretty clearly demonstrates that an iOS Dvorak layout is feasible.<br />
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Apple made some sacrifices to make their keyboard work, too: their backspace is unnaturally located, and the alignment of the center row with the bottom row goes against the traditional Qwerty offset. Dvorak lets us play by the same rules, but create a little more space by having the full ten keys on that home row. Qwerty only has nine, so it end ups wasting space to the right and left on that row. I think a smaller Delete key in a more natural location is a pretty fair compromise.<br />
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<b>So what about the iPad? </b><br />
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The extra space provided by the iPad's bigger screen means the iPad version requires less compromise. Due to our half-step limit on key re-alignment, we end up shrinking the right-side shift key and compressing the Return key to get that tenth key onto the home row. We also noted that the key widths on the iPad aren't exactly uniform: you can observe this yourself by comparing key sizes: the letter keys on each row are different widths, with slightly wider keys at the top.<br />
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We take advantage of this same compression trick to make our home row work without shrinking Return too much. Dvorak's modestly populated top row has plenty of room to incorporate the Comma and Period keys that the iPad fits in, and still allows for a generously sized Delete key. The rest of it falls out pretty cleanly on the iPad. Have a look:<br />
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It was fun to imagine how these keyboards might look: it would be more fun to use them! <a href="http://dvzine.org/">DVzine.org</a> would love to be credited if you re-use these images, but if anyone out there at Apple is reading, you have our full permission to use these designs, either as-is or as drafts, to get a Dvorak keyboard into iOS. No credits requested, no copyrights suggested, no questions asked!<br />
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And if any of our regular Dvorak enthusiasts have connections in Cupertino... don't be shy!gcbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094753518133439693noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-22630471411050753172011-07-24T19:14:00.000-07:002011-07-24T19:14:36.981-07:00DVzine.org v5.0!After almost two YEARS of inactivity, I have secretly been working on <a href="http://DVzine.org/">DVzine.org</a> for the last couple of weeks, making A LOT of changes. By my count, this is the 5th major revision of the site, and I think (and/or HOPE) it is going to be the LAST one. Let me explain...<div><br />
</div><div>When we first set up the site, we wanted it to be the most extensive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard">Dvorak</a> resource on the web. We plastered every page with our email address and asked for suggestions and links and anything else our readers wanted to send our way. As a result, we got a flood of emails that we could not keep up with. Our inbox STILL has hundreds of suggestions and links, which we just don't have the time to sort through.</div><div><br />
</div><div>It's important to keep in mind that <a href="http://www.dvzine.org/zine/index.html">The Dvorak Zine</a> was always a side project for me GCB and Frunch. Although we are passionate about the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout, it is not our PRIMARY passion. GCB is busy being the Tech Guy for the <a href="http://www.living-future.org/">International Living Future Institute</a>, Frunch is about to start his assistant professorship at <a href="http://geoscience.wisc.edu/geoscience/">University of Wisconsin - Madison</a> and I am teaching comics at <a href="http://cartoonstudies.org/">The Center for Cartoon Studies</a> and working on my own <a href="http://alec-longstreth.com/comics/">Phase 7 Comics</a> too. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So after some soul searching and a few lengthy email threads, "Team DV Zine" came up with three main goals for the future of this project:</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>1)</b> We no longer wish to make <a href="http://DVzine.org/">DVzine.org</a> the most extensive Dvorak site on the web. Instead, we like it just as it is - a small, manageable site which people who are new to Dvorak can use to learn about the keyboard layout and set it up and begin using it if they wish. For example: we do not need links to every single Dvorak typing tutor on the internet. We have about ten on our <a href="http://www.dvzine.org/type/tutors.html">typing tutor page</a>, which should provide plenty of variety for new users. 100 links would only be overwhelming and unhelpful. </div><div><br />
</div><div>To help with this, I have cleaned up almost every page on the site. They no longer say "Someday this page will have a bunch of other cool stuff, send us suggestions!" Instead, they stand as they are; maybe they could be better, but we know that they are at least good enough to help us get the message out about Dvorak.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>2)</b> We need an easier way to interact with the Dvorak community and keep this site updated with dynamic content. HENCE: this blog! From now on, ALL Dvorak Zine updates will be posted on <a href="http://DVzine.blogspot.com/">DVzine.blogspot.com</a> We have been using Blogger since 2005 to update the main page of the site, but since they <a href="http://dvzine.blogspot.com/2010/02/no-more-blogger.html">removed FTP service last year</a> we decided to make a stand-alone blog.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I have done my best to maintain the navigation scheme between DVzine.org and this blog. If you click any of the tabs above, they will take you to the corresponding page on DVzine.org. More importantly though, this blog has an <a href="http://dvzine.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default">RSS feed</a> and we have turned on comments and sharing options for every post. I also went back through all of the old homepage entries (every post before this one) and added labels for easier browsing. You can also use the search bar at the very top of the blog to search any of the posts.</div><div><br />
</div><div>We hope that the ease of the blogger interface will mean more posts from us and more involvement from all of you. Please follow our site and leave some comments! </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>3)</b> Lastly, and most importantly, we need other people to help us spread the word about Dvorak. </div><div><br />
</div><div>In the last six years Frunch, GCB and I have printed and distributed more than 2,500 copies of the zine and <a href="http://DVzine.org/">DVzine.org</a> has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. We have spent a lot of time, money and energy spreading the word about Dr. August Dvorak's wonderful invention and its many benefits. We feel like we have done just about all we can with this project, so now it's time for us to "pass the torch" so to speak.</div><div><br />
</div><div>As of today, I have changed the copyright on The Dvorak Zine to a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.</a> This means that you are now free to use the raw content of the zine as you see fit, as long as you 1) give credit to its creators (Alec Longstreth, Michael Cardiff and Gabe Carleton-Barnes) 2) do NOT charge any money for your adaptations/modifications and 3) you must release your version under the same license. For all the legal details, follow the link above.</div><div><br />
</div><div>People have always been able to print out their <a href="http://www.dvzine.org/zine/DIY.html">own free copies of the zine.</a> But this takes it one step farther. Now you can actually use the foundation of our zine to create your own zines, or new versions of the zine. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Hopefully this will mean that The Dvorak Zine can be translated into many languages (thus canceling out my very <a href="http://dvzine.blogspot.com/2008/11/know-your-limits.html">close-minded post from 2008</a>, in which I basically shut down all such possibilities). I meant to email everyone that's ever contacted us about translations and let them know about the license change, but again, I don't have the time right now to do that. So I'm posting it here with the hopes that all of you can help me spread the word.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I AM still digging through the inbox, trying to update things here and there were I can, but it is slow going. When I DO have an update, I'm going to be posting them in this blog. Sorry this post is so long, but it's been a long time coming! There is a lot more on the way, and I'm excited to see where these new goals take us. Hopefully all of this will help us educate even more people about the simple beauty of The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout. Together we can all change the world, one keyboard at a time!</div>Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-76482730363383264822011-07-09T20:01:00.002-07:002011-07-24T17:55:19.705-07:00DVzine.org UNDER CONSTRUCTION<a href="http://DVzine.org/">DVzine.org</a> will be under construction for the next week. I will be updating the layout and trying to fix some links and other things from around the site. I will also be incorporating this blog into the site. Please be patient with us, we have some exciting plans in store for the site! They will be coming soon.<br />
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Viva La Dvorak!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-25129823249774579192010-02-10T13:44:00.004-08:002011-07-24T17:55:08.505-07:00No More Blogger! :(<a href="http://blogger-ftp.blogspot.com/">Blogger recently announced</a> that it will be discontinuing FTP support for its services, which means that we here at DVzine.org will need to rethink how we autoload content on the homepage and in the <a href="http://dvzine.org/archive/archive.html">updates archive.</a> We are going to use this reorganization as an opportunity to rethink the site a bit, AND change hosting service. There might be some disruption in the service of this site over the next few weeks, but hopefully we'll get it all straightened out eventually. Until then, Viva La Dvorak!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-50671348157354766012009-09-05T09:38:00.003-07:002011-07-24T17:54:44.484-07:00Snow Leopard + USB Converter!Emails have been pouring in from Dvorak users who have installed the latest version of Mac OS X, <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/">Snow Leopard,</a> which now supports both Left and Right handed Dvorak variations! This is great news for one-handed typists everywhere, (or people who would like to type efficiently with only one hand). Also, the International menu is called now "Language & Text" for those of you making the switch to Dvorak on a Mac!<br />
We were also alerted to a great new USB Device, which can instantly convert a QWERTY keyboard into a Dvorak Keyboard, with no software or installation necessary. It's called the <a href="http://www.keyghost.com/qido/">QIDO</a> and everyone should head over to their site to check it out! This would be a great tool for people who have to use a lot of different computers, or computers in public areas.Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-49249418416209945142009-05-19T21:23:00.005-07:002011-07-24T17:54:23.963-07:00Dvorak Day 2009 & New Dvorak Comic!Don't forget, this Thursday will be the second annual Dvorak Day! Dr. August Dvorak turned in his original patent for the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout on May 21st, 1932, so now each year on May 21st, we try to get people to spread the word about Dvorak. Tell at least three of your friends about Dvorak on Thursday! You can also print out some of our simple <a href="http://dvzine.org/stuff/downloads.html">flyers</a> or <a href="http://DVzine.org/zine/DIY.html">print out your own copies</a> of our zine, to give to people!<br />
<a href="http://dvzine.org/uploaded_images/Syncopated-703002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://dvzine.org/uploaded_images/Syncopated-703000.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 260px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 209px;" /></a><br />
In other news, Alec has drawn another Dvorak comic, which was recently published in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Syncopated-Nonfiction-Picto-Essays-Brendan-Burford/dp/0345505298/">Syncopated Comics Anthology.</a> This comic includes the rest of our Dvorak research, which we could not fit into our original zine, and it revolves around <a href="http://infohost.nmt.edu/~shipman/ergo/parkinson.html">Robert Parkinson's 1972 article about Dvorak.</a> The book is available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Syncopated-Nonfiction-Picto-Essays-Brendan-Burford/dp/0345505298/">Amazon.com</a> and you should be able to order it from your local bookstore as well. It's full of other great non-fiction comics, so please check it out!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-70389304578979514502008-11-24T16:32:00.003-08:002011-07-24T17:54:00.718-07:00Know your limits...Frunch, GCB and I have been talking recently, trying to figure out the future of The Dvorak Zine and DVzine.org. As we get older, we are all becoming very busy guys, and we need to keep the scope of the project small and manageable, instead of expanding it into too many new areas which we will not be able to maintain.<br />
One area we found, where we can cut back, is the idea of translating the Dvorak Zine in a variety of languages. We had created a rough draft of a French Dvorak Zine (which we mentioned here on the blog) but after a lot of thinking and discussion, we have decided to cancel that project. It opens a door to more translations, which we do not have the time to create.<br />
We are deeply honored that so many people across the world, want to spread the message of our zine, but we no longer think that a direct translation is the best way to do so. Our zine is very specifically about an American invention, and American inventors dealing with the English language in a very specific way.<br />
We encourage others to create their OWN zine, dealing with the specific history of their language's version of the Dvorak layout. If anyone wants to use our zine as a reference about the history of the keyboard, or as a template of how to use comics to get across this information, that would be great! But we no longer wish to try and port our zine internationally.<br />
We will of course continue to list links of international sites in the <a href="http://dvzine.org/international/index.html">International Section</a> of our site.<br />
Our main goals, as they stand now, are: 1) to spread the word about Dvorak with our site and zine 2) to help new Dvorak typists with their transition into the world of better typing by answering their questions via email 3) to use this blog to point people to new Dvorak resources as they become available. Those are responsibilities we can handle!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-53853453359812313852008-06-12T21:23:00.003-07:002011-07-24T17:53:22.018-07:00"I'm working on it, I'm working on it!"Well, the first Dvorak Day was a success! Many people wrote in to tell us about passing out flyers, or copies of the zine and hopefully we convinced a few new people to give Dvorak a try! We'll have more time to plan out <b>NEXT</b> year's Dvorak Day, so start thinking up some new ways to spread the word.<br />
The title of this entry is a line from Han Solo, when everything is going wrong on his ship (the Millennium Falcon). This is a bit how we feel here at DVzine.org this summer! While there have not been many updates recently, we are still fighting the good fight! Recently Alec exhibited at the <a href="http://moccany.org/artfest-main.html">2008 MoCCA Arts Fest</a> where he passed out many copies of The Dvorak Zine and heard from people who had picked up the zine years ago and are now happily typing Dvorak! Alec is also working on a new 12-page Dvorak comic which will be in the next volume of <a href="http://syncopatedcomics.com/">Syncopated Comics.</a> ALSO Gabe and Alec are preparing to be interviewed for an upcoming documentary about QWERTY.<br />
This is all to say that there are still many updates in the works and we will get to them as soon as we can. We appreciate your continued patience. Soon enough we'll launch back into Hyperspace!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-13466458513108374962008-05-17T19:17:00.011-07:002011-07-24T17:53:00.846-07:00The 1st Annual Dvorak Day!We hereby declare this Wednesday, May 21st to be the first annual DVORAK DAY! In 1932, Dr. August Dvorak turned in the patent for his simplified keyboard on May 21st, so we thought "What better day to get out and spread the word about Dvorak?!" Since this is the first year, we thought we'd start out small, by making up some flyers to pass around to our non-Dvorak friends.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://DVzine.org/uploaded_images/DVFlyers.jpg" /></div><br />
There are four flyers total, which you can get in the <a href="http://dvzine.org/stuff/downloads.html">Downloads</a> section. You just print out the PDF file double-sided, cut the sheet on the dotted lines and you are ready to spread the word about Dvorak! Be creative and come up with your own ways to tell others about Dvorak on Wednesday, and send in your stories. That way we can all have some more ideas for NEXT year's Dvorak Day!<br />
We also wanted to note that while doing some research for these flyers, we learned that the <a href="http://web.syr.edu/~rcranger/blackburn.htm">world's fastest typer, Barbara Blackburn</a> passed away on April 18th, 2008. Barbara was a lifelong Dvorak typist and did a lot to promote the greater efficiency and SPEED that were possible when typing Dvorak. We are sad to see her go, and send our condolences to her friends and family.Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-10850767555523588442008-04-23T23:43:00.004-07:002011-07-24T17:52:45.262-07:00Dvorak Day - May 21st!Well, the new site updates are far from over, but people can at least get the idea of what's going on. The biggest update is our new <a href="http://www.blogger.com/international/index.html">international section</a> where we will be posting translations of the zine and other resources for our international friends of Dvorak.<br />
The other big announcement is that we are declaring May 21st International DVORAK DAY! The original patent for The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout says it was filed on May 21st, 1932 so we thought this was as good a day as any to celebrate Dvorak. (We were going to use Dr. Dvorak's birthday, but he was born on Cinco De Mayo!) The goal for Dvorak Day is to tell at least ONE new person about the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard. You don't have to "convert them" but just spread the word to a new person. Just think! If every year we doubled our ranks, eventually we would HAVE to take over, right?!<br />
Anyways, we'll post more info about Dvorak Day as it draws closer and also more about various updates around the site. Viva La Dvorak!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-58851626612147616132008-04-12T10:13:00.004-07:002011-07-24T17:52:13.918-07:00Weekend UpdatesWell, Gabe and I are going to be updating the site this WEEK, so there will most likely be a little chaos while pages and sections shift and are updated. We apologize for the confusion this might cause, but hopefully the end result will be a more organized site with better content!<br />
To tide you over while we fiddle with the site, here is a Dvorak inspired Limerick I wrote!<br />
<blockquote>There once was a man named Dvorak.<br />
For inventing, he had quite a knack.<br />
He designed a keyboard<br />
That was largely ignored,<br />
But now it is making a comeback!</blockquote>Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-91166666515282298612008-03-22T13:35:00.004-07:002011-07-24T17:51:54.208-07:00Viva La Springtime!I know, I know: Two months with no updates???! Well, all I can say is, we are not sleeping over here at DVzine.org headquarters. We are busy with many projects!<br />
<ol><li> We finally finished converting The Dvorak Zine into French! It is going through some proofreading right now, but will be available soon, as both a webcomic and as a printable PDF. Get ready for Dvorak, people of France!</li>
<li> We received our largest ever order of Dvorak Zines (over 400 copies!) for the attendees of the <a href="http://www.gelconference.com/">2008 GEL conference.</a> So Gabe and I have been doing a lot of Folding and Stapling these days.</li>
<li>Last but not least, we are gearing up for some rearranging and updating of the site, so that things will be easier to use and up-to-date!</li>
</ol>Hang with us, and Viva La Dvorak!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-72343066021530314792008-01-16T16:35:00.001-08:002011-07-24T17:51:23.684-07:00Happy New Year! +100,000 hits?!Well, it's 2008 and learning Dvorak is a perfect New Year's Resolution!!! :) We've got a few Dvorak-related resolutions here ourselves at DVzine.org central, so hopefully there will be some more activity on the site this year, including a ton of backlogged updates, some translations of the zine (French AND Spanish?!) and some other top-secret surprises that are in the works...<br />
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Back in December, our friend Ruth Engelberg was driving home from work in Seattle when she heard Dvorak mentioned on the <a href="http://www.kuow.org/programs/sound_focus.asp?Archive=12-19-2007">Sound Focus program</a>. DVzine.org gets a mention about 6:00 into the broadcast, so thanks to <a href="http://blog.glennf.com/">Glenn Fleishman</a> and all the folks at KUOW. Hooray for public radio!<br />
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Also, UK dvorak enthusiast Colin is trying to get his government to take a look at Dvorak as an official layout for the UK! If you are living in the UK, please <a href="http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Dvorak-SKL/">sign this petition!</a> He needs 200 e-signatures by April 18th!!!<br />
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ALSO, we cleared 100,000 hits on the front page! It's great to think that we've got some new people typing Dvorak from making the zine and this site. Keep spreading the word and we'll change this world yet! <br />
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Viva La Dvorak in 2008!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-17810044288333111782007-11-12T11:20:00.001-08:002011-07-24T17:50:55.014-07:00BoingBoing.net CRASH!DVzine.org quickly exceeded it's bandwidth allotment the other day, after being linked on the popular <a href="http://boingboing.net/">BoingBoing.net</a> blog. It is finally back up, so thank you everyone for your patience! We will be taking orders for physical copies of the zine and answering emails again! Viva La Dvorak!!!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-45217617696370867422007-10-31T16:12:00.002-07:002011-07-24T17:50:35.543-07:00GCB, SPX, RSS, ETC!Hello everyone! Sorry once again for the long lapse in blog posting. It has been a busy time here at Dvorak Zine Central, as <a href="http://gcbstyle.blogspot.com/">GCB</a> recently moved to New York City where he will be living with Alec. That's right! Two thirds of Team Dvorak Zine will be in the same place. This will make it much easier to spread the word about Dvorak!<br />
Speaking of spreading the word, Alec had a successful trip down to the <a href="http://spxpo.com/">Small Press Expo</a> a few weekends ago, where he was handing out (and selling) The Dvorak Zine. It was really great to see some returning people, who had bought the zine last year at SPX and now type Dvorak!<br />
We're still waaaaay behind on site updates, but there were a few things we <em>HAD</em> to share right away:<br />
1) We FINALLY set up an <a href="http://DVzine.org/atom.xml">RSS feed for DVzine.org!</a> You can use that link in your RSS readers to keep up on our latest updates, and also use it to more easily browse through the archive of previous posts. Web 2.0... WOO!<br />
2) Jonathan emailed us to say that he has set up <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-a-Macbook-keyboard-from-QWERTY-to-Dvorak/">Step-by-step instructions</a> for converting an apple Macbook keyboard to Dvorak! We were wondering if this was possible, but didn't have a spare Macbook to try it on, so that was good to know!<br />
3) And Mime sent us a link to <a href="http://www.autohotkey.com/">Autohotkey</a> which is a new utility for Windows users that helps their computer stay in Dvorak more easily and keep the keyboard shortcuts (copy, paste, etc) in the same places. Mime also <a href="http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/topic4473.html&highlight=dvorak">set up some instructions in their message board</a> so check it out!<br />
4) Last but not least, we are still <em>slowly</em> working on the French translation of The Dvorak Zine. Actually, the translation is done, Alec needs to just finish placing it into the comic. He is almost done wiping clean the pages (which we could also use with OTHER translations) and then he just needs to drop in the translation. Thanks for your patience while he gets this done!<br />
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Well, that's it for now. Hopefully there will be some more updates soon (we're doing our best). Viva La Dvorak!!!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-90303490072610723692007-09-24T19:32:00.001-07:002011-07-24T17:49:56.163-07:00Dvorak Zine Spotted In The Wild!Gabe's friend Jesse alerted us to the fact that The Dvorak Zine showed up in a recent episode of <a href="http://jetsetshow.com/">JetSet.</a> Check it out! (starts 3:25 in to the video)<object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KzWvVkCviNs"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KzWvVkCviNs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br />
Also, Gabe is moving to New York! This will bring together 2/3rds of Team Dvorak so hopefully there will be some more activity around the site as we try and tackle the French translation of the zine and some long overdue updates to the site! Until then, Viva La Dvorak!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-68428801428214361922007-07-20T16:29:00.001-07:002011-07-24T17:49:37.305-07:00Helio Mag Article!Hey Dvorak typists, check it out! There is an interview with Alec, Frunch and the GCB over on <a href="http://heliomag.com/">HelioMag.com!</a> The interview was conducted via email by Steve Salardino and ended up being SO LONG it will be posted in two parts. Read up on the secret origins of Team Dvorak Zine!<br />
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<a href="http://www.heliomag.com/the-quick-brown-fox-is-jumping-keyboard-efficiency-and-the-dvorak-zine.html">PART ONE</a> | <a href="http://www.heliomag.com/keyboard-revolution-dvorak-part-two.html">PART TWO</a>Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-83841210703489720352007-05-18T14:41:00.002-07:002011-07-24T17:49:17.062-07:00Dvorak Videos!!!We got an email from Denmark today, alerting us to an excellent new site for Danish Dvorak Typists: <a href="http://www.danskdvorak.dk/">http://www.danskdvorak.dk</a> None of us read Danish, but while poking around the site (which looks great!) we were AMAZED to find <a href="http://www.danskdvorak.dk/dvorakvideo.html">TWO Dvorak Promotional videos</a> that had been made by August Dvorak himself! <em>What a find!!</em><br />
Check them out below and thanks to YouTube user <a href="http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ancelme">ANCELME</a> for uploading these videos!!!<br />
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<object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YPfevKbJRmQ"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YPfevKbJRmQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></object><br />
<object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FkMB5Q27nQI"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FkMB5Q27nQI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></object>Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-5608040315675223132007-05-06T18:52:00.001-07:002011-07-24T17:48:52.759-07:00Summer 2007: Back to Work!!!Well, as Dvorak-supporter Colin pointed out, it has been a whopping 13 weeks since we have updated the home page. YIKES!<br />
The main reason for this silence, was that Alec has been <i>INSANELY BUSY</i> finishing up his two-year illustration program at <a href="http://pratt.edu/">Pratt Institute</a>. But on Friday he graduates, and it will be back to work on the Dvorak Revolution!<br />
Exciting things have still been happening during this "down time." The Dvorak Zine received a glowing review in this year's <a href="http://tugboatpress.com/">Best Zine Ever</a> and it will also be a "Zine of the Month" for patrons of the <a href="http://iprc.org/">Independant Publishing Resource Center</a> in Portland, OR. Also, we sorted out some printing problems we were having, so we now have a nice healthy stack of Dvorak Zines to distribute to the world! Alec will be using these at the <a href="http://moccany.org/artfest-exhibitors-07.html">MoCCA Arts Fest</a> this summer in New York to help spread the word about Dvoark. Swing by and say hello if you are in the area!<br />
There are tons of updates slated for almost all secitons of the site. Also, Alec is going to continue working on the French Tranlation of the Dvorak zine, aided by our new friend Daniel in France! There should be a lot of updates this summer, so keep checking back!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-1169767209170061312007-01-25T15:03:00.001-08:002011-07-24T17:48:10.167-07:00The Dvorak Zine: an important part of any collection!Today, Alec sent me a link to my <a href="http://www.multcolib.org/">local library's website</a>, which is publicizing its new Zine collection with none other than The Dvorak Zine! If that page has changed since this post, you can see the image <a href="http://dvzine.org/uploaded_images/multcolib_1-25-07.JPG">here</a>. At the time of this post, Portland's Multnomah County Library system owns 10 copies of The Dvorak Zine, and 8 are checked out. I think that's pretty darn cool-- and the dvzine team is very excited just to have our book circulating through the fantastic US Library System.<br />
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In fact, this is a great idea for all you street-teamers out there: check your local library for a copy of the dvzine, and if they don't have one, request that they put a copy or two in their system! Just think of all the 5th-graders looking for school report topics at the library that could stumble across The Dvorak Zine... and be changed forever!<br />
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The Dvorak Zine: Changing the World, One Card Catalog at a Time.gcbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094753518133439693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13883744.post-1166630582785351662006-12-20T07:10:00.001-08:002011-07-24T17:46:39.028-07:002006: A Good Year!Well, I apologize for the lack of updates this season. It just wasn't possible for me to fit DVzine.org updates into my hectic schedule. Next semester will be less stressful though, so hopefully I can get to some much overdue updates and improvements around the site!<br />
Even though the front page was not bustling with activity, GCB, Frunch and I were still answering tons of Dvorak-related emails, I'm still working on the French Translation of the zine (which will hopefully be done by this summer) and the rest of the site saw a lot of use (we broke 60,000 hits!)<br />
On top of all that, we've now printed almost 1,000 copies of the zine and distributed them all around the USA (and to some countries abroad as well!) Plus people are still <a href="http://dvzine.org/zine/pdf.html">downloading the readable PDF</a>, <a href="http://dvzine.org/zine/DIY.html">printing out their own copies of the zine</a> and <a href="http://dvzine.org/zine/index.html">reading it online!</a> Let's hope we can keep this momentum going in 2007!!!Alec Longstrethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14666833759420519261noreply@blogger.com0