Inverting Case And Logic At The Same Time

The rant about INS, Typeover, and Caps Lock attracted a surprising number of comments. Tom wrote to suggest installing CapsUnlock. A quick Google search found it. This is a partial solution. It prevents accidental activation of Caps Lock by requiring both left shift and Caps Lock to be pressed in analogy with the old typewriter method. However, it does not restore the definition of Caps Lock to the original meaning. If anyone knows the value of changing a perfectly good definition of Caps Lock into the currently implemented Change Case (Invert Case) function, I would like to know it. Obviously changing case is easier to implement since a true Caps Lock function requires some logic which the Change Case function does not, but that is no excuse.

Many people have attacked the Caps Lock problem by re-mapping the functions of various keys. That is probably okay, but in some cases, the situation has been made worse by defining multiple functions for keys - like maybe holding a key down for a longer time to change the result. This is bad in general and particularly bad for novices. I strongly urge keeping one function for one key.

(BTW, there is a similar issue with Num Lock, but that is another story.)

Walter Blum points out that problems with the INS key can be solved in Word by navigating through the tools menu to “Use the INS key for paste.” Again, this is a good partial solution, but doesn’t help a senior who is working in Outlook Express or WordPad, and who doesn’t feel comfortable navigating anywhere. Walter’s suggestion also involves clicking on tabs which bring up the pet peeve of Harmon Everett who writes:

I’m continually frustrated by the demonic habit of Microsoft tabs, such as in a properties message box, with multiple kinds of parameters to set, to swap places when I choose one. Of all the confusion causing things computers do, This is the worst.

Although none of my clients have complained about this feature, I have to admit he has a point. Perhaps my typical student has not advanced far enough for this to be an annoyance while I’m used to it. Like most users, I’ve grown accustomed to having tabs re-arrange themselves as I thumb through them, so it doesn’t bother me, but now that Harmon brings it up, I wonder what purpose is served by mobile tabs in the applications he cites.

If we step back for a moment and consider what all this discussion is about, we are simply considering the psychology of how to help humans put information into a computer efficiently. The best method for an individual changes with experience. I routinely use many keyboard shortcuts that simplify my life and make things go faster, but which would confuse and slow down a novice. When working with a senior trying to become computer literate, I start by deliberately emphasizing using mouse controls for two reasons:

1. It helps them develop facility

2. They don’t have to remember as many apparently arbitrary commands all at the same time.

You might have different ideas. If so, please let me know. I am updating my tutorial on Senior Computing. If you have different techniques that work, I will try to include them in the update. For instance, several readers have mentioned the problems seniors have using a mouse when they are hampered with arthritis. I’ve expanded that section to accommodate.

The new version will probably by 3-5 times longer than the first version and contain many more hints and anecdotal stories from the trenches. I solicit input from seniors who have recently become computer literate so that they can express in their own words what worked and what didn’t. Ideally I would also have input from computer dropouts, but that is more difficult to come by.

In the meantime, for more in-depth tips on tutoring seniors, see the complete tutorial. I also have posted a tutorial on elementary decision theory for those who might question a physician’s diagnosis (important for seniors) or anti-terrorist activities (important for everyone) but haven’t had the mental framework to analyze the data.

[tags]senior learning,sherman e. deforest,ins,typeover,caps lock,capsunlock,invert case,senior computing[/tags]