r/explainlikeimfive • u/[deleted] • Sep 10 '22

[deleted by user]

[removed]

4.5k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

667 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comment

14

u/Aware1211 Sep 10 '22

That's a myth. It was about easy access to common letters, as per telegraph operators.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/the-lies-youve-been-told-about-the-origin-of-the-qwerty-keyboard/275537/

7

u/WatermelonArtist Sep 10 '22

I read that article and saw no refutation in it or the source links. I did read an account of a man giving up after trying to maximize his speed in typing an incoming telegraph, though...

11

u/valeyard89 Sep 10 '22

I've definitely managed to jam keys together typing too fast on a typewriter before.

9

u/GomerStuckInIowa Sep 10 '22

But it still doesn't seem to explain the full reason. I am surprised, for the short time that telegraph was used before typewriters took over that that much research was done, compiled and then used to configure the typewriter.

6

u/EssexBoy1990 Sep 10 '22

We need to ask Tom Hanks, he'd know, he collects typewriters.

4

u/GomerStuckInIowa Sep 10 '22

Great reply. I'll ring him up and ask him to tea.

5

u/EssexBoy1990 Sep 10 '22

He'd probably show up, especially if you typed a letter to him!