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06/27/2005: "Forrin keyboards"

You have possibly noticed that on every forum or mailing list where you are likely to get some Irish somebody has raised the question of how to add fadas. And in response people have posted all kinds of solutions like using a character map, or downloading keyboard layouts or using Alt Gr, or even using the USCII character codes. Thing is, isn't it about time somebody made the case for getting proper keyboards in Ireland? I mean, how do they manage in France or any other country which has accents on their letters? They manage because they have proper keyboards. I have what I presume is a scandanavian keyboard, I have specific keys for letters like ö, å or ä. I also have a specific key for accents so doing fadas is éásy ás píé. So listen up Dell, Apple, Compaq and all the rest, start supplying proper fucking keyboards to Ireland. We need a fada key! I mean it!

Replies: Trácht amháin

It's a piece 'a piss getting an accent on an Úll.

Júst hóld dówn thé Ált kéy át thé sámé tímé.

If you want to change your keyboard layout to a French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, or whatever you want, you can do that too.

It's actually a great practical joke to play on your colleagues.

If they're a bit under the weather on a Monday morning, change the keyboard to Korean while they're gone to the jacks. Then when they get back, they may not notice that the sales pitch they've sent by e-mail actually reads as follows:

"츄ㅓ나처낯 ㅏ나ㅓ누ㅏ춘;ㄴㅊ 추ㅏ추재추 충쟂ㅇ챠재ㅜㅐ춪채ㅑ추ㅐ주채주."

And what would be even funnier would be if the client was Korean and what they had received was actually Korean for: "Meet me in the showers at the gym for some back-door action."

I really should be doing some work.

Gerry O'Sullivan, Dé Luain (Mon), Meitheamh (Jun) 27th,