• Do Keyboards Still Include =?UTF-8?B?4oCcQ29waWxvdOKAnQ==?= Keys?

    From Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?=@ldo@nz.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 13 06:52:33 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
    in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop rCLencouragingrCY PC
    vendors to include the rCLCopilotrCY key on their keyboards. Is this still happening?

    Because IrCOm imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, werCOll be looking
    back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
    never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
    it was there ...
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From SpallsHurgenson(NG)@user14325@newsgrouper.org.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 13 13:59:00 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers


    Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> posted:

    Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
    in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop rCLencouragingrCY PC
    vendors to include the rCLCopilotrCY key on their keyboards. Is this still happening?

    Because IrCOm imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, werCOll be looking back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
    never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
    it was there ...

    Maybe we can just remap the key to the 'context menu' key that nobody ever uses. It is, after all, the same key but with a different picture on the
    top (and it generates a F23 keycode instead of ctrl-shift-f10 keychord)

    And in 15 years, Microsoft will probably re-re-map it to something else nobody uses. What will it be? The anticipation is killing me; I can hardly wait! ;-) --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Jan van den Broek@balglaas@dds.nl to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 13 14:14:56 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    Is CoPilot already considered to be folklore?

    Time flies!
    --
    Jan v/d Broek balglaas@dds.nl

    "We're through being cool."
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From rbowman@bowman@montana.com to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 13 20:48:27 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:52:33 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

    Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least in
    the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop rCLencouragingrCY PC vendors
    to include the rCLCopilotrCY key on their keyboards. Is this still
    happening?

    The 'Windows' key has become a fixture on most keyboards. It's a good one
    to map to Meta for i3 or sway.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Peter Flass@Peter@Iron-Spring.com to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 13 20:41:35 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On 6/13/26 13:48, rbowman wrote:
    On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:52:33 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

    Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least in
    the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop rCLencouragingrCY PC vendors >> to include the rCLCopilotrCY key on their keyboards. Is this still
    happening?

    The 'Windows' key has become a fixture on most keyboards. It's a good one
    to map to Meta for i3 or sway.

    One of the reasons I bought my Unicomp was that it didn't have that
    stupid extra key, or anything associated with windows.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?=@ldo@nz.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Sun Jun 14 05:43:04 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:41:35 -0700, Peter Flass wrote:

    One of the reasons I bought my Unicomp was that it didn't have that
    stupid extra key, or anything associated with windows.

    The rCLSuperrCY modifier key was known in Lisp machine days though, wasnrCOt it. And Emacs still knows that name. The rCLWindowsrCY key is commonly
    treated synonymously with that, particularly on keyboards, like on my
    Linux boxes, that donrCOt have any actual Microsoft-related marks on
    them.

    Emacs also knows about the rCLHyperrCY modifier key, but there seems to be
    no available key on currently-common PC keyboards that could serve
    that function ...
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?=@ldo@nz.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Sun Jun 14 05:43:28 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:14:56 -0000 (UTC), Jan van den Broek wrote:

    Is CoPilot already considered to be folklore?

    Reminisce now, and avoid the rush!
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Nuno Silva@nunojsilva@invalid.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Sun Jun 14 09:51:37 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On 2026-06-13, SpallsHurgenson(NG) wrote:

    Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> posted:

    Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
    in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop rCLencouragingrCY PC
    vendors to include the rCLCopilotrCY key on their keyboards. Is this still >> happening?

    Because IrCOm imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, werCOll be looking
    back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
    never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
    it was there ...

    Maybe we can just remap the key to the 'context menu' key that nobody ever uses. It is, after all, the same key but with a different picture on the
    top (and it generates a F23 keycode instead of ctrl-shift-f10
    keychord)

    Ah yes, I call it the Compose key :-)

    (I still stand by an assessment that keyboards have too few modifiers,
    one for the window manager, one key for compose, and you may be already
    out of keys even before you consider a key to switch keymaps.

    Non-Emacs users probably have a different assessment.)

    And in 15 years, Microsoft will probably re-re-map it to something else nobody
    uses. What will it be? The anticipation is killing me; I can hardly wait! ;-)

    It's time keyboard manufacturers just give Microsoft the finger. This is
    silly, keyboards continuing to do Microsoft product placement, instead
    of using generic logos or labels.
    --
    Nuno Silva
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Bob Eager@throwaway0008@eager.cx to alt.folklore.computers on Sun Jun 14 10:39:17 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:41:35 -0700, Peter Flass wrote:

    On 6/13/26 13:48, rbowman wrote:
    On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:52:33 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

    Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
    in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop rCLencouragingrCY PC
    vendors to include the rCLCopilotrCY key on their keyboards. Is this still >>> happening?

    The 'Windows' key has become a fixture on most keyboards. It's a good
    one to map to Meta for i3 or sway.

    One of the reasons I bought my Unicomp was that it didn't have that
    stupid extra key, or anything associated with windows.

    I have several UniComps, and I have 'Windows' and the other useless key.
    But I map them to something useful.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From rbowman@bowman@montana.com to alt.folklore.computers on Mon Jun 15 00:22:20 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On Sun, 14 Jun 2026 05:43:04 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

    The rCLSuperrCY modifier key was known in Lisp machine days though, wasnrCOt it.
    And Emacs still knows that name. The rCLWindowsrCY key is commonly treated synonymously with that, particularly on keyboards, like on my Linux
    boxes,
    that donrCOt have any actual Microsoft-related marks on them.

    The default config for sway refers to it (Mod4) as the Logo key in a
    comment. xmodmap calls it Super_L and Super_R with three different
    keycodes. I don't know if the extra key on the right is Super_R. i3 treats
    the left key as expected, but the right does something different. Ubuntu
    also treats them differently. I don't use the right one.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Chris Ahlstrom@OFeem1987@teleworm.us to alt.folklore.computers on Mon Jun 15 06:46:13 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    Nuno Silva wrote this screed in ALL-CAPS:

    On 2026-06-13, SpallsHurgenson(NG) wrote:

    Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> posted:

    Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
    in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop rCLencouragingrCY PC
    vendors to include the rCLCopilotrCY key on their keyboards. Is this still >>> happening?

    Because IrCOm imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, werCOll be looking >>> back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
    never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
    it was there ...

    Maybe we can just remap the key to the 'context menu' key that nobody ever >> uses. It is, after all, the same key but with a different picture on the
    top (and it generates a F23 keycode instead of ctrl-shift-f10
    keychord)

    Ah yes, I call it the Compose key :-)

    (I still stand by an assessment that keyboards have too few modifiers,
    one for the window manager, one key for compose, and you may be already
    out of keys even before you consider a key to switch keymaps.

    Non-Emacs users probably have a different assessment.)

    Fluxbox supports keystroke chords (e.g. Ctrl-x Ctrl-c) to initiate stuff.
    I don't use chords, but with Shift, Ctrl Left/Right, Alt, and the
    friggin' Microsoft Windows key, plenty of knuckle-busting key
    combinations.

    I've seen Emacs users whose hands look like the hands of an aged
    roofer :-).

    And in 15 years, Microsoft will probably re-re-map it to something else nobody
    uses. What will it be? The anticipation is killing me; I can hardly wait! ;-)

    It's time keyboard manufacturers just give Microsoft the finger. This is silly, keyboards continuing to do Microsoft product placement, instead
    of using generic logos or labels.

    Well, the generic keyboards I see label the key with "Win" or
    "Cmd".
    --
    <Knghtbrd> you know, Linux needs a platform game starring Tux
    <Knghtbrd> kinda Super Marioish, but with Tux and things like little cyber
    bugs and borgs and that sort of thing ...
    <Knghtbrd> And you have to jump past billgatus and hit the key to drop him
    into the lava and then you see some guy that looks like a RMS
    or someone say "Thank you for rescuing me Tux, but Linus
    Torvalds is in another castle!"
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Roman Belenov@no@spam.please to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 20 09:11:46 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    Lawrence DAOliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> writes:

    Emacs also knows about the oHypero modifier key, but there seems to be
    no available key on currently-common PC keyboards that could serve
    that function ...

    For some reason (probably just random choice) I mapped Windows key to
    Hyper in my Emacs setup back in 90s. I see that Super is kind of
    standard now, but it is easier to change system settings than all
    keybindings in Emacs configs.

    Regards, Roman
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?=@ldo@nz.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 20 06:45:31 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:11:46 +0300, Roman Belenov wrote:

    For some reason (probably just random choice) I mapped Windows key
    to Hyper in my Emacs setup back in 90s. I see that Super is kind of
    standard now, but it is easier to change system settings than all
    keybindings in Emacs configs.

    Surely a global search-and-replace of rCL\H-rCY with rCL\s-rCY in your .emacs ought to do the trick. ;)
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Nuno Silva@nunojsilva@invalid.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Sat Jun 20 09:31:17 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    On 2026-06-20, Roman Belenov wrote:

    Lawrence DrCOOliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> writes:

    Emacs also knows about the rCLHyperrCY modifier key, but there seems to be >> no available key on currently-common PC keyboards that could serve
    that function ...

    For some reason (probably just random choice) I mapped Windows key to
    Hyper in my Emacs setup back in 90s. I see that Super is kind of
    standard now, but it is easier to change system settings than all
    keybindings in Emacs configs.

    Regards, Roman

    There were some Sun keyboards that were USB and had more modifiers and
    other keys. Is there any such thing being currently manufactured? With
    decent keyboard quality?
    --
    Nuno Silva
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Roman Belenov@no@spam.please to alt.folklore.computers on Sun Jun 21 12:50:52 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers

    Lawrence DAOliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> writes:

    Surely a global search-and-replace of o\H-o with o\s-o in your .emacs
    ought to do the trick. ;)

    It's also "[(hyper " and probably other variants.

    Regards, Roman
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2