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Comment on How do I avoid enshitification of my keyboard and mouse

Buy open hardware with open source firmware.

I’m typing this from a Corne-ish Zen and you can see my firmware (ZMK) with my keymap at github.com/Utopiah/…/corneish_zen.keymap#L27

Nobody can touch this but me. No update can break it. Yet, it’s more feature rich than most keyboards.

There are equivalents for most peripherals. It’s not cheap, usually even MORE expensive than already pricey ones like Logitech (I have an MX Vertical, still) but IMHO it’s worth it. It’s good right now, pragmatically speaking, but also morally speaking.

I advise against swimming upstream, namely NOT buying hardware that have such enshitification practices because if they don’t do it today, they might tomorrow when there is more pressure from shareholders. Also by buying alternatives you are economically supporting people whom you believe are providing better solutions for yourself and others.

PS: a gateway to such project is crowdsupply.com which is a kind of KickStarter for such projects.

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voracread@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Can you please provide the link to your keyboard?

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- utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Happy to, it is a Corne-ish Zen (6 columns (3x6) / Rose Gold) that I bought as a group buy from splitkb.com , ordered in May 2022 and received in January 2023. I’ve been using it daily, at home and on the move, since.
  
  It’s not cheap but if you works hours a day on a computer, if you have pain in the hands or wrist as I did, finding the “right” keyboard for you, both ergonomically speaking and software wise, is worth every penny IMHO.
  
  They don’t have it anymore it seems but they have a lot of quality alternatives I’m sure.
  
  It looks like lowprokb.ca/products/corne-ish-zen?variant=420512…
  
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AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Happy Cakeday! 🍰🎂

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Kbobabob@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’d hope that a $300 keyboard that was designed to be customized would.

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- utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  What I meant to say is that a lot of commercial keyboard are sold with home “customizable” they are. And it’s partly true, you have tool allowing to make some shortcut on popular OSes. It might be sufficient for some people … but it is NOT the same as putting your own firmware in it.
  
  I’m not advocating for a $300 keyboard over a $30 one, “just” for genuine customization. Some that doesn’t have arbitrary limitations from the manufacturer and doesn’t have support for only some OSes which in turns (well Windows and MacOS not to name them) also promote a consumer only with limited control options, as OP is saying about enshitification.
  
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