Moonlander's Curse

Five years ago I bought my very first mechanical keyboard, a Moonlander Mark I. I didn't know anything about key switches so I bought them based on what sounded best on a random review video on YouTube. I sometimes chuckle about that decision making process but overall it worked out pretty well and I am happy with my purchase. The only "problem" is that owning a fully customizable keyboard is that it's fully customizable. Let me explain.

So the Moonlander can be configured using Oryx, an online tool in which you can specify which key should do what under which condition. You can find a decent amount of layouts by using Oryx' search feature or by looking through entries on https://people.zsa.io/. My own layout can be found here. And this already outlines my point: Having too many choices can be an issue on its own. I love my keyboard but in a way I also hate it, because I can make it do anything that I can think of. Want to simulate a mouse? Sure. Place your modifiers on the home row? Easy. Want to create minimal setups using an endless amount of layers? Why not.

Tinkering with a keyboard layout comes with a lot of trial and error. You start with a great idea, you flash your keyboard and then one hour later you realize that your design is flawed and that you can't type something that you need on a daily basis. Different "use cases" (e.g. programming, gaming or writing) might make you believe that you need different layers/layouts for these tasks, but then again: Are you actually improving your typing experience, or are you overthinking something "simple"? That's the Moonlander's curse. I keep telling myself that my current configuration is good enough, but every couple of months my brain ponders the "but what if…" question. Be warned friends. Be warned.