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Comment by nsnick | Hacker News Reader

It also matters what sort of keyboards everyone is using. Horribly noisy mechanical keyboards make it impossible to concentrate.

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My last role (at a FAANG) had this lovely combination of short cubicle walls, standing desks that rise above the short walls, and mechanical keyboards. Dreaded it every day.

This is definitely one of those things that I can't understand. There seem to be so many people that swear by using keyboards with the clicks...but I just don't understand it.

Especially once you get out of your own house.

I used to swear by mechanical keyboards; I wrote my entire thesis on one, much to the chagrin of my graduate student officemate. She still brings it up when I see her, twelve years later!

For me, the difference was similar to weighted vs unweighted piano keys. With a mechanical keyboard I could get into a rhythm that I miss when working on a bubble-type keyboard. I've since trained myself (mostly out of necessity due to travel) to type almost as quickly and error-free on my laptop keyboard, but I do still miss the feedback from mechanical springs.

If I did 'spring' for a new mech keyboard now, however, I'd find the quietest one I could get, that still provided some sense of feedback. I don't need my noisy clicks to provide a juvenile signal to my coworkers that, yes, I am indeed working really hard on something really important right now.

I use mechanical keyboards in an open office environment. Even clicky ones. Does it bother anyone? Nobody complained yet (in fact, barely anyone noticed I bring my own keyboards to work). On the other hand, I can hear people typing on butterfly and membrane keyboards. So in my experience, in an open space which is already pretty noisy mechanical keyboards don't create noise which is more significant than non-mechanical keyboards.

Even the makers of mechanical keyboards recognize that some key switches make considerably more noise than others. That's why Cherry MX added optional damping -- so you can be considerate of others who are within earshot.

Like leaky headphones, loud keyboards reliably do annoy neighbors, whether they're willing to speak up or not.

Ask your coworkers if it bothers them. The fact that they have not complained to you does not mean that it doesn't. They are more than likely being non-confrontational. People who get called out on their mechanical keyboards often get very defensive. I have seen it ruin team dynamics.

mechanical does not have to be noisy though. I swear by mechanical keyboards and own quite a few. MX blues, which are quite loud, I wouldn't take to an office.

Matias Quiet Click / Brown switches (with o-rings) are not all that loud. Or the 'topre' switches which are not really 'mechanical' but already feel a lot better than standard membrane can be an option.

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